Special Project

Prints for Planks

from Wildlife in North Carolina magazine, One Plank at a Time by Rodney Foushee

For more information or to order a print, call the museum at (252) 728-1500. To see the Jean Dale as she undergoes renovation, visit the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum on Harkers Island.

The restoration of the Jean Dale is a major financial undertaking for the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum, explains museum director Karen Amspacher. “We’ve consulted with the Smithsonian and the North Carolina Maritime Museum on methods for restoring the boat,” she said. “Our main goal is to restore the Jean Dale for nomination as a historic vessel to the National Register of Historic Places.” That means replacing rotted planks and restoring the pilothouse to its original configuration —no minor feats considering the cost of labor and wood. The museum also wants to build a roof to protect the boat from the elements, and there are plans to eventually have exhibits and a teaching area to share the legacy of boat building with the public.

To raise funds for the $100,000 restoration project, the Core Sound Museum has teamed up with artist Bob Dance to offer a special reproduction of his painting The Jean Dale (above). Proceeds from these limited edition prints will go to the boat’s restoration. Signed and numbered prints sell for $150.

MORE about the boat    MORE about the artist