Hy Ruark was born on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. His daughter-in-law, Rebecca T. (Parker) Ruark is easily found on the web, as any search for the Ruark family will lead the searcher to pictures and stories of the ship named after her. This is her family. Most seem to have lived their lives on Hooper's Island, Maryland.
Hy Ruark
Built in 1886 on Maryland's Eastern Shore by Moses Goheigan, she came alive during the glory days, a time when the pursuit of oysters by dredge boats on the Chesapeake had assumed all the frenzy of the California Gold Rush. Oyster captains ruled the waves. They and their crews were tough, nature-loving men who eaked out a living during harsh winter conditions, dredging for oysters under sail.
Specifications: Two-sail bateau with sloop hull. OWNER/CAPTAIN: Wade H. Murphy, Jr. LENGTH STEM TO STERN: 53 ft, 2 in . BEAM: 17 ft. DRAFT: 4 ft, 6 in DRAFT WITH CB DOWN: 9 ft, 7 in
Recently the Skipjack Rebecca T. Ruark sank off Tilghman Island. She has been refloated and a massive restoration project is underway. The Rebecca T. Ruark is one of the oldest (113 years old) and fastest skipjacks left on the Bay. She spends her winters dredging for oysters and in the summer she takes visitors out to experience a piece of history. The skipjacks once numbered in the thousands on the Chesapaeke Bay, now the largest working fleet is in Tilghman Island, Maryland, where there are currently four skipjacks still dredging for oysters, and that's including the Rebecca T. Ruark.
If you see anything wrong here, or if you want anything added, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!
Return to the Dorchester Co., MD Ruark page