Skipjack under sail on Chesapeake Bay.
Skipjacks are the last working boats under sail in the United States.
In winter, fleets of skipjacks used to dredge oysters from the floor of Chesapeake Bay. On Maryland's Eastern Shore, the skipjack originated in the 1890s. 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.