Garveys of NJ... Now with pics

S

Scott Swain

Member
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Saw a lot of garveys growing up on Long Island and alot of sharpies also. Most of the baymen here built their own. looked at a few fiberglass one's in Maryland but could never find the maker...
 
Scott~

I loved your post! My first boat was a 16' garvey - for clamming on Great South Bay.

Also, in researching "When the Broadbill was King on Great South Bay" for the March 2015 LI Decoys Collectors show, we have been gathering old photos from that era. Here are just a few of the shots we've gotten so far.

This is Brud Skidmore - owner of East Islip Lumber - building a 30-footer ~ 1960:

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Here she is - one of a series of boats he named Broadbill - afloat for the first time. She was the tender/mother ship for the open water "scooter rig":

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Here is an 18-footer used as the stool boat - although I'll bet she's not full of Broadbill decoys in this shot:

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Here she is breaking ice - all part of the fun of Broadbill gunning back in the day:

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All the best,

SJS
 
Here is my 24' garvey. I wish I had a fraction of the wood working/boat building knowledge that the local (Waretown, NJ) builder has. She was built in 2003 and I have had her since April this year. I hope one day the Tuckerton Seaport would consider inviting some local garveys and sneak boxes to the Decoy show as part of an in-water display. The rear seats/hatches were re-purposed from salvaged engine hatch cover teak with much help from my brother-in-law. Site member Rich Scheffer sent me a sample of starboard, and I'll soon be replacing the rotting cabin door with a sheet I just purchased. Our new Lab "Moose" loves the boat, as does all of the family. Last picture is an end of Summer evening. cruise. View attachment Garvey 2014 (2).jpgView attachment GTeak.jpgView attachment GMoose.jpgView attachment GClam.jpgView attachment GEve.jpg
 
Scott-

Thanks for posting those photos. I really like the simple, utilitarian look and nature of the Garvey's. There were a couple of old ones sitting on blocks near some places that we regularly hunt. It was sad watching them waste away. Unfortunately Sandy took them and I haven't seen them since.

A Garvey would make a nice open layout for the family to play on in the summer.

Chad A
 
Back in the 60's thru early 80's they were a dime a dozen on great south bay, mostly 16-20' clamming boats. Now....what's left of the baymen, many use Carolina Skiffs, an all FG Garvey basically.
 
Scott
Thanks for the pictures of some of the historic boats that were used on the coast. Pretty interesting to us Midwesterners.
wis boz
 
Do I understand that in the ice breaking photo a wooden boat is being used? If so, I can't imagine breaking ice in a wooden boat. I don't even like trying that in an aluminum boat! Neat photos!
 

Steve, went to Va to find Glass boat works about five years ago. He had moved from his original shop to a place across Rt 13. Was told by a guy working nearby he had sold the molds and was doing mostly repairs. Thought he had a real nice design that would work on Long Island. Still in the market for a glass one. There is another company that makes a yuppee version with all the bells and whistles.
 
Ned Stillwagen used to make a fiberglass chincoteague Garvey in patchogue, LI. They were for clamming but we made a few for fishing. Wish I could find one now. And yes we called them chicken breasted.
 
Tom~

The garveys shown here are all 'glass over wood - straight wood needs to be sheathed with something - could be copper or hardwood - to keep from getting chewed up too badly. Saltwater ice, though, is very different from freshwater ice - more "plastic" and not as sharp - but still demanding respect. All these garveys accomplished the job by riding up on top of the ice and then crushing and sinking it as the boat moved forward. The "chicken-breast/deadrise/shallow-vee" hull is better than a flat-sectioned hull in that it tends to push the broken ice sideways as the pieces moves aft. "Ramming" the ice is never a good idea. Instead, you typically ease up into the ice then find that optimal speed where the ice breaks up and moves out of the way.

Since many of these boats were berthed up creeks that fed into the Bay, some of the toughest ice was in the creeks themselves - because they were fed by freshwater and so the ice would be more brittle than out on the Bay itself.

Having grown up with the practice of breaking ice to go hunting, I never really thought about it - until I would take guys along who were not from the coast. There had to learn to trust the boat - and the guy at the helm.

All the best,

SJS
 
Here is an old locally built clam boat from the Great South Bay that we still have in service. She has not been out clamming in years but is used daily as our work boat around the marina.


 
I'll have a all fiberglass 15ft Garvey in production this coming spring for those who are interested in that style boat.


Tom
 
Tom - Interested to see your design. I have always loved the Chicoteague glass design, and even had a blast shooting seaducks from one 30+ years ago on the Chesapeake. I looked at 3 used Chicoteagues over the last year, and before deciding on my locally built garvey. All three were older boats, and all had serious deck/floor issues... too much for me to attempt a repair on. Not sure what the root of the issue was... besides the obvious - water, or if there was a design change somewhere along the road to minimize or eliminate that problem. The garvey I have is self bailing... I don't recall if the Chincoteagues are.
 
Do not post much on here always read the posts. I am a Garvey lover from the southshore of Long Island, I have had many over the years. Here are pictures of my old 18ft glass over wood chincoteague, and my new to me 18 ft glass chincoteague that I rebuilt a year ago. I mostly use them to tow out my grass boats and to run over to the marsh with layout blinds or pond boxes.

And my new one.

 
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