Starry Banner Fall 2012 - Reedville Fishermen's Museum

Christmas on Cockrell’s Creek
December 8 th and 9 th 2012
Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fall 2012
Six waterfront homes are featured on the 2012 tour; four on Cockrell’s Creek, one on Chesapeake Bay, and
one on the Little Wicomico River. All will be beautifully and naturally decorated by the Chesapeake Bay Garden
Club. Spend a day or two in Reedville and get a head start on the Christmas spirit! Whether you
choose to stroll the Main Street historic district, or travel by boat shuttle, you’ll enjoy the ambience of our historic
village all decked out for the holidays!
Throughout the holiday season, there will be activities that the whole family can enjoy.
The Northern Neck Railroad model train display starts rolling the day after Thanksgiving and continues
through December. Santa will make his annual visit to town aboard the Elva C. Saturday, December 8th at 9
a.m. After lighting the Christmas tree, kids will be treated at Bethany Church. Holiday Tablescapes, a presentation
of intriguing holiday table settings by area decorators and designers will be on display in the Museum’s
Covington building. Also on the “don’t miss” list are the traditional bake sale featuring our members’
finest confections, caroling and hot cider and cookies in the Walker House.
Santa’s Workshop, filled with unique items created by talented RFM member artists and artisans, will be in full
swing at the Masonic Temple just across the street from the museum. The beautifully decorated Bethany UMC
sanctuary, with its inspiring stained glass windows, will also be open during the weekend for free tours .
For Ticket information, please see page 9

From the Pilothouse
One of the things that I have been most impressed with since my first day here at the
Reedville Fishermen’s Museum is the number of volunteers and the wonderful dedication of
these volunteers. Our volunteers are the lifeblood of this organization and I for one can not say
thank you enough for all that everyone does. This museum that we all care so deeply about
depends on the contributions of hundreds of volunteers. We need people willing to lend a hand,
and we need people who will take on large roles for very little in return other than the gratitude
of everyone who benefits from the hard work of our volunteers.
I find that we tend to ask the same people to volunteer over and over. I can’t tell you
how many times a long-time Museum volunteer has told me that his or her current “job” is the
last one. I am challenging everyone to make an effort to recruit new, eager members as volunteers.
They may not do things the way you would—but if the end result is positive and beneficial
for the Museum, does it matter?
I feel compelled to challenge each of our members to do two things. Volunteer to do a
job you haven’t done before, take a chance, and give it your all. Know that you will have the
support of the Museum’s staff and board of directors. The second challenge is to join me in
saying “Thank you” to those who do volunteer. Other than the satisfaction of a job well done,
there’s very little return for the hard work that many people contribute to this organization. A
thank you can go long way toward making this hard work worthwhile.
We currently have several important openings within our volunteer corps: chairman of
the Antique and Classic Boat Show, docent schedule coordinator, help with buildings and
grounds maintenance, assistance with both the Museum’s library and archival collection and the
Walker House. If these don’t appeal to you, come see me. I’m sure I can find something that
will match up with your interests and talents!
Best Wishes for a Beautiful Holiday Season,
Katrina
FESTIVAL HALL
EVENT MANAGER
The Greater Reedville Association is looking
for someone to oversea the events and
activities at Festival Halle.
This position is part-time including weekend
and evening hours. Experience with A/V
equipment and lighting would be helpful.
Please contact Katrina or Karen @ RFM
The Gift That Keeps On Giving
Can’t figure what to get for your best friend, your pastor,
or your new neighbor
down the street?
Have business clients you want to thank?
We have the solution …..
A Membership to the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum
To order a gift certificate, stop by or call the museum
office to make arrangements. We’ll send your recipient
a pretty gift card and a copy of the Starry Banner.

From the President
It seems like it was yesterday that we had our last
annual membership meeting. Were did this year
go?
During our last annual meeting Fred Cole brought
up the issue of needing to update our introductory
video for visitors to the Museum. Accordingly, we
volunteered Fred to head up the committee for this
project. The finished video is absolutely fantastic
and we will be showing some of it at our upcoming
annual meeting. When you see it you will be
amazed at its National Geographic quality. The
best thing of all is that this project was done with
all volunteer efforts and did not cost us anything to
produce.
Fred recruited Dennis Dalpino to do the filming
and Katrina Lawrimore, Monty Deihl and Jim
Marsh provided technical and script assistance.
The video shows our maritime heritage and also
gives a good overview of the boat shop, the hobby
shop and other facets of our organization. Dick
Doyle, Spud Parker and Cal Boyd all star in the
video and I am sure they are contemplating signing
Hollywood contracts in the near future.
On behalf of the membership of our organization,
thank you very much, Fred and “Team,”
for a job well done! Great thanks also to the
folks who contributed monies for the new
video equipment needed to show the new
film.
To change the tune, Clif Ames once again did
a wonderful job of coordinating the Antique
Boat Show. I don’t know how he entices all of
the boat owners to participate, but somehow
he gets it done. This year we had upwards of
500 attendees; one of our best showings ever.
Thank you Clif!
Oh, by the way, after all his efforts Clif does
have a little egg on his face. If you visit
woodyboater.com there is a terrific picture of
him being towed in as he ran out of gas during
the parade.
Keith

May Your Holidays Be Merry and Bright!
Greater Reedville Association
and
Reedville Fishermen’s Museum
2012Board of Directors
Officers
President – Keith Dobson
Vice President – Monty Deihl
Secretary – Betty Mountjoy
Treasurer – Ted Hower
Directors
Blaine Altaffer
Bill Brent
Mason Brent
Gordon Burgess
Wayne Clarke
Dick Doyle
Gus Dunaway
Bob Gwaltney
Julie Pritchard
Walter Rogers
Director Emeritus
George Frayne
RFM Staff
Director – Katrina Lawrimore
Office Manager – Karen Rogers
Bookkeeper – Denise Munns
Committees/Chairperson
Boat Collection – Dudley Biddlecomb
Boat Donations – Clif Ames
Boat Shop – Dick Doyle, Pete Kauneckas
Buildings & Grounds – Gordon Burgess
Claud Somers –
Curatorial – Donald George
Docents – Sue Lindsey & Katrina Lawrimore
Education – Betty Mountjoy
Elva C. – George Butler
Exhibits – Katrina Lawrimore
George Frayne
Gift Shop – Debby Fitzgerald
Landscape & Gardening – Chesapeake Bay Garden
Club
Model Shop – Bob Dillon
Starry Banner – Jeanne Hickey
Walker House – Nancy Banes
Webmaster – Paul Kimball
CONTACT RFM
Office: (804) 453-6529
FAX: (804) 453-7159
Email: office@rfmuseum.org
Website: www.rfmuseum.org
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 306, Reedville, VA 22539

What’s New @ RFM?
RFM is always making improvements to our exhibits, both inside
and out. Now, with the addition of a pile of oyster shells near the
docks, kids of all ages will be able to experience firsthand the
strenuous work of harvesting, or "tonging" for oysters. A new display
case on the railing explains the history of Chesapeake Bay
oystering and highlights the roles of the Claud Somers, our skipjack,
and our Elva C, a buyboat, in the oyster industry. The display explains
how oysters benefit the Bay, the number of oysters in the
Bay over time and the life cycle and anatomy of the oyster. The
live tanks have been upgraded with a new pump and improved
plumbing. Visitors may view live oysters in the creek to learn how
oysters grow and clean the waters of the Bay.
This new exhibit would not have been possible without Cathyann
Feigenbaum, who applied for and received a grant from the Chesapeake
Bay Restoration Advisory Committee; (proceeds from the
sale of Chesapeake Bay license plates fund this grant.) Cathy also
donated an oyster float. We are very grateful to the following (and
others unnamed) who made this project happen: Brian Wood who
developed the oyster timeline and other documents used for the
exhibit, the Tidewater Oyster Growers Association who donated
seed oysters, Gordon Burgess, Aubrey Henry, Donald George and
others who prepared for the oyster exhibit and upgraded the pump
system for the live tanks. Harry Towne, who built the display case;
Cheryl McPherson who located and procured at no charge, the
landscaping bricks for the oyster tonging station; George Kranda
who installed the Oyster sign; our talented and dedicated "Boat
Shop Guys," who installed the display case and repaired the railing
on the docks; and Betty Mountjoy, acting as the instigator!
One thing I can tell you about oyster tonging is it takes a real
man to do it all day. When I lived on the Chesapeake Bay in the
60's and 70's I had the opportunity to try my hand at using oyster
tongs to harvest oysters....it ain't easy!!! The heavy tongs
hinge about where his right hand is and when dropped straight
down to the bottom the jaws open about one foot for a spread at
the surface of about four feet. After closing the jaws to scrape
oysters from the bed the rig is hauled back up and opened to
release the oysters on deck. For pussies like you and I it is hard
just to do it a few times much less all day. Oystermen have fantastic
arm and chest muscles and one thing for sure, don't ever
get in a brawl with them...they are as tough as they come. When
I went out with friends who were from oystering families they
had quite a good-natured laugh at my pathetic attempts to oyster,
though I worked out and was fairly active....after a few trips
to the bottom and back I was pooped. So think about that when
you look at these guys in the picture who had arguably one of
the toughest jobs ever. "Oyster Boy" indeed!
Submitted by Anonymous Tipster on Sat, 09/06/2008
www.shorpy.com

Treasure in the Attic!
Last June, while Donald George and I were cataloguing
items in the storage area of the Covington Building, we came
upon a little red cardboard box labeled ‘Found in Walker
House - 1987.’ A month or so later, when we got around to
taking a look at the contents of our little box, we were flabbergasted!
Donning our white cotton gloves, we carefully
unfolded a treasure trove of receipts, bills, invoices, wage
reports, licenses - bits and pieces of the everyday life of the
William Walker family from over 130 years ago!
If you’re interested in joining our enthusiastic team,
call Katrina at the museum, and we’ll be back in touch.
-Susan Tipton
Be the Face of Our Museum
Among the papers were: an 1881 ‘License to fish
with pound-nets’ and an Oyster Fishing License issued by
Northumberland County to William Walker; bills for building
materials in 1882 - possibly when the Walker House was
added on to; a bill from Dr. Tankard for $15.00 for attending
the at-home birth of the first Walker child in 1876; and best
of all, a receipt for $240.59 signed by Elijah W. Reed in
1876, to settle, in full, Walker’s note to buy the land and
build his house.
What does this mean to the museum? Well, we plan to enrich
the Walker House tour with new anecdotes from the information
we’ve garnered. We’ll add some items to our exhibit,
like a framed copy of the pound-netting license. Mostly it
fills in some blanks, answers some questions, and provides
documentary corroboration of some assumptions in our continuing
effort to document the fishing industry and early life
in Reedville.
Like meeting new people and sharing with
them the wonders of living in the Northern
Neck?
As a docent you will greet our visitors, introduce
them to the Museum and make them feel
at home.
You will also be helping out in the gift shop.
Docent hours are 3 hours longmornings
10:30-1:30
or afternoons 1:30-4:30.
Don’t worry, we will train you on everything you
need to know.
Does rooting around in old archives, examining old
photographs, database cataloguing, and helping visitors and
scholars research the early menhaden industry and life in
Reedville excite you like it does Donald, Anne Davis, and
me? Then we’d love to have you join us in this fulfilling and
fascinating adventure.
Depending on your interests, there are many avenues
you can pursue. There’s lots more primary research material
to be catalogued. We need to revamp our library. We’d like
to make more material available online – especially Donald
George’s extensive information on menhaden fishing vessels.
The list goes on and on…
The RFM Gift Shop
is Full of Wonderful
GIFTS for this or Any Occasion!

The Captain of the Mystic Whaler Spins
the Tale of the 2012 Great Chesapeake
Bay Schooner Race
Baltimore to Portsmouth
At 32 hours, this was the longest race the Mystic Whaler
has ever finished and, I believe it was the best race we
have ever sailed. This race was peculiar in that we were
not cold and not wet. In fact, my foul weather gear
never got off the hanger once. However, this race certainly
had its challenges.
RFM Boys: Ray Reuter, Wayne Corey, Leigh Doptis,
Mike Sanders, Rockey Connell and Glenn Warner all
had an experience of a lifetime and represented RFM
well!
The Mystic Whaler won the start both convincingly
and by accident. When the five minute warning
signal came, we were only a hundred yards from the
starting line but heading the wrong way. Then the wind
utterly died. Over five minutes we had just enough way
on to get ourselves tuned around and drift across the
starting line fifteen seconds after the gun and several
minutes ahead of the next boat. The race was on! We
set a course for Thomas Point Lighthouse, just a few
miles ahead of us. Twelve hours after the start of the
race, we could still see the Chesapeake Bay bridges
behind us. Fifteen hours after the start, we were 26
miles closer to the finish line, with 101 yet to go. But
finally, at 0530 Friday, the wind shifted gently to the
Northwest and we pointed our bow towards Portsmouth.
There were seven schooners entered in the AA
class, the “big boat” fleet. Of those, three were built for
speed: Pride of Baltimore II (a Baltimore Clipper), Virginia
(a pilot schooner), and Summerwind (a racing
yacht). These three race each other for all the metal, and
perennially trade finish spots only due to the 10% penalty
tacked onto last year’s winner. The other four
schooners in the AA class are what we call the Workboats:
the beamy, commodious Mystic Whaler and Liberty
Clipper, the former oyster schooner AJ Meerwald,
and the Lady Maryland, modeled after a cargo schooner.
These four schooners perform evenly enough that we
can often all still see each other at the finish line, albeit
with the Mystic Whaler usually looking wistfully ahead
at the other three.
The day’s forecast bode well: Northwest winds at
10-15, gusting to 25. After a long night of shrewd tacking
decisions made by each of the watch captains, we had the
unusual vantage of looking back at the other three workboats.
By late morning we were off Point Lookout and
starting across the wide mouth of the Potomac as the wind
freshened to 18 knots…. We cleared Smith Point
with a NW wind steady at 20 knots as we broad-reached
merrily toward the finish line. But an hour later the wind
became shifty, hauling and veering from NW to North to
NE and back again with gusts over 25. broad reach and
starting the maddening process over again. We were over
canvassed and discussing a reef when Cuchilai reported a
man overboard. Their GPS position was just over three
miles ahead of us; in fact, we could see her. We responded
by radio and started motorsailing towards her . Cuchilain
is a Class C schooner, measuring 44 feet overall and making
her ninth race. She reported that the man in the water
was unconscious and they were unable to get him aboard.
We were the closest vessel, yet 24 minutes way from their
GPS position. The initial GPS position they gave was erroneous,
however; when we arrived at that point we were
still nearly a mile from them. By the time we got to the
scene, 34 minutes after the call, there was no scene left.
The victim was in a Coast Guard boat from Milford Haven
station, en route to Deltaville. The Cuchilain limped along
behind with a pile of sail on her deck and a broken main
boom. The Coast Guard released us from the scene and we
rejoined the race from our adjusted position.
By 7 pm it was clear that there was no one left racing
down the Bay. That is to say that anyone who took racing
seriously (and had a viable racer for a boat) had already
finished. As the wind built to a steady 30 knots from the
north, the captains and crews that were still underway had
no further interest in racing, but only in getting it over with
both intact and soon. Any schooner that had not yet withdrawn
was now racing against the weaknesses in its own
rig.
Twenty miles from the finish line, the Mystic
Whaler had once again become unmanageable. The single
reef in the main (and all others set) still left us with too
much sail for that much wind, and the Mystic Whaler’s
stern was determined to get ahead of her bow. ..

The Mystic Whaler crossed the finish line at
9:32 pm Friday.; five hours after the third place finisher
Virginia, and six hours after the first place Summerwind.
As we crossed the line and started up the Thimble
Shoals channel, our course changed from due South
to due West, putting us on a beam reach. This more
efficient point of sail brought the schooner’s speed up
to ten knots. It also put us beam to the seas, which, we
now realized, were six feet. Any unsecured objects on
the starboard side of the vessel quickly relocated themselves
to the port side. We docked in Portsmouth at
midnight with—one schooner, intact; no damage.
Twenty two crew, no injuries. Thank you, Mystic
Whaler for once again doing everything we asked of
you, while getting us there safely.
- John Eginton, Captain
To read the full story, go to www.rfmuseum.org
Tickets
for the 2012 Christmas On Cockrell’s
Creek Tour will be available at the
RFM office beginning Monday,
November 12th. House tour tickets
are $25 in advance or $30 on tour
days and include all houses, holiday
tablescapes, museum exhibits,
the model railroad and the Walker
House.
Other activities are free of charge.
To order by mail, send a check and a
long SASE to RFM.
For further information, call the museum
office (M-F, 9-5) at
(804) 453-6529 or check the website.
November 10, Oyster Roast - RFM 2:00pm-
5:00pm
(RFM Closed)
Winter Market
Festival Halle
9:00am -
2:00pm
December 8
Christmas on
Cockrell's Creek
10:00am-
5:00pm
COCKTAILS ON THE CREEK
December 9
December 16
Reedville Festival
Chorale
11:00 –
4:00pm
3:00 pm
November 16, and 30
December 14
Festival Halle
December 24-25
RFM Closed Christmas
December 31 New Year’s Eve 10:30—12:15

RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION
November 9 - December 2, 2012
10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Reedville Fishermen's Museum Gallery
Do not miss this fascinating and beautiful memorial exhibition of the artwork of Katherine
Frayne, former Director Emeritus of the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum.
Mrs. Frayne, who died in June of 2011, was a renowned painter,
ceramicist and needlework designer. Her work as a designer, teacher
and photographer had taken her on multiple trips around the world as
she documented the life styles of people in Africa, Asia, the Middle
East and Latin America.
A 1943 graduate of Pratt Institute in
Brooklyn, NY, Mrs. Frayne also studied
at the Museum of Modern Art in NY, the
Brooklyn Academy and Hofstra University.
She taught adult education classes
for many years while also conducting
classes in design and color theory in public
schools on Long Island, NY. As the
Vice President of the corporation she and
her husband formed in 1953, she served
as a consultant and graphic designer on projects for many corporations, non-governmental organizations
and United Nations agencies.
After Mr. Frayne retired from a career in film and graphic arts, the Fraynes moved to Reedville
(1994.) Together they were instrumental in the design of the Covington Exhibition Building of the
Reedville Fishermen’s Museum. Mrs. Frayne was also responsible
for the design and decoration of the recently restored Rice’s Hotel/
Hughlett’s Tavern in Heathsville.

Boat Donations and Sales Program
Please Consider Donating Your Boat to the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum
Replace the unpleasant prospect of marketing your boat with the gratifying knowledge that the gift will work for you
and your community by strengthening the educational and preservation programs of the museum.
The RFM is a fully certified not-for-profit organization under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is
funded by gifts and grants from its supporters. A form of support that appeals particularly to some is the donation of
a boat to the museum. Such "in-kind" contributions may offer the donor the advantages of an income tax deduction
for the market value of the boat. A donation demands much less of the donor's time and emotions than the usual
brokerage procedure. All types of boats - traditional or modern, work or pleasure, sail or power, wood or other material
- are eligible for this program.
The process is relatively simple, involving the exchange of ownership documents and a contract of acceptance. The
donated boat will be sold through normal channels or at auction. Proceeds will be used for museum operation or endowment.
Boats that are particular examples of traditional designs may be retained in the collection if the limited resources of
the Museum are sufficient to maintain them in proper fashion. The Museum retains the right to decline a gift if, in its
opinion, the condition of the boat is such that a buyer cannot be located with a reasonable effort.
BOATS FOR SALE
(This list is subject to change)
1.1985 Bayliner 18 foot Capri 2.1 liter Volvo I/O with trailer. Asking…..$2000.
2.1971 Windjammer fiberglass sailboat with 1997 Venture trailer. Asking…….$1600
3.1934 Hartge built Chesapeake 20’ Sail boat and trailer, glass over wood. Asking……….$4000.
4.1990 21' Sunbird fiberglass O/B 200 HP Johnson, good condition. Asking…… $2700
5.1971 20 foot Highlander Sailboat and 1998 Venture Trailer. Asking…. $2700
6.1982 22’ Catalina sailboat with Honda 4 stroke O/B…..$3500.
7.1981 18 foot Hobe Cat with full rigging and trailer. Asking………$1800
8.1990 Galaxy 21 foot 175 Mercruiser I/O with 2004 EZ Loader trailer. Asking……$4,000
9.1960 Custom Chesapeake built 18 foot gaff rigged sailing skiff and trailer. Asking…….$2,500
10.2001 Skiffany (Tiffany) 14 foot Flat bottom skiff. Being reconditioned by Boat Shop. Asking…..$2000.
11.1973 Cape Dory 10 feet, row/sail dory with trailer. Being reconditioned by Boat Shop. Asking….$3200.
12.2007 Bolger Bobcat 12 foot 3 inch wooden sailboat and trailer. Asking….$1900.
13.1984 Alumacraft 14 foot aluminum rowboat & trailer. Asking…..$400.
If you have a boat with clear title that you wish to donate to the museum please contact Clif Ames at 804
-453-3506 or the RFMuseum at 804-453-6529.

To check Operation Schedule of RFM, go to
www.rfmuseum.org
From November 2—December 30,
RFM will be open Fri-Sun.
The RFM Office is open Mon-Fri.
Greater Reedville Association
Reedville Fishermen’s Museum
P.O. Box 306
Reedville VA 22539
Presorted
Non-Profit U.S. Postage
Paid Permit No. 6
Reedville VA 22539
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED