CREST HAVEN — Her name’s Roann and she’ll be showing off her stuff to curious landlubbers June 6 and 7 at the Lobster House Docks.
Roann may be the center of attention at the first Cape May Port Commercial Fishing Festival that will highlight the area’s commercial fishing industry for the world to explore.
Freeholders learned about Roann and the festival May 26 from Kevin Maloney, president of Cape May Maritime Museum. He showed slides of the vintage Eastern Rig Dragger fishing vessel that was restored at Mystic Seaport, in part, at the hands of Wayne Whelan, a Cape May metal shipwright. He volunteered countless hours, Maloney said, in putting Roann together.
Restoration cost about $1.2 million, he said. That was money well spent in the eyes of marine preservationists. That is because Roann is one of the last surviving wooden vessels of the era that left schooners behind in favor of modern-day trawlers, and from hook to net fishing.
Whelan traveled from Cape May to Connecticut over 3.5 years to help restore Roann. Eckel’s Diesel Marine Service and Coastal Diesel of RIo Grande donated labor to rebuild vintage Detroit 12-V71 diesel engines that are the heart of Roann.
Other individuals helped to make the vessel seaworthy again.
Originally vessels like Roann, Eastern Rig Draggers, were crafted by Cape May Boat Works by Harry Mogck and Tony Cirrinicione, Maloney said.
The festival will highlight Cape May’s rank as second in commercial fishing on the East Coast and fourth largest in dollars generated.
The festival will also brief attendees on the part the Reading Railroad played in bringing day anglers to the area, and also by hauling fish north to Philadelphia and beyond.
The festival will be based in the Schellenger’s Landing area. Among exhibitors will be the Coast Guard, NOAA, Rutgers University, Garden State Seafood Association, Cold Spring FIsh and Supply, Lund’s FIsheries, Atlantic Cape Fisheries and Snow’s Bumble Bee.
There will be wharf and packing tours by Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and Humanities, Inc. Demonstrations will be given on net mending and caulking of wood boats.
The festival is free, Maloney said.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
