Barnegat Bay Heritage

Barnegat Bay Heritage. Maritime Heritage. , For over 150 years, Barnegat Bay has been at the heart of a rich culture that relied on the bay for its livelihood. Early settlers who tried their hand at farming found they could supplement their diet and income with clams, fish, and waterfowl taken from the nearby day., It wasn't long before these "baymen" were able to support themselves entirely from the waters of Barnegat Bay. They trapped muskrats, hunted shorebirds and waterfowl, collected moss, fished for striped bass and bluefish, tonged for clams and oysters, tended lobster and eel pots, caught snapping turtles and blue crabs, carved decoys, built boats, acted as guides to visiting sportsmen, sang songs, and spun yarns.,

"You got to be on the bay to see a day born. Back on the mainland you see just the sun come up." (Anonymous bayman)

, [Sidebar:] , Commercial wildfowling and decoy carving are important Bay industries dating back to the early 1900s., Decoys made of locally harvested white cedar were proportionately small and hollow to reduce weight in the sneakbox. Highly collectible, early carvings by famed area craftsmen have recently sold for as much as $203,500. "As they say around here, just carve away anything that doesn't look like a duck.", Also known as the "devil's coffin," the smaller Barnegat Bay Sneakbox was so named because of its stealth and concealment capabilities. Originally rowed or poled, it quickly became one of the most popular sailboats on the bay. Sneakboxes were made of locally harvested white cedar and often had copper covered keels for use on ice., [Caption:] , Baymen created shallow draft boats perfectly suited to the shallow depths of Barnegat Bay. The Garvey is a flat-bottomed, open boat originally designed to be sailed or rowed. It is still in use today, though usually powered by motor.