The Technological and Cultural Context of the North Carolina Shad Boat

Abstract

The North Carolina shad boat was first built on Roanoke Island at the end of the 19th century and grew in popularity over the following half century among small fishermen in eastern North Carolina. Through documentation of the four remaining shad boats constructed by George Washington Creef, the original designer, an analysis of design and construction characteristics was completed. The models for analysis were constructed in Rhinoceros software and hull statistics were calculated using Orca 3D. The resulting statistics provided an accurate description of the vessel and this data was compared with data from other vessel types in order to test the unique qualities of the design. Historical sources, namely interviews of first and second hand shad boat users and builders, were consulted in order to reconstruct resource acquisition and vessel construction.