All pictures are property of Patty Jarvis Loftin and posted by permission.
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| George M. Jarvis |
In the fall of 1991, Daddy, Mama and Penny went to White Lake, NC to do repairs on this ferry boat. It was a tour boat for the lake and owned by Charles Dubose. The family went down to spend Thanksgiving with them on the lake that year. The 2 pictures below were taken December 23, 1991.
This boat was built for Murphy Hopkins. It is 38 feet long.
It was built in the yard at 79 Fulford Point Road.
The B & G was built in 1987. It was owned by Bill & Glenda Gilgo.
The beginnings of the boat Daddy built for Gilgo. It was 36 feet long.
1987
These are more pictures of the B & G owned by Gilgo.
Summer 1987
The Capt Weddell (83’) was built before the Angel Dawn(84’). In these pictures they are docked side by side in the Bayboro harbor on Hwy 55. The Capt Weddell was built on a lot near the road as you enter Bayboro, NC coming from Lowland. At 75 feet long,it was among the biggest boats Daddy built. The propeller was 50 inches high.
The is the Miss Carolyn L built for Ray Lupton in the lot next to Fred & Pearl Lewis’ store, later Adrian Watson’s store on the corner of the Horne Road. The year was 1981. It was 51 feet long. Daddy felt this was the most attractive cabin he ever built.
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| Mr. Bill Everett, son of Jesse Everett |
The Cliff & Chris was built for Connie Ballance. It was 55 feet long.
Also, see the make shift ladders daddy built. Quite creative.
The Telstar was started under the shelter. It is 32 feet long and was built for Ray Hopkins. It was named after the satellite Telstar. Daddy was especially pleased with the flare of the bow. He thinks this boat may be in Belhaven today.
The children were always fascinated by the BIG BOATS daddy got to “build and play with”.
This is the Captain Weddell. Joshua at 3 years. 1983
Eric Shane gets in on the action. This is the same boat as below. It was built in the summer of 1982 in the side yard at 79 Fulford Point Road, before daddy built the shed.
This is a 32 foot boat that was sold to George Bateman or Ray Rhoden. After Ray it went to AE Watson, Danny Malone and then Scooter. It is strip planked. Daddy, Lee, Barbara, Shannon, & Glen. Father’s Day 1982
Daddy built this boat for Scooter Leary. January 4, 1990. The ribs of this boat started out up side down. It took 7 or 8 men to come and turn it over. Carol Ross was one who helped.
This is a boat that daddy and Earl Sadler owned together. Daddy did not build this boat.
This picture was taken August 31, 1974. The Little Lil
An interesting note: Mr. Jesse Everett would bring his tractor to help daddy launch his boats.
Daddy would go in the woods and cut down a good size tree and make an axle to put wheels on. I’m amazed it worked. Smart thinking! This boat was built for Guy Ireland at 38 feet.
Bits and Pieces
Daddy built his first boat on a dare. Darrell Gray Potter told him he couldn’t do it so he got to work to prove him wrong. He talked with Uncle Richard Howerin about how to get started. When Daddy would get stumped, he would go to Uncle Richard for advice and he would come and help him. (Uncle Richard gave daddy his first hand cranked drill.) The boat was a 16 foot skiff. He built it in about 4 months. He painted it white. There was no motor, just oars. Later Wilber Lewis bought it and put an outboard motor in it and used it for crabbing. He paid around $200.00’s for it. Uncle Richard was a first class boat builder. He worked for Barbour Boat Works in New Bern during World War II.
Another boat daddy built was 24 foot long. Uncle Jamie Jarvis would go fishing with daddy in this boat. He put a 6 cylinder Studebaker car engine in this one. He sold it to Freeman Ireland for his son, Edwin for about $200.00.
When daddy was around 55, he and mama went to stay in Bettie. They rented
a little trailer from the Golden's. Daddy worked for Ted Lang in Harkers Island building “plugs” for fiberglass molds for about 2 years.
When people would ask daddy to give them a $$$ figure on the building of a boat, he asked them how long and how wide they wanted the boat to be. This would tell him what size the propeller would be as well as how to set the keel up to build the boat.
Other boat jobs people hired
Daddy to do….
In Pamlico daddy planked a 80 foot boat for Eugene Newcom and decked it over. It took him around 1 1/2 months to complete the job.
In Arapahoe, daddy worked on a boat for Milton Bisegal. He was a musician, violin I believe. He put in the dash and did inside work on the cabin. He put up partitions down below the wheel house. It is a 50 foot boat. This boat is in storage at Bock Marine near the Core Creek Bridge.
He cut a stern out of a boat owned by Nelson Lee, replacing it with a ramp.
He replaced the sides and keel in a boat near Oriental.
Clifford Lewis (mama’s step-grandfather) built a boat owned by Hyman Hopkins. Daddy built a cabin and new chine plank on it. He learned how to do the chine plank from Uncle Richard Howerin when he gave him pointers on daddy’s first boat. The boat is about 32 feet. The name of the boat is Roxie and is currently dry docked at Carol Grays.
In Oriental Bowen Carawan had him cut the stern out and put in a ramp.
Christopher Fulcher, who is from Carteret County, had daddy work on 3 boats for him over the years. Christopher has a fishing business in Oriental. Daddy built a bulkhead and put in bunks on one boat. On another he put in sleeping quarters in a steel haul.
He built a small cabin for Casper Ireland.
Over the years, Guy Ireland bought 4 boats from daddy. They weren’t special orders but ones he’d take a look at that daddy was in the process of building. These boats were 28, 36, 40 and 50 feet long.
And the list goes on….
This is NOT all the boats daddy built or worked on, but some of the ones he could think of. As I often look back, I marvel at the ability he had to do all this. To build a boat from nothing more that a “paper bag blueprint” and a good eye is truly a gift from God. I am so very proud of his hard work ethic and his fine workmanship. I’m thankful, as I see how it has been passed down to his children, and his children’s children. It is a pleasure to see what God has accomplished through the work of his hands.
I know we all can say that we love him and thank him for sharing his love for us, the water, and the creative use of his hands.
Patty
December 2008
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This picture was taken in Hickory. Barbara is just a baby.
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Mama is 16 in this picture. It was taken by Eric Campen.
Several friends were getting ready to take a swim..
