Hilda M. Willing (skipjack)
Encyclopedia
Hilda M. Willing is a Chesapeake Bay
skipjack. Built in 1905 at Oriole, Maryland
she is a relatively small skipjack whose home port is Tilghman Island, Maryland
.
She was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1994.
The Willing is one of two skipjacks listed as National Historic Landmarks. The Willing was listed along with the Kathryn
as one of the few skipjacks built prior to 1943 that remained in good condition. Willing was particularly noteworthy as an example of a small skipjack with good sailing qualities.
off Tangier Sound
, in Somerset County, Maryland
. Her home port was Crisfield, Maryland
. In 1926 her owner was Samuel L. Laird of Oriole. Laird sold her to Thornton Webster of Wenona
in 1927, who sold her on to Roland Bozman of Wenona in 1929. Bozman sold the Willing to R.E. Hoffman, and she was resold to Addie M. Jones by 1941. She was owned by T. Rayner Graham in 1943, who abandoned her in Annapolis
. She was purchased for $400 by Leslie Pope of Oxford, Maryland
who moved her to Cambridge, Maryland
, then sold her to Robert F. "Pete" Sweitzer in 1947 for $1600. Sweitzer owned the Willing into the 1990s and did much of the repair and maintenance work on her himself.
Sweitzer altered the Willing to suit techological advances. He was the first to use an automobile engine instead of the then-common one-cylinder Hettinger engines to operate the dredge gear. The installation of this engine meant that the skipjack's freeboard could be raised 8 inches (20.3 cm) for better stability, as the power assist made the low freeboard of pre-1930 skipjacks less necessary. Sweitzer lengthened the boomdeepened the centerboard and added a small skeg
to the keel. He also took the traditional extreme rake out of the mast, making it vertical.
Willing's sailing qualities are among the best in the skipjack fleet. It is stated that she is the only skipjack that can come about without the use of the centerboad, and that she can dredge in strong winds without a jib.
. She carries a pushblock for a pushboat to allow her to dredge in light airs. The kinbg plank runs from the bow past the mast, but stops short of the main hatch. Following a second, smaller hatch, a small doghouse is set on the deck to provide low headroom in what would otherwise be a very low cabin, 2.5 foot (0.762 m) high. A box at the stern contains the hydraulic steering gear installed by Sweitzer to replace the original patent gear. Davits for the pushboat hang over the transom.
The Willing is rigged with a jib-headed mainsail, or leg-of-mutton, with a single large jib. She carries dredges on each side with a shared motor.
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
skipjack. Built in 1905 at Oriole, Maryland
Oriole, Maryland
Oriole is an unincorporated community in Somerset County, Maryland, United States.-References:...
she is a relatively small skipjack whose home port is Tilghman Island, Maryland
Tilghman Island, Maryland
Tilghman Island is a census-designated place in Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 854 at the 2000 census.- History :...
.
She was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1994.
The Willing is one of two skipjacks listed as National Historic Landmarks. The Willing was listed along with the Kathryn
Kathryn (skipjack)
The Kathryn , a Chesapeake Bay skipjack, was built at Crisfield, Maryland in 1901. Ported at Chance, Maryland, she is reputedly one of the fastest skipjacks on the Bay . She was designated a National Historic Landmark on April 19, 1994.-Description:...
as one of the few skipjacks built prior to 1943 that remained in good condition. Willing was particularly noteworthy as an example of a small skipjack with good sailing qualities.
History
The Hilda M. Willing was built in 1905 at Oriole, Maryland on the Manokin RiverManokin River
Manokin River is a river in Somerset County, Maryland, that flows into Tangier Sound, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. The Manokin rises east of Princess Anne, Maryland, flows through the town, then widens into a tidal estuary. Tributaries along the river's length are Kings Creek, Back Creek, St....
off Tangier Sound
Tangier Sound
Tangier Sound is a sound of the Chesapeake Bay bounded on the west by Tangier Island in Virginia, and Smith Island and South Marsh Island in Maryland, by Deal Island in Maryland on the north, and the mainland of the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Pocomoke Sound on the east...
, in Somerset County, Maryland
Somerset County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*53.5% White*42.3% Black*0.3% Native American*0.7% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.7% Two or more races*1.5% Other races*3.3% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. Her home port was Crisfield, Maryland
Crisfield, Maryland
Crisfield is a city in Somerset County, Maryland, United States, located on the Tangier Sound, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. The population was 2,723 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Salisbury, Maryland Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. In 1926 her owner was Samuel L. Laird of Oriole. Laird sold her to Thornton Webster of Wenona
Wenona, Maryland
Wenona is an unincorporated community located on Deal Island in Somerset County, Maryland, United States. It is located at the western end of Maryland Route 363, Deal Island Road....
in 1927, who sold her on to Roland Bozman of Wenona in 1929. Bozman sold the Willing to R.E. Hoffman, and she was resold to Addie M. Jones by 1941. She was owned by T. Rayner Graham in 1943, who abandoned her in Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
. She was purchased for $400 by Leslie Pope of Oxford, Maryland
Oxford, Maryland
Oxford is a waterfront town and former colonial port in Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 771 at the 2000 census.-History:Oxford is one of the oldest towns in Maryland...
who moved her to Cambridge, Maryland
Cambridge, Maryland
Cambridge is a city in Dorchester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 12,326 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dorchester County and the county's largest municipality...
, then sold her to Robert F. "Pete" Sweitzer in 1947 for $1600. Sweitzer owned the Willing into the 1990s and did much of the repair and maintenance work on her himself.
Sweitzer altered the Willing to suit techological advances. He was the first to use an automobile engine instead of the then-common one-cylinder Hettinger engines to operate the dredge gear. The installation of this engine meant that the skipjack's freeboard could be raised 8 inches (20.3 cm) for better stability, as the power assist made the low freeboard of pre-1930 skipjacks less necessary. Sweitzer lengthened the boomdeepened the centerboard and added a small skeg
Skeg
A skeg is a sternward extension of the keel of boats and ships which have a rudder mounted on the centre line. The term also applies to the lowest point on an outboard motor or the outdrive of an inboard/outboard...
to the keel. He also took the traditional extreme rake out of the mast, making it vertical.
Willing's sailing qualities are among the best in the skipjack fleet. It is stated that she is the only skipjack that can come about without the use of the centerboad, and that she can dredge in strong winds without a jib.
Description
The Willing is 40 feet (12.2 m) long, 14 feet (4.3 m) wide and draws 3.08 foot (0.938784 m). She has a traditional clipper bow-shaped cutwater in a sharp, but convex bow, and a square transomTransom (nautical)
In naval architecture, a transom is the surface that forms the stern of a vessel. Transoms may be flat or curved and they may be vertical, raked forward, also known as a retroussé or reverse transom, angling forward from the waterline to the deck, or raked aft, often simply called "raked", angling...
. She carries a pushblock for a pushboat to allow her to dredge in light airs. The kinbg plank runs from the bow past the mast, but stops short of the main hatch. Following a second, smaller hatch, a small doghouse is set on the deck to provide low headroom in what would otherwise be a very low cabin, 2.5 foot (0.762 m) high. A box at the stern contains the hydraulic steering gear installed by Sweitzer to replace the original patent gear. Davits for the pushboat hang over the transom.
The Willing is rigged with a jib-headed mainsail, or leg-of-mutton, with a single large jib. She carries dredges on each side with a shared motor.
External links
- National Historic Landmarks Study for Hilda M. Willing, at National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
. - Chesapeake Bay Skipjack Fleet MPS
- HILDA M. WILLING (skipjack), Talbot County, including photo in 1983, at Maryland Historical Trust