On October 2, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) shipwrights and apprentices placed the last plank, or “whiskey plank,” on the 1955 skipjack Rosie Parks, which has been under restoration since 2011. Pictured from left: Shipwright Apprentices Bill Bronaugh, Brooke Ricketts, and Chris Kretch work on fastening the last plank on the skipjack. Following maritime tradition, the plank was splashed with whiskey before installation, followed by a celebration among shipwrights, apprentices, volunteers, and descendants of the boat’s builder and captain who participated in the restoration work. The skipjack was originally built in Wingate, MD by Bronza Parks for his brother, Captain Orville Parks. A skipjack is a traditional sailing workboat used for oyster dredging along the Chesapeake Bay. The fleet used to number in the hundreds, with only a few still dredging today. The re-launch of the Rosie Parks is scheduled for CBMM’s OysterFest this November 2, with rigging to be completed in 2014. For more information, visit www.cbmm.org/rosieparks.html.
..
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.