TUCKAHOE – May 4 is a red-letter day for Yank Boat Yard here since this evening at 10 p.m. its operations will be featured on a new National Geographic series called “The Yard.”
“Late fall 2014 I received a call from a couple of producers who were floating the idea of doing some programs on underwater salvage. That is not what our business does so I thought nothing further about the call. A few months later, however, they got back to me and said they had re-worked the concept and were now going to feature boat yards and would we allow them to film?” said Bette Jean Yank, wife of owner John Yank.
“They wanted to come in the summer but that is really our slower season because all boats, unless it’s an emergency repair, are in the water so they came from late winter until early spring. I think they were really impressed with the magnitude of the work that goes on here and the expertise and experience it takes to make all these different types of boats operational again.”
John Yank was a boy of 13 in 1954 when his sister got him his first job at Troth Shipyard in Tuckahoe.
“She knew one of the Troth sons and set me up there. I was only allowed to sweep floors until I was 14 when they started to let me even get near a boat. I would hop off the school bus right in front of the yard and start in each day,” said Yank.
Yank Marine, the shipyard he has developed over the decades is nationally recognized for both building and repair of vessels. Yank has become the only commercial boat builder in New Jersey.
“At first, our guys were not entirely thrilled that a couple of people would be following them around and filming them for two months, they thought it would slow them down and interfere with getting the work done, most of which is on very tight deadlines for owners anxious to get their boats back in the water including those on commercial schedules,” commented Bette Jean. “But the husband and wife team who did the filming were really unobtrusive and everyone forgot they were even there after the first few minutes. And we were all amazed at how the editors took what they filmed and condensed it and wove it into such interesting segments.”
The May 4 episode which features the Yank Boat Yard is the third in the series which will continue for at least several more programs also featuring the Tuckahoe operation.
The first episode was entitled “Fire,” the second “Havoc at High Tide” and this third one is called “Rookie’s Mistake” which refers to a co-featured yard in Alaska, not the Yank yard.
The various episodes already aired on Comcast Channel 109 at 10 p.m. have explained some of the mechanics of boat repair, the equipment used and how to dry dock for example.
“One day when they were filming, our forklift broke as we were getting a jet back onto a ferry boat. Time is always of the essence for our customers since they’re anxious to get their boats back into the water as soon as possible. So we put into operation what’s called a ‘come along pulley’ with a chain system. That did the trick and I think that might be in one of our episodes,” said John.
Both Yanks are proud to have their 60-year facility featured by such a prestigious network: “It’s wonderful to have our elected officials such as Congressman (Frank) LoBiondo express interest but more importantly this is great for our customers to see how others value our work including the viewers of this series,” summed up Bette Jean Yank.
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.
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