The craft evolved into a larger, hearty skipjack, powerful in light winds. Ranging in length from 25 to 50 feet, these boats have a shallow draft with centerboard and carry a single mast, two-sail sloop rig. In 1957, more than 80 skipjacks plied the waters of Chesapeake Bay. Today, the prevalence of powerboats, and disease and environmental hazards affecting the oyster present a bleak future for commercial skipjacks. Despite restoration efforts, the fleet has diminished sharply in recent years.
Few skipjacks operate commercially except in the tourist trade.
The Commission's Save our Skipjacks Task Force explored ways to preserve the fleet. In the lower Chesapeake, skipjack races are held each Labor Day weekend off Deal Island, Somerset County.