Nation’s First Explorers

Long before Lewis and Clark went west, there was the first explorer who mapped out the Chesapeake Bay and its many rivers. Captain John Smith took a small hand-made barge with a makeshift sail and together with 14 crewmen, he sailed over 3000 miles up and down the Chesapeake to document the boundaries of what would eventually become Virginia, Washington DC and Maryland.

From the Daily Press here:

“Still, when I try to imagine so many people in a boat this size for that much time, my respect for Smith and his crew only increases. When you compare the size of this boat to the size of the Chesapeake Bay, you can’t help marvel at those men and their determination.”

Smith and his crew of some 14 men began their first voyage on June 2, 1608, sailing from Jamestown to the tip of the Peninsula, then leapfrogging to the Middle Peninsula and the Northern Neck as they pushed up the bay. Exploring the entire length of the Potomac River, they also made their way deep into the upper Chesapeake and along the bays of the Eastern Shore before returning on July 21.

Within a few days, Smith’s barge of discovery set out again, this time following the Rapphannock River far inland, then pushing north to the headwaters of the Patuxent River in Maryland. Looping back and heading north, the expedition reached the tip of the bay and the mouth of the Susquehanna River before it returned, logging a total distance of some 3,000 miles under oar and sail. “Just going out in this boat a couple of times tells me that they must have been pretty rugged guys,” Abbott says.

“They were out there in all kinds of weather with no protection. They slept on the boat. I’d call them iron men.”

This new replica was also made by hand from local trees that were knocked down by gales in Hurricane Isabel. From the Discovery Barge’s home museum here:

Virtually all of the lumber in The Spirit of 1608 comes from local trees (primarily white oak) toppled by Hurricane Isabel. Iron fittings were forged by volunteers from the Blacksmith Guild of Hughlett Tavern and Rice Hotel. Sails were crafted by Stuart Hopkins.

Based on historical research conducted by RFM volunteers, the boat is roughly 28 in length, with a bluff bow and wineglass stern. Powered primarily by oars, she carries a main sail and jib.

The Jamestown 400th anniversary is coming up soon, and this Discovery Barge will be part of that celebration.