Reedville in Northumberland County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Drive Boat
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 4, 2021
1. Drive Boat Marker
Inscription.
Drive Boat. . The drive or striker boat was essential to the menhaden fishery before spotter planes came into use after World War II. The captain, mate and drive boatsman would spend the fishing day in the crows nest of the fishing vessel. When a school of menhaden was spotted, the drive boat would be launched and the boatsman would row toward them standing up so that he could see the fish. Following the hand direction from the captain, he would move to the far side of the school to establish the location of the fish for the purse boats. As the fish were encircled by the purse boats setting the net he would maneuver so as to "drive" the fish into it, sometimes striking the water with an oar (thus the alternate name "striker boat"). If the catch was a large one he would be called upon to gather up some of the corks on the topline of the purse net so that the fish could not pull it down and escape. All of this was accomplished in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay or in the ocean under all sorts of weather conditions. This exhibit is a restored drive boat from the mid-twentieth century.
The drive or striker boat was essential to the menhaden fishery before spotter planes came into use after World War II. The captain, mate and drive boatsman would spend the fishing day in the crows nest of the fishing vessel. When a school of menhaden was spotted, the drive boat would be launched and the boatsman would row toward them standing up so that he could see the fish. Following the hand direction from the captain, he would move to the far side of the school to establish the location of the fish for the purse boats. As the fish were encircled by the purse boats setting the net he would maneuver so as to "drive" the fish into it, sometimes striking the water with an oar (thus the alternate name "striker boat"). If the catch was a large one he would be called upon to gather up some of the corks on the topline of the purse net so that the fish could not pull it down and escape. All of this was accomplished in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay or in the ocean under all sorts of weather conditions. This exhibit is a restored drive boat from the mid-twentieth century.
Location. 37° 50.608′ N, 76° 16.536′ W. Marker is in Reedville, Virginia, in Northumberland County. It can be reached from Main Street just south of Reed Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 504 Main St, Reedville VA 22539, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Northern Neck. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Trap Skiff (here, next to this marker); Chesapeake Bay's Butler Boats (within shouting
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 4, 2021
Another marker is no longer nearby. Elva C (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on July 5, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 5, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 200 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 5, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
