Claud W. Somers

Claud W. Somers. . , In 1865 a conservation law in Maryland was passed in an effort to preserve the dwindling oyster supply in the Chesapeake Bay. The law restricted oyster dredging to sailing vessels only, leading to the rise in popularity of the skipjack. In the latter half of the nineteenth century, there were approximately 700 skipjacks or 70% of the oyster-dredging boats in the Chesapeake Bay region. In 2004, there were only five skipjack boats still in operation., The skipjack Claud W. Somers was built in 1911 by Thomas Young in Clam, Virginia for Edward Thomas Somers. Primarily used to dredge oysters, the vessel is also known for its speed, having won the annual Chesapeake Bay skipjack race in 1931 and 1966. The boat is remembered as having been involved in the worst fishing disaster in recent Chesapeake history. In March 1977 Mr. Thompson Wallace of Chance, Maryland, owner and skipper drowned with five family members all of which were black watermen. The tragic accident happened when the vessel went over in a 70-knot squall near Hooper Strait Lighthouse. The boat was raised within two days of the accident, and continued dredging until its retirement in 1983., After a long career of oyster dredging, Alfred Garey Lambert of Towson, Maryland purchased the Claud W. Somers and labored over the next 17 years restoring the vessel. Keeping with Lambert's wishes, in May of 2000 his children donated the vessel to the Reedville Fishermen's Museum as a memorial to honor their father and his dedication to the preservation of the vessel. From spring 2000 to fall 2001. The museum volunteers donated thousands of labor hours and along with the staff at Cockrell's Marine Railway restored the vessel to full sailing form. Today, the Claud W. Somers is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Virginia Historic Landmark.