F.D. Crockett

F.D. Crockett is a historic oyster buy-boat displayed as an educational exhibit at the Deltaville Maritime Museum and represents the origins of local shipbuilding craft. The vessel follows the classic Poquoson-style construction of the Chesapeake Bay with an elongated hull and characteristic design for freight and oyster harvesting.

This vessel was built in 1924 by shipbuilder Alexander Gaines in Seaford, Virginia, and served for freight transport and oyster trading on the Chesapeake Bay. Its construction during the 1920s shows how local boat-building industry thrived during that period.

This vessel represents the traditions of oyster commerce in the Chesapeake Bay and shows how fishermen and traders worked together in the early 20th century. You can still see how workers used the deck to sort and store their daily catch.

The boat is displayed at the Deltaville Maritime Museum near Jackson Creek Road and can be visited during museum hours. It is typically easy to access and you can explore the deck and work areas from the outside.

The boat was intentionally preserved in its original condition and shows genuine marks of decades of work on the water. Lesser-known details of the handcrafted construction, such as how the wooden planks were fitted together, tell stories about the skills of builders from that era.