Toms River Seaport Society Makes Good Use Of New Home

The new year will be an active one for the Toms River Seaport Society & Maritime Museum, with more boats on display at the Hooper Avenue building's gallery.

“Expect to see some more boats here in the gallery, and we’ll possibly suspend them from the rafters,” said Daniel Crabbe, president and treasurer of the Museum. “As far as the boats being displayed, we’d like to keep it to those indigenous from the local area and which were built here.”

The society's new building - open for almost three months - houses a trio of boats, including the Barnegat Bay A-Cat "Spy."

“It was originally built in the 1920’s, and has been rebuilt four times – the most recent occasion of which was to put it on display,” Crabbe said.

The “Spy” was designed by naval architect Charles D. Mower, and built by Bay Head’s Morton Johnson of the Johnson Brothers Boat Works. It's an example  of the style of A-Cat boats that were raced in the Ocean County throughout much of the 20th century.

“A-Cats are still raced actively, and 12 are found in the local area," Crabbe said. "They are raced from the beginning of June until about the end of September.”

The “Spy” was retired from active racing at the dawn of the 21st century, he said.

A tall sailboat in the gallery, named the “Jet 14,” was designed and built in Island Heights by Howard Siddons and Harry Sindle in the early to mid-1950s. The men built the boat by combining components from Snipe and International Class boats to create a hybrid model more seaworthy than either of the new boat’s figurative “parents.”

“The third boat in the new building is the Sailing Skiff,” Crabbe said. “It was built by Charlie Hankins of Lavallette in 1977. Most skiffs are built for sailing or individual rowing, but this boat was built to be run by two individuals.”

A Toms River Pram is also housed for the moment in the museum’s workshop. The boat was donated by a couple who lived in Beachwood, but moved to Maryland. Not knowing what else to do with the boat, they donated it to the museum prior to their move, he said.

The Toms River Pram is now in the process of being restored in the museum’s workshop. Crabbe sailed a Pram in his younger days.

Museum volunteer Joseph Lappin said that every tool in the museum's workshop is  connected to a vacuum system. The building is heated, which comes in handy in winter.

“The workshop has been here since the late 1980s to early 1990s,” Lappin said.

Crabbe also pointed out a sneakbox, a smaller-size boat which is native to the Barnegat Bay area. Created in the 1830s by Capt. Hazelton Seaman, it was named the “sneakbox” due to its unique ability to assist hunters in catching wild fowl and other prey off-guard.

“They were primarily used in local duck hunting,” Crabbe said.

The museum also features exhibits and model boats which detail the rich maritime history of Barnegat Bay over the past 200 years.

Crabbe said that the museum is fortunate to have 300 members who assist with its upkeep through donations and volunteer work. Ocean County also allows the museum to operate on county property.

“With our new building and sign (on Hooper Avenue), we get more awareness and recognition from the public,” Crabbe said. “Our museum and members are staffed all with volunteers, and we’re always seeking them.”

The Seaport Society and Maritime Museum is located on the corner of Hooper Avenue and Water Street, in the downtown area of Toms River. Visiting hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. For more information, call 732-349-9209, or go online at www.tomsriverseaport.org.