Reader Rediscovers SKIPJACK

Dear Christopher,

I just finished your book Skipjack and wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed it.

My son’s name is Tilghman (same family as island’s Mathew) and he chose Tilghman’s Island as the destination of his 13th birthday trip. We rented a little house across from the boatyard on Chicken Point Road. Our first night there I was scanning the well stocked book shelves and your book caught my eye. I started reading it that night and was hooked! We walked down to Dogwood Harbor the next morning and talked to some local folks who gave us the scoop. They said that there were 3 skipjacks operating out of DH and that the Rebecca T Ruarke and Cap’n Wadey were among them!! I really had this overwhelming feeling of history and place and the importance of little places like Tilghman that I just had to see the boats. We found out that they would be unloading at Harrison’s in Knapp’s narrows around 7 but a late dinner prevented us from meeting the boats when they came in. We drove down to the Harbor around 10 to find two of the skipjacks tied up, the 3rd skippered by lil Wade was tied up in Knapp’s. I was bummed that we had missed them but determined that we would catch them the next night. After an early dinner we walked down to Harrison’s and asked around about the skipjacks and found out that they were on their way in. After about an hour we spotted the Rebecca coming down the narrows with lil wade at the bow and Cap’n Wadey at the helm. We got to watch the crew unload 80 bushels of oysters while Cap’n Wadey tallied the count on the roof of the cabin all the while making small talk with me and my 15 year old daughter. Once the oysters were unloaded he invited us to come along around the point to Dogwood Harbor. It was a gorgeous calm evening with a glorious sunset and we chatted about the bay, the book and Tilghman’s. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to read your book and glean an understanding about the extraordinary way of life of a Tilghman’s Island waterman.
Thank you,
Laura Carter