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“Doc & The Rube- Perfect Together”
By Bob Keeney Jr
This Sneakbox is one of the most significant sneakboxs of Barnegat bay gunning history it was built by “Uncle” Rube Corlies of Manahawkin and was ordered and built for Roger “Doc” Cramer of Manahawkin at the end of the 1934 gunning season. Rube completed it in 1935 for the 1935-36 gunning season.
Doc used his new sneakbox all over the bay wherever he was gunning. Such as Monkeytown (Taylor Lane, Barnegat), Marshelder Island Gun Club & its private ponds, Flat Creek, Cramers Blackduck pond, etc. On March 12, 1965 the biggest change happened to the box Doc and his brother P.B (Paul) fiberglassed the hull and made the front decoy racks. In the 1970s Doc quit gunning and the sneakbox was given to Doc’s brother, P.B. Cramer. PB and his brother in law, Ed Hazelton, used it until PB died, then it was handed down to Ed. Ed ended up painting the bottom with red bottom paint since he used it all year long and left it in the water at their property in Mud City. When Ed passed away in 2004, Ed’s son, Ed Jr., sold it to Doug Lynch, Rubes great grandnephew in 2004, who kept it indoors. Though Doug didn’t gun out of the sneakbox, he did take the patterns off of it and built 3 new sneakboxs off of Rubes patterns. In 2024 Doug let his great grand uncles boat go to its new home to myself to cherish it and keep it safe for the next generation.
Doc was born in Beach Haven in 1905 and raised in Manahawkin, hence the origin of Doc Cramer Blvd. In 1929, he was drafted into the major leagues as an centerfielder for Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics and played with the “Mackmen” until he was traded to Boston in 1936. In the twenty-years as a major leaguer, Doc collected 2,700 hits, appeared in five All-Star games, and in 1945 led the Detroit Tigers to a World Championship. He is considered the best ball player not to be in the Hall of Fame.
Doc took many of his famous ball playing buddies down to gun Manahawkin Bay such as Mickey Cochrane of Philadelphia Athletics, Johnny Vander Meer of the Cincinnati Reds, Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees & the Sultan of Swat himself Babe Ruth!
There was a known incident in 1937 with Babe, Mickey & Doc gunning the salt marsh of Manahawkin Bay & Babe slipped in the mud, clogging the barrel of his shotgun. Not knowing the next time Ruth fired, the gun and the barrel exploded, nearly killing him. When the pair returned to the gunning club, Ruth presented the gun to Cramer as a token of their friendship, a gift which Doc treasured the rest of his days. With that incident being in 1937 it is possible that Babe could have hunted in this sneakbox while gunning with Doc throughout the years.
Now with Doc owning this sneakbox and having Babe, Lou, Mickey hunt or row it. Isn’t the only reason the boat itself is historic.
Being built by Uncle Rube who was in the US Lifesaving Service “Pre US Coast Guard”, Commercial Pound Fishermen, Professional Gunning guide & Decoy Carver, his sneakbox’s were sought after throughout the whole Barnegat Bay Area. That is because he built his boats strong and able to take a beating for everyday use in the harsh cold icy winter conditions. His boats were 12ft long and almost 5ft wide, the hull and top deck were tongue and grove planked with Jersey white cedar, the top deck was almost flat on the aft deck so the decoys weren’t going to roll around when your rowing.
There was a time that 90 percent of the gunning clubs is the area owned a Rube sneakbox to take out gunning parties. To name a few of the gunning clubs that had them are Sedge Island, Little Beach, Harvey Sedges, Sandy Island, Marshelder Island, Carvel Island, Mansion Cove, Bonnet Island, Flat Creek, Turtle Cove, Happy Days, Dinner Point, Hester Sedge, Middle Island. Just to name a few that spanned from Barnegat inlet down to Little Egg inlet. It shows how well his boats were built.
If this sneakbox could talk in its 89 years of gunning, I would think it would say my hull may be old cedar and my fasteners may be iron, but I can still gun. I’ve gunned with the best guides in the bay, saw broadbill flocks black out a blue bird sky, and black ducks that flew in without hesitation. I heard stories of great ball games with the great bambino himself and I’ve been rowed too many miles to count.
By Bob Keeney Jr
This Sneakbox is one of the most significant sneakboxs of Barnegat bay gunning history it was built by “Uncle” Rube Corlies of Manahawkin and was ordered and built for Roger “Doc” Cramer of Manahawkin at the end of the 1934 gunning season. Rube completed it in 1935 for the 1935-36 gunning season.
Doc used his new sneakbox all over the bay wherever he was gunning. Such as Monkeytown (Taylor Lane, Barnegat), Marshelder Island Gun Club & its private ponds, Flat Creek, Cramers Blackduck pond, etc. On March 12, 1965 the biggest change happened to the box Doc and his brother P.B (Paul) fiberglassed the hull and made the front decoy racks. In the 1970s Doc quit gunning and the sneakbox was given to Doc’s brother, P.B. Cramer. PB and his brother in law, Ed Hazelton, used it until PB died, then it was handed down to Ed. Ed ended up painting the bottom with red bottom paint since he used it all year long and left it in the water at their property in Mud City. When Ed passed away in 2004, Ed’s son, Ed Jr., sold it to Doug Lynch, Rubes great grandnephew in 2004, who kept it indoors. Though Doug didn’t gun out of the sneakbox, he did take the patterns off of it and built 3 new sneakboxs off of Rubes patterns. In 2024 Doug let his great grand uncles boat go to its new home to myself to cherish it and keep it safe for the next generation.
Doc was born in Beach Haven in 1905 and raised in Manahawkin, hence the origin of Doc Cramer Blvd. In 1929, he was drafted into the major leagues as an centerfielder for Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics and played with the “Mackmen” until he was traded to Boston in 1936. In the twenty-years as a major leaguer, Doc collected 2,700 hits, appeared in five All-Star games, and in 1945 led the Detroit Tigers to a World Championship. He is considered the best ball player not to be in the Hall of Fame.
Doc took many of his famous ball playing buddies down to gun Manahawkin Bay such as Mickey Cochrane of Philadelphia Athletics, Johnny Vander Meer of the Cincinnati Reds, Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees & the Sultan of Swat himself Babe Ruth!
There was a known incident in 1937 with Babe, Mickey & Doc gunning the salt marsh of Manahawkin Bay & Babe slipped in the mud, clogging the barrel of his shotgun. Not knowing the next time Ruth fired, the gun and the barrel exploded, nearly killing him. When the pair returned to the gunning club, Ruth presented the gun to Cramer as a token of their friendship, a gift which Doc treasured the rest of his days. With that incident being in 1937 it is possible that Babe could have hunted in this sneakbox while gunning with Doc throughout the years.
Now with Doc owning this sneakbox and having Babe, Lou, Mickey hunt or row it. Isn’t the only reason the boat itself is historic.
Being built by Uncle Rube who was in the US Lifesaving Service “Pre US Coast Guard”, Commercial Pound Fishermen, Professional Gunning guide & Decoy Carver, his sneakbox’s were sought after throughout the whole Barnegat Bay Area. That is because he built his boats strong and able to take a beating for everyday use in the harsh cold icy winter conditions. His boats were 12ft long and almost 5ft wide, the hull and top deck were tongue and grove planked with Jersey white cedar, the top deck was almost flat on the aft deck so the decoys weren’t going to roll around when your rowing.
There was a time that 90 percent of the gunning clubs is the area owned a Rube sneakbox to take out gunning parties. To name a few of the gunning clubs that had them are Sedge Island, Little Beach, Harvey Sedges, Sandy Island, Marshelder Island, Carvel Island, Mansion Cove, Bonnet Island, Flat Creek, Turtle Cove, Happy Days, Dinner Point, Hester Sedge, Middle Island. Just to name a few that spanned from Barnegat inlet down to Little Egg inlet. It shows how well his boats were built.
If this sneakbox could talk in its 89 years of gunning, I would think it would say my hull may be old cedar and my fasteners may be iron, but I can still gun. I’ve gunned with the best guides in the bay, saw broadbill flocks black out a blue bird sky, and black ducks that flew in without hesitation. I heard stories of great ball games with the great bambino himself and I’ve been rowed too many miles to count.
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