By Jacob Mohr, Intern
The Cape Fear Museum is offering Wilmington residents an opportunity to own a piece of nautical history; it is 18 feet long and floats.
Saturday, Nov. 8, the Cape Fear Museum will auction off the original 1958 Simmons Sea-Skiff currently on display in the museum’s maritime pavilion.
The event will begin with a preview of the skiff at 2 p.m., followed by the live auction at 3 p.m. The skiff was donated by maritime historian David Carnell, said Cape Fear Museum public relations specialist Amy Mangus.
“He was a maritime historian here, and he owned the boat and used it from his dock on Pages Creek before he donated it to us. He used the boat to draw up the plans for the Simmons Sea-Skiff we have on our website,” Mangus said.
Mangus said the sale of the skiff is part of the museum’s larger housecleaning effort to eliminate duplicate items or items that have little connection to the Lower Cape Fear region from the museum’s collection.
“We have a duplicate skiff on display that’s in near-mint condition,” Mangus said.
Carpenter Thomas Norwood Simmons developed the Simmons Sea-Skiff in the late 1940s after a local fisherman commissioned him to build a boat that could be launched off the beach for seine fishing. Simmons skiffs are distinguished by their characteristic shallow, v-shaped bottom near the bow; flat bottoms toward the stern; high, raking transoms and a signature well for the outboard motor. They are prized among fishermen and collectors for their high performance and handling.
Proceeds from the auction will benefit Cape Fear Museum’s artifact and conservation fund. To examine the boat, visit the museum’s Market Street maritime pavilion. To find auction rules visit
www.capefearmuseum.com
