Claud W. Somers is a skipjack that was used for oyster dredging in Virginia and Maryland waters and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Register of Historic Places. It is one of the few skipjacks remaining in operational condition on Chesapeake Bay. Commissioned by Edward Thomas Somers, she was built in 1911 by Tom Young at Young’s Creek near the settlement known as Clam, Virginia, just north of Onancock and named after Edward’s son. After a working career of at least 60 years, she was eventually donated to the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum.
Categories:
- Type: [Original Ship]
- Subject: [Fishing] [Trawl / Dredge]
- Era: [1815-1914]
- Propulsion: [Diesel/Fuel Oil] [Internal Combustion] [Propeller] [Sail]
The diesel engine for this boat is actually fitted to its “push boat” which, when in use, tucks up into a chock at the stern of the skipjack. I’ve chosen to list the engine as part of this vessel, as this arrangement is a semi-permanent means of engine power. Push boats were hoisted onto davits when harvesting in areas where dredging under power was illegal, so fishery patrolmen could easily confirm the vessel obeying the law.
The museum built a new push boat for Claud W. Somers in 2019 and fitted it with a new Beta Marine 43 HP diesel.
See the museum’s page for this vessel.