The Chesapeake region has a long history of ship building. The first shipyard in the Baltimore area goes back to the 1730s, when William Fell built a shipyard in Fells Point. In 1797, Fells Point became part of Baltimore City, and by 1804 there were fifteen more shipyards in the area.Shipyards are busy places. It takes many people to build or repair a wooden ship. Everyone at a shipyard has a specific job to do. The Shipwright fashions the boat, the Caulker makes the hull watertight, the Sailmaker makes hundreds of yards of canvas into different sized sails, and the Shipsmith pounds hot iron into anchors, hinges and other metal parts. These shipbuilding skills are passed from person to person over time, with each individual adding his or her own ideas to the craft. One tradition that has changed over time is the designing of trailboards. Trailboards are pieces of carved wood which decorate both sides of a ship. They get their name from their position on the ships. They "trail" along the sides of a ship from the figurehead along either side of the bow, or very front of the ship. Trailboards have been used on American vessels from the earliest days.
Carved by shipbuilders and by special local carvers, Chesapeake trailboards show a variety of designs and colors. Mostly patriotic in flavor, they often include flags, shields, and cannons set against a background of leafy vines which frames the name of the vessel.
If you want to learn more about trailboards and shipbuilding, come and visit the Radcliffe Maritime Gallery at the Maryland Historical Society. The museum has several trailboards on display that you can see, as well as fun hands-on activities for you and your family to do while you visit.
Design Your Own Trailboard! 1. Choose a name for your imaginary ship and print it neatly onto the trailboard.
2. Using the designs on this page choose some which you like and draw them around the name of your ship. You may also use your imagination to create designs to decorate the trailboard.
3. Color in the designs and the trailboard.
