The classic Privateer hulls were popular in the Chesapeake region in the 1980s and 1990s. These North Carolina built fiberglass boats were perfect for small scale commercial fishing operations in the shallow waters of the Bay and Virginia’s seaside. Until recently the only way to get a ‘new’ privateer was to find an old hull and rebuild it. Over the past decade I have rebuilt three hulls to give me unparalleled water access to photography subjects in the Chesapeake and on the Atlantic Coast.
Six years ago, I had a 22-foot Privateer Roamer rebuilt to accommodate larger groups on my Chesapeake-based photography workshops. Prior to the 22 I was operating my workshops out of a 16-foot, six-inch Privateer bay boat. The upgrade to the 22 increased the capacity of my workshops by 60 percent and made for a safer ride. I kept the bay boat even after the upgrade—it was easier to trailer to different sites and had the ability to get into very shallow water. One of my friends, Missy Evans, a Smith Island resident and longtime waterwoman, advised me, “never sell your skiff.” I think she was right. I kept the boat and used it for different purposes in different bodies of water than I would use the 22.
When the unexpected opportunity to purchase a classic 1981 Retriever hull came up, I jumped on it. The boat was owned by the Marshall family on Smith Island—they used it for crab scraping, bank trapping, and gill netting. It was a true workboat. The boat had always caught my eye while I was out on the island, but Cal Marshall was never willing to sell. It wasn’t until the boat sunk during a nor’easter in June 2023 that Cal was willing to sell the boat. I made him an offer he couldn't refuse, and the boat was off to the railway (local slang for boatyard) to be worked on.
After hauling the boat out at the Smith Island Railway, it was clear that it would need a complete rebuild from the stringers up—all of the original wood in the stringers, the deck, and the transom was rotten. To offset some of the costs that were going to be involved with rebuilding and repowering the boat, I sold the 90-hp mercury for parts. In order to get it to the buyer, I had to carry it across Tangier Sound from Smith Island to Crisfield, MD, on my 22-foot Roamer.
Rebuilding and Repowering
I wanted to keep the design of this hull simple—an open deck just like my Privateer bay boat. An advertisement from 1981 showed the boat just as I wanted it with a few minor changes. I wanted a tiller handle outboard and open space up to the bow so that I could keep all of my gear in movable coolers/pelican cases that would also act as seats for passengers.
The boat was towed from Smith Island to Crisfield and picked up by Ronnie Carman of Carman Custom Boats. Ronnie has more than 40 years of boatbuilding and restoration work experience and had the ability to get the job done quickly so that I could use the boat for a workshop in July 2024. Within three weeks Ronnie had the boat completely rebuilt using all composite material for the stringers, transom, floor, and the additional storage locker in the bow for the gas tank. The stringers and the transom were rebuilt with marine coosa board, and the floor was rebuilt with corelite—both of these materials will never rot like wood. This project was designed to last for decades of hard use.
A modification was made to the layout of the hull from the photographs seen in the Privateer advertisement from 1981—we built a hatch in the bow to house the 18-gallon gas tank. The logic behind this is that it would free up deck space and also distribute the weight in the boat more evenly when I was operating it solo.
The boat was re-powered with a brand new white 75-hp Suzuki outboard purchased from Danny’s Marine just outside of Cambridge, MD. A tiller handle package added to the outboard. The tiller handle only came in the black color, so this will be repainted in the future to match the color of the outboard.
The rebuild of this boat would not have been possible without boatbuilder Ronnie Carman in Public Landing, MD. Ronnie has a reputation as one of the best and fastest in the Mid-Atlantic. Ronnie and his crew have built dozens of boats for the seafood industry, charter fishing, and recreational boating. I was lucky to get a space with Ronnie; he is usually booked.
Putting the Boat to Work
Almost immediately after the rebuild was completed, I picked the boat up in Snow Hill on the way to my July 2024 photography workshop in Wachapreague, VA. This boat is more set up for navigating the shallow waters around Virginia’s barrier islands than my larger 22- foot Privateer Roamer. It’s perfect for carrying three passengers and photography equipment; everyone had plenty of space to comfortably spread out with their gear on the open deck. The low freeboard of this rig is also ideal for photographing wildlife, workboats, and different subjects on the water. The boat’s speed and maneuverability are incredibly useful when navigating winding marsh creeks. This boat will be my go-to rig for small group photography workshops and for my own personal photography outings.
By Jay Fleming