black duck sailboat

The Killifish

The Killifish is the smallest and newest skiff in our fleet.  This skiff utilizes the same running surface as the Cromis but is 2ft shorter with reduced sheer height.  With a finished hull weight of 150-165 lbs, the draft of the skiff with two normal sized anglers on board is around 3 inches.  The incredibly light hull and low sheer results in a skiff that poles and tracks effortlessly.  The Killifish is easily paddled with two anglers on board using standard SUP paddles.  The front hatch of the Killifish offers under-the-cap rod storage, which also serves as a dry compartment. The rear hatch is wet storage and also serves as a bilge area.  If you’re looking for unparalleled shallow water performance in an ultra-minimalist, true microskiff built for the Texas coast then the Killifish is the skiff for you.

Specifications

Length: 16’8”

Draft: 2.5-3.5”

Hull Weight: 150-165 lbs

Recommended Power: 9.8 Tohatsu Tiller

Construction: Fully cored, epoxy resin infused E-glass/S-Glass hybrid laminate with awlgrip finish

Capacity Rating: 2 Persons

Fuel Capacity: 3 gallon portable fuel cell

Layout: Offered in tiller configuration only

[email protected]

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The Deadly Speedboat Shooting That Spurred an End to Prohibition

By: Joseph A. Williams

Updated: August 30, 2018 | Original: June 25, 2018

On December 29, 1929, just after 2:00 a.m., the Coast Guard patrol boat C.G. 290 lay in wait by a small group of islands in Naragansett Bay, Rhode Island. The islands provided cover for rumrunners who regularly dashed their shipments of illegal liquor to the mainland during the era of Prohibition . The job of the Coast Guard, to intercept smugglers, was difficult that night due to a thick fog that blanketed the sea. But Boatswain Alexander C. Cornell, the commander of the patrol boat, was one of the most zealous of the so-called “rum-chasers” and took his duty to heart–he would capture them, no matter the cost.

Through the mists, a mechanized growl of engines drew closer. Cornell peered out of the starboard window of the pilothouse. “Here she comes,” he said. His crew got the searchlight ready–as well as C.G. 290 ’s machine gun.

The violent events that followed would stir anger against the enforcement of Prohibition and eventually contribute to the national ban’s demise .

Out of the fog, a gray shape appeared. The boat was low in profile and equipped with powerful 300-horsepower engines. Cornell knew the vessel in an instant–the Black Duck , a rumrunner that could easily make speeds of over 30 knots and which had evaded capture on numerous occasions. All about its decks were stowed burlap sacks–each of these 383 individual packages carried assorted liquors, a bounty for the upcoming New Year.

The Black Duck would have picked up the booze from a mothership that loitered outside of American territorial waters along with other large vessels in what were called “rum rows.” Since the United States could not enforce Prohibition outside of the country’s territorial waters, the Coast Guard was relegated to catching the craft that darted from the motherships to the various coves and lonely beaches of the American shore.

It was an impossible task, since a great part of the country ignored the validity of the 18th Amendment, especially in New England which was “wet” territory. In fact, the local, young men aboard the Black Duck saw smuggling as a means of making extra money. The pilot of the Black Duck , Charlie Travers, had even served a brief enlistment in the Coast Guard. He was known to be charitable with his ill-gotten earnings.

Cornell testified that they had given a signal to the rumrunner to heave-to, but instead the Black Duck pulled out to sea. Cornell ordered his men to fire a warning shot. “Let them have it,” he ordered. But according to Cornell, the Black Duck suddenly veered its course and headed straight into the fire. Twenty bullets riddled the rumrunner’s pilothouse leaving three of the four men aboard dead, and a fourth man with a wounded hand. The Black Duck then returned to the C.G. 290 looking for help.

The sole survivor of the Black Duck , Charlie Travers, claimed that the C.G. 290 had not flashed any signal to them. Travers contended that he had veered the boat in order to avoid a collision since the C.G. 290 came suddenly out of the fog, and he didn’t immediately recognize the boat as Coast Guard. The Coast Guard, according to Travers, opened fire on them without warning.

There were enough variances between the forensic evidence and Cornell’s story to question the truth of the Coast Guard’s account. For example, when the Black Duck was examined, the bullet holes did not match with Cornell’s account.  The holes seemed to show that the Black Duck may have been speeding away from the fire, not turning into it.  Still, the Coast Guard held an inquiry and exonerated Cornell. But the matter did not end there.

To the public at large, the Black Duck became a symbol of the failures of Prohibition. On January 1, 1930, Cornell received a letter addressed to “Mr. Cornell, the Hun” which warned him not to come ashore since “Death is waiting for you and your crew.” On January 3, a protest meeting was held in Boston, where the chair of the meeting claimed that 1,100 men, women and children had been killed in the so-called “Rum War.” After the meeting, an angry mob attacked a Coast Guard recruiting station. Property of the Coast Guard was vandalized. Then on January 7, a mob of 20 men attacked Cornell’s houseboat while it was moored near New London, Connecticut. Although Cornell himself was not home, his wife and five children huddled in fear as stones shattered the windows of the boat.

There were demands for an impartial investigation into the affair. Public figures questioned the integrity of government and what was considered to be appropriate law enforcement—as well as the hypocrisies of Prohibition. Politician John F. Fitzgerald (grandfather of President John F. Kennedy ) pointed out how the illegal cargo aboard the Black Duck would be consumed by “public officials everywhere.” Representative Fiorello LaGuardia, the future mayor of New York, noted how Prohibition “cannot be enforced.” Forgotten, seemingly, was the fact that the Black Duck , was indeed carrying liquor. In fact, Charlie Travers was determined suitably punished by a federal grand jury for having lost his thumb in the attack.

This episode was one among a series of key incidents to shift public opinion and lend momentum to efforts to repeal Prohibition. Four years later, on December 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment to the U.S.  Constitution  was ratified, repealing the 18th Amendment and bringing an end to the national ban of alcohol in America.

The critic and journalist, H.L. Mencken, wrote at the time, “It is not often that anything to the public good issues out of American politics. This time, they have been forced to be decent for once in their lives.”

Joseph A. Williams is the author of  The Sunken Gold: A Story of World War I, Espionage, and the Greatest Treasure Salvage in History. and Seventeen Fathoms Deep: The Saga of the Submarine S-4 Disaster.

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Black Duck skiffs

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Black Duck Skiffs | Shallow Water Performance and Durability.

Not a lot of info on the website. I bet Smack knows something about them.  

Ultra minimalist hulls with outboard jet power. I want to go by for a visit soon, I just recently found them as well.  

Not sure about the outboard jet.. But I bet it runs shallow.  

Considering the waters we have here on the Texas coast these should do the job really well. Only person I know that has ran one says it’s the shallowest boat he’s been on. Plus I dig the wooden platform.  

Very interesting site - but as noted, minimal info at present. I'll be watching and learning.... Hopefully stuff like dimensions, draft, hull weight - and whether they make any with regular outboards...  

looks like the old Dorado hull to me.  

I've reached out for some info... I'll post the reply.  

You would think they would put up some specs and performance stats as well as videos before putting up the website.  

I found one video on YouTube.. But it's mostly fishing.. They have a couple on their FB page too.  

A couple interesting things stood out to me from their website....two that I believe are positive (although like everything a matter of opinion) and a third that could be too depending on execution. It sounds like the boats are made using epoxy rather than VE/PE resins, which if it is marine epoxy could be a big plus, even though it would add to the expense. I wasn't aware that vacuum bagging and epoxy were common though so I could be misinterpreting their methods....plus I really am not familiar with mass production methods so I am not qualified to make assumptions. Alwgrip instead of gel is a nice touch, also expensive though thanks to time and materials. The last thing would be no mat (which also makes me think they are using true marine epoxy as most mats have a bonding agent that works with VE/PE not epoxy). Using all directional glass, if done right, can make for a sweet, and super light hull. Sounds like they are on their way to making a really nice, specialized shallow water fishing machine.  

I have a reply.. But I'm waiting on their permission to post.. Just to be sure.... They aren't cheap.  

Ok.. Got the ok to post.. "I’ve attached a spec sheet for the Cromis. The price shown is for the skiff shown on the sheet, ready to fish with a 25 mercury jet and coastline aluminum trailer. This is a jet drive only skiff, the hull has some design elements that would limit prop functionality. Max speed is 23mph with the 25 mercury jet. It runs and gets up insanely shallow. I don’t like talking hard draft numbers but the draft is very shallow, we’ll say sub 5 inches with two normal sized anglers. The skiff is tiller only, no side console option. Please do not hesitate to call or email if you have any other questions. Thank you, Seth Gambill Black Duck Skiffs, LLC 361-247-0448  

I gotta tell you, you’re onto something with that lower poling platform. I always hated the huge step up to get on mine (now they have two steppers) but still I think it’s too high. The higher you are the farther you can see the fish true, but they also can see you.  

""Yes, post away. The tunnel on the Cromis is just deep enough to get the very bottom of the jet foot even with the bottom of the hull. Outboard jets require a different tunnel shape than a prop to balance efficiency and shallow water performance. As you've suggested, outboard jets are less efficient than props but they will outperform a prop in almost all metrics (if properly setup on the right hull)) once you move into shallow water (other than speed). If you're interested I'd really like to take you for a ride. I'd much rather show people what the skiff will do than tell them. If you're in Florida that presents a bit of a problem but I do have a couple of guides running these and could give you their phone numbers so they could give you their opinion. I can't tell you the range exactly but hull no. 2 has a 13 gallon fuel tank and we ran 19 miles the other day and burned a little over half of the tank (burned 7 gallons, maybe?). Hull no. 3 has a 17 gallon tank. Some back of the napkin calculations puts the 13 gallon fuel tank range a little over 30 miles and the 17 gallon fuel tank a little over 40 miles. These numbers are probably +/-15% just because I haven't measured fuel burn or mileage exactly (although the mileage is pretty close as I measured on google earth).. Thanks and keep the questions coming if you have them. Seth Gambill Black Duck Skiffs, LLC Rockport, Texas 361-247-0448  

Well done and thanks for the info. I'm looking for a skiff but due to a small garage it won't fit but it sure looks like a beautiful skiff. Best of luck!!!  

Looks Shadowcasty to me with a few mods.  

Why the negativity?  

That is horrible mileage, but outboard jets aren't the most efficient things out there. It is a slick looking skiff for sure, but you are still going to have all the issues with jets.  

I’m not sure about TX, but in the Big Bend of FL you don’t ever have to run far to fish if, especially if you can dry launch. My boat is similar dimensions and I can launch it off the beach no problem. These aren’t skiffs to go run 15 miles to catch bait, then go an hour north to see if the bite is on up there, then turn around and head back if it’s not. Launch where you want to fish rather than spend all day driving around.  

Much of the Laguna doesn't work that way.  

Never heard of these guys. Thanks for posting the info.  

Guide Eric Knipling fishes one out of the Rockpor, TX area if you want to check one out.  

Epoxy. I like it.  

At least they are honest and don't claim to do a bunch of crap it won't. Looks slick  

Black Duck Skiff, Cool looking sled, would love the chance to spend the day on one. If any guided in STX are fishing one messgae me. Would love the opurtunity to charter you for the day. Will share bow with you. Cheers!  

Look up Eric Knipling, he runs one  

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Shore Lore: Rise and fall of the 'Black Duck'

Many mariners from Cape Cod and other New England coastal communities were all in when it came to rum running during the era of Prohibition, but none might have been more notorious than that of the Providence vessel “Black Duck” during the 1920s.

Former Eastham rum runner Bud Cummings was just one of the local sailors who came to recognize the legend of Max Fox’s booze boat.

“He was always in trouble,” Cummings recalled in a series of interviews with Don Sparrow and the Eastham Historical Society during the 1980s. “Every time he ran a load of rum, something happened. But he built this boat called the Black Duck, and it was very fast. Had a smoke screen. Had machine guns on it. And I don’t know how true it is, but he was supposed to have had poison gas too. This was all because of the Coast Guard, and they were out to get him, but he was so fast.”

Boatswain Alex Cornell and his Coast Guard cutter, the CG-290, were in hot pursuit of the Black Duck, one of Danny Walsh’s bootlegging operation vessels, for over a year.

“He set up ambush after ambush for this highly elusive runner, only to have her skipper thumb his nose at him as he slipped out of these baited traps with the greatest of ease,” wrote Harold Waters in his book, “Smugglers of Spirits.”

However, the Black Duck ran out of luck on a frigid, foggy night on Dec. 28, 1929. The Duck had just loaded up with 383 sacks of liquor from the British vessel Symor, out on Rum Row, located just outside of U.S. jurisdiction in the Atlantic Ocean. The Black Duck, equipped with two heavily-muffled 300-horsepower engines, headed into Narragansett Bay with its cargo, but Cornell and the CG-290 were waiting.

The Coasties claimed to have issued a warning, but the rum runner ignored the order and took off. At this point, Cornell told his seaman at the machine gun helm to “let her have it.” Three Black Duck crew members were killed, but Fox wasn’t one of them.

“He wasn’t aboard,” Cummings said. “He was too smart for that. He didn’t go out. He owned it and stayed ashore.”

According to Malcolm Willoughby, author of “Rum War at Sea,” shots were fired into the speedboat’s cabin after she swerved. “There was no intent to fire into the vessel, but that is what happened,” Willoughby wrote.

Public outrage to the shootings followed in Boston and Connecticut, adding fuel to the public’s increased frustration with the 10-year-old law. Cornell and his crew were cleared in a Coast Guard investigation and by a special grand jury in Providence.

“If a smuggler elects to defy the command of the Coast Guard to stop, he runs a serious risk of getting hurt through a course of action that the law has specifically authorized for 100 years,” Coast Guard Rear Admiral Frederick C. Billard said in a statement.

The New Bedford Mercury stood by the Coast Guard’s actions as well. “We wager there has been less rum running since the shooting incident and this is an accomplishment that every patriotic citizen will cheer,” the newspaper opined a week later.

Cummings, who encountered the Black Duck regularly on Scituate’s North River, and many others, weren’t sold.

“Customarily they’re supposed to shoot at the rudder to disable the boat,” said Cummings, who made over $200,000 working for a Scituate rum running business over a few years. “Instead, when it was brought into Providence, every bullet was through the cabin. And incidentally, everyone in the cabin was dead.”

As it did with several other captured vessels, the Coast Guard converted the Black Duck into a rum runner chasing boat, christening it as the CG-808.

It would only be another three years before Prohibition came to end. Many factors played into the move, but the Black Duck shootings proved to be beneficial to the anti-Prohibition folks known as the “Wets.”

Rev. Roy W. Magous of the Seaman’s Church Institute of Newport addressed the situation the following week. As the Globe reported: “Their deaths must bring to us a little clearer the horrible price we are paying to attempt to enforce laws which are fundamentally un-American.”

Don Wilding, a writer and public speaker on Cape Cod lore, can be reached via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @WildingsCapeCod and on Facebook at @donwildingscapecod. Shore Lore appears weekly.

Race Results

Send corrections, updates and boat information to [email protected] .

• The following is a list of results for DuckDodge racing, going back to 1997.
• Every attempt is made to identify the make, model and phrf-rating using a registry of active PHRF members ( Local Registry ). What are PHRF Ratings? ( Info | PDF )
• Note: PHRF ratings are not 100% translatable to lake-racing, however, they help to establish a benchmark of a boat's performance relative to other racers.
• It is our hope that this will help to raise the visibility of boats which drastically out-compete other boats in their class and aid in making a more competitive race for every participant.

Race Statistics

After evaluating the results for the given time period, we've looked at all the winning boats for their start and compared the boat's PHRF rating against the start's range of allowed ratings . If the boat was found to out-class all other boats in the start, they are included below.

Super Yachts with a PHRF rating <= 60, that choose to compete are also included, as they are the initial trigger for boats starting in 2nd start (as they can't be beaten by normal 1st start boats).

Based on this information, it is recommended that Super Yachts should not be included in race results, as they are the catalyst for other boats moving up a start in an effort to have a more competitive race. In addition, boats that outclass their start should be moved into a faster start.

Start Times

Shortly before the race, the committee boat will display the course from a sign on the side of the boat. Besure to note how many laps, as it change depending on the wind.

NOTE: Collisions are on the rise, especially in 2nd start (which contains a majority of the boats). If you're a racer, regardless of your start, please remember not everyone on the water knows the rules or how to maneuver in tight conditions, try to give room and be aware of different skill-levels.

CLASS BREAKS: Kevin Dolan's Distance (Buchan 37 with PHRF:126) is considered the slowest boat in 1st start. Any boat faster or equal to this boat should be in 1st start. If you are racing in any other start, please move up.

Race Schedule (Themes)

Every week, a theme is assigned for the given race with a "Black Duck awarded to the best boat. Unless you have a fast boat for your start, this is your best chance for a sticker.

Registration: Sail by the committee boat before the start and hail with your START NUMBER. Ensure that they acknowledge you, sail out of the area. Thanks it! There are no customers, unless you go really way off course.

Raft Up Information

After the race, about 50% of the boat choose to raft-up with the committee boat and continue their revelry . It's worth doing once. But mostly, it's for people that are more interested in dressing-up and drinking. Warning: The raft up is overwhelmingly represented by Bro's and Bra's who sometimes need adult supervision to keep boats from being broken, damaged or items stolen.

Historical Information

Actually, the original name was the "Tenas Chuck Duck Dodge". Tenas Chuck is the native american name for Lake Union (Chuck means "water", as in the Pilchuck, Skookumchuck, Chuckanut, Saltchuck, etc.) Duck Dodge one would assume means that in order to navigate the course one must either duck Dodges or dodge ducks. Since there are probably more ducks on Lake Union than Dodges, it is safe to assume the latter.

The original handbill announcing the first (technically second) Duck Dodge in 1974 actually has a sub-title of "Lake Union Beer Can Regatta". This was included because a friend of mine was worried that people wouldn't "get it" if we just called it the Duck Dodge.

Anyway, just some worthless trivia for you. I have much much more if anyone cares.

Ron Lloyd, Co-founder of the Duck Dodge (With Mike Rice and Bruce Gilbert)

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Black Brant III 15

Duck Boats , Fishing Boats

All right, “What is this nonsense about a Black Brant III and why the new design?” In order to properly understand the way life goes out here in Devlin Boat Land, you must first of all take a long distance view of the operation with enough time factor thrown in to really view the scene in geological perspective. Over the twenty some years that I have been designing and building hunting boats, there has been a lot of time and years with which to evolve more than a couple of designs. My Dad says that I am an almost constant “tinkerer”, which is probably a nice way to say that, while I think my designs are the best available and I believe in them without reservations, that I am also aware that nothing in life is perfect and that the way to Nirvana is to continually strive to do better. All this might just be the internal conflict with a Protestant work ethic or some other type of spiritual psycho-babble but the bottom line is that many of our designs get changed, little by little, until they reach a better plateau of use.

But in some cases the new design, while it has its strengths, doesn’t in a definitive way do the job that much better than the preceding design. In the case of our Black Brant designs, I already had a boat that did its job very well. That job was to allow two to three hunters to safely and efficiently hunt. But along came the desire of some of us to travel faster under power in less draft of water, thus was born the new design – the Black Brant III. This boat is simply a shallower draft and faster speed version of the Black Brant design, and if that is what you need, then this is the boat for you. But the difficulty of replacing the Black Brant was not simple because it also did its job extremely efficiently. So if you find that most of your hunting is in open water and you really aren’t traveling more than a couple of miles from ramp to your hunting area, then the Black Brant design is the best for your purposes. She is quite a bit deeper and a reasonable amount slower than the Black Brant III.

But if you are finding that you need to operate in shallower water and are traveling quite a distance from launch-ramp to the hunting area and a couple of inches more of sitting blind height doesn’t hurt, then by all means choose the Black Brant III. In both cases, these boats are about as thoroughbred of hunting boats as you are going to find and both have undergone trial by fire for more than a few hunting seasons. I hope you can make up your mind as to which is the best for you. — Sam Devlin

The Black Brant III 15 is available in study and construction plans .

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Performance  •  Quality  •  Safety  •  Service

The TDB Arthur Armstrong 13 ' BLACKJACK

The TDB Arthur Armstrong BlackJack is another versatile duck boat we are re-introducing to the fleet.

While designed primarily for the waterfowler,  the Blackjack also incorporates several options to accommodate the fisherman as well. In other words, this craft is a waterfowling boat designed with the fisherman in mind, instead of the usual fishing boat which has been converted for duck  hunting. The hull design has been slightly modified from the traditional semi-V configuration to provide increased width at the transom, yielding greater stability and reduced draft. The lowered drag on the hull allows the Blackjack to perform quite nicely with an electric motor or gas outboard up to 15 hp.     

The TDB AA BlackJack comes with features that allow its owner get on the water with a minimum of fuss. Standard features include: a basic light package, two marine grade lifting handles, bow tie-off cleat, towing ring, transom plate, cockpit drain, motor splash well, and foam flotation. The BlackJack's Gelcoat is finished on the outside with a stippled surface to prevent glare and slipping.

Additional TDB AA BlackJack options include a Spray Dodger Blind, Cockpit Cover and a Coaming Grassing Band.

The ageless Olsen Marine TDB AA BlackJack is built to the same industry leading standards as our 14, 17 & 21 SeaClass models, just a tad smaller package, and with a much more affordable price!

TDB AA BlackJack - STANDARD FEATURES:

Tdb aa blackjack - specifications:.

Original, proven, AA design

Hand-laid construction

No wood to rot or maintain

Transom Plate

Solid color Gelcoat

Marine Grade Lifting handles

Marine Grade Tie off Cleat

Stippled finish on deck

LED navigation lights

One 12V outlet

USB charging port

Available Upgrades:

TOP GUN Snap  Cockpit Cover

Hard Locking Cover

Spray Dodger and Frame

Interior LED Lighting

And more...

Length: 13’ 2”

Beam: 58”

Draft: 3” fully loaded

Weight: 280 LBS

Cockpit opening: 76” x 34”

Cockpit depth: 17”

Person capacity: 2 Persons

Weight capacity: 575 LBS

Maximum HP: 15

Our boats are custom made to order.

Please contact us at 508-385-2180 

or [email protected]

for current pricing, upgrade,

trailer and engine options. 

Black Duck tied to Warwick Crime Castle

WARWICK — Underneath the cellar floor of Bill Nixon’s 20-room house on Warwick Neck, overlooking East Greenwich Bay, is a secret 75-foot-long subcellar, with 10-foot ceilings and a width of about 10 feet.

Nixon brought a reporter down there over the weekend because he had read about the filming of "The Bootlegger" in Newport, which centers on a violent 1929 incident involving a speedboat called the Black Duck. That boat, used to bring illegal liquor to shore during Prohibition, was owned — or at the very least financed — by Carl Rettich, a notorious kingpin among bootleggers.

Rettich’s Warwick Neck home once had a stone dock out front, and the Black Duck and at least two other speedboats, powerful enough to outrun Coast Guard vessels of the day, made regular stops there, according to many accounts of the time compiled by Nixon, as well as through online histories.

Access to the cement chamber is through a trap door in the cellar floor that is disguised to look like part of the regular square floor of square gray slate tiles. The door was once mechanical but is no longer operational, and there was an elevator that involved a pulley system, the remnants of which Nixon pointed out.

The subcellar was so well concealed that during a 1935 raid by federal and state agents, as well as local police, later in Rettich’s crime career, it was initially not discovered. A detective afterward thought four white posts in the cellar looked too clean and turned one of them, triggering the opening of the trap door. That was almost two years after the Prohibition Era ended, though, when there was no longer any need to store liquor in a hidden subcellar.

Nixon and wife Madeline bought the house in 1976, but during the 1920s and early 1930s, it was Rettich’s home, which became known as the “Crime Castle” because Rettich’s crime career went well beyond bootlegging.

The home was built by Felix Wendelshaefer, manager of the Providence Opera Company, in 1901. The home at the end of Kirby Avenue on a four-acre property is still quiet and seemingly out of the way, but in the days of Wendelshaefer and Rettich, it was even more isolated, Nixon said. Distant neighbors would not be able to hear boats being unloaded or vehicles being loaded at the time, he said.

“It was an ideal location for a bootlegger,” Nixon said.

Prohibition, under the Eighteenth Amendment, took effect in January 1920 and some time after that, Rettich purchased the property. Originally from New York, he was known to his Warwick Neck neighbors as Charles Ryerson. Most people in the nearby community believed him to be a respectable lawyer who had moved to Rhode Island to care for his aging father, according to historical accounts.

Rettich had local men dig out the subcellar chamber and there are reports the engineer, or the man who designed it with steel supporting beams, was brought to the property blindfolded.

"The Bootlegger," being filmed in Newport, was written and is being directed by Paul Madden, who has a long fascination with the story behind the Black Duck and its skipper, Charlie Travers. There is a scene in the movie of Travers purchasing the boat, so Rettich’s role is ambiguous in historical accounts.

The focus of the film, which is being produced by John Taft and wife Patricia Cahill Taft, is the life and times of Travers. The Tafts operate the tour boats Rumrunner II, which has been outfitted as The Black Duck for the film, and Madeleine in Newport Harbor.

During Prohibition, the Black Duck and boats like it would meet large ships from Canada, the French islands of Miquelon and Saint Pierre off the coast of Newfoundland and the Caribbean. Those ships brought large liquor shipments to the 12-mile line called “Rum Row” off the coast because the Coast Guard did not have jurisdiction beyond that distance.

On Dec. 30, 1929, just after 2 a.m., a Coast Guard patrol boat was waiting for the Black Duck between Fort Adams and Fort Wetherill in Jamestown. The Coast Guard boat opened fire and a machine gun blast to the pilot house killed the three rum runners who were with Travers, who was hit in the thumb, which he lost. The Black Duck that night was carrying 383 sacks of liquor unloaded from a ship outside U.S. territorial waters, according to contemporary reports.

The rum runners had many different drop-off points in the many quiet coves and creeks that make up the Rhode Island coastline. The stone dock at Seabreeze, the original name of the home before it became the Crime Castle, was one of them, Nixon said.

Rettich reportedly was in partnership with a Danny Walsh, who had banking connections, for the bootlegging operation. Rettich reportedly owed him a lot of money. In early February 1933, Walsh disappeared. Witnesses had seen Walsh with Rettich and associates at Bank Café in Pawtuxet with two other unidentified men. Rettich and Walsh were seen arguing and clearly they had a falling out.

Walsh disappeared the next day and was last seen in front of a bank in Providence, according to newspaper accounts of the time.

The Associated Press ran a story on June 3, 1935, speculating that Walsh “was stood in a tub of cement until it hardened about his feet, and then thrown alive into the sea.” The AP reported it was just a “grisly underworld tale,” and no witnesses had been found.

Nixon said tales of “cement shoes” being used by Rettich to dispose of bodies circulated freely in the Warwick area and the practice may have originated with him. Walsh’s murder and others may have taken place at the Crime Castle, Nixon said. He points to pockmarks on the cement wall of the subcellar that may have been made by bullets.

Prohibition was repealed by the 21st Amendment in December 1933 and Rettich was never convicted of any crime connected to bootlegging or any murder, such as Walsh’s, in which he was a prime suspect.

However, Rettich and associates obtained about $129,000 during a U.S. mail truck robbery in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1934, according to newspaper accounts that initially did not name suspects. The money was a shipment from the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston and the notes were to be delivered to Fall River banks to cover payrolls in the mills.

As part of a 1935 murder investigation implicating Rettich, agents raided the Crime Castle.

A vehicle with five bullet holes in it was found in the carriage house of the Crime Castle, according to newspaper stories from the time. In the main house, agents found about $7,000 from the Fall River mail truck robbery. A small alcove floor was later dug up and another $10,000 was found.

Rettich was convicted of the robbery and imprisoned at the Alcatraz federal prison in California until his release sometime in the 1940s, according to online information.

People joke with Nixon that the rest of the mail truck money must be on his property.

In 2007, the Crime Castle was the subject of HGTV’s television show, "If Walls Could Talk," which focuses on houses with unusual stories. On the show, Nixon showed the house and shared the stories as he did this weekend with a reporter.

“It’s quite a story,” Nixon said. “I never tire of it.”

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Specifications

MODEL: Hartley Queenslander 33 (With Maurice Griffith inspired topsides) BUILDER: Grant Svendsen & Ian Penney RIG: Cutter LOA: 36ft (3ft bowsprit) BEAM: 3.2m DRAUGHT: 1.6 HULL MATERIAL: Ferro Cement TONNAGE: Give or take 12T (about 2 more than what she is designed for) ENGINE: Fordson Major 1954 (40hp)

a short history of Black Duck

1981: The ferro hull of Black Duck was professionally built by Grant Svendsen on Waiheke Island, New Zealand. But for reasons unknown to us he never completed the boat.

1998: 17 years later Ian Penney and Cherie Penney, who lived on Waiheki Island, bought the hull including various boat gear such as mast, engine and winches. And after transporting it on the back of a truck to their backyard, they commenced the building of the boat. With Ian’s skill in Carpentry and Cherie’s expertise in design and décor the achieved boat was nothing less than a masterpiece.

2001: Ian and Penney launched Black Duck after having worked fulltime on the boat for 3 years.

2003: Ian sailed Black Duck across the Tasman Sea with a friend to Sydney. Cherie joined on a challenging crossing of Bass Strait to Tasmania where they lived for the following 14 years.

2017: Ian and Cherie sold the boat to us and moved to France to start a B&B.

2019: We left Tasmania starting our voyage planning to show Black Duck the World.

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Partly Inspired on a Maurice Griffith Design

Black Duck is often Mistaken for a Wylo, (Interestingly we found a note written by Nick Skeates, the designer of Wylos, in Black Ducks Guestbook) Furthermore, Ian also found inspiration in this magazine clipping of a Maurice Griffith design, shown above, for Black Duck's deck and cabin-top.

The building of Black Duck

The name of Black Duck

Cherie's pet duck

Black Duck was named after Cherie's pet Duck who lived in their garden and oversaw the building of the boat. When the duck died just prior to the launching, Cherie decided on the name.

March / April Issue No. 297  Preview Now

Scott Gifford's BLACK DUCK runabout can handle both the rough waters of Buzzards Bay and the shallows of the Westport River in Massachusetts. He framed the hull with white oak, then double-planked the bottom with eastern white cedar. He used local white pine on the hull sides and more cedar on the deck, which he then covered with canvas. Scott used copper clench nails for fastenings. Scott urges any readers interested in BLACK DUCK to contact him at Scott Gifford, Boatbuilder at 1476D Drift Rd, in Westport, MA, [email protected]

Design Specifications

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1968 Chris Craft Custom

1968 Chris Craft has been updated and customized for the classic boat lover.

50 years of WB, Sails, more

All original issues of WB, $375; Sails for sloop rig, new condition, luff 29’5” 2 jibs, bagged, $

1941 36' Stephens motor yacht

She's FREE to anyone who can take on the project.

Register of Wooden Boats

I aquired Maverick in November of 2023 for $1.

an amazing experience for Family & friends

The “black duck” is not just any sailing yacht. the black duck is a lovingly cared for and maintained catamaran that has found a conscientious captain in gordan. gordan, also called “gogo”, is always concerned about his lady, the “black duck” and finds his calling in giving guests an unforgettable trip. gordan is not only the captain, as a local travel companion he gives valuable tips that benefit our guests. the knowledge about crystal-clear bays, excellent, traditional taverns and specific details that affect the sea and the islands make this trip a very special experience., the blackduck only ever set sail with our capitan gordan and our stewardess eva, so we can guarantee that the boat is in perfect condition., enjoy and let´s make unforgettable memories together, our gallery.

The booking periods and prices are always from Saturday to Saturday. You can book these periods directly online live.

Individual travel periods are possible, please send us an e-mail here and we will make you an individual offer, e.g. 6 days (= 5 nights), 11 days (= 10 nights). we are looking forward to hear from you., price €700 - €1000 / night.

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Check-in Date *

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Reserve 1 of 1 available accommodations.

BlackDuck is available for selected dates.

Prices start at:

Availability Season 2024 - Bookings online only from Sat. to Sat.

We offer a luxurious experience on the sea, entire boat.

Besides the crew you will have the entire boat for yourself.

Enhanced Clean

We always ensure all rooms and amenities are in top condition and we stick to strict hygienic standards every day.

Need help? Special wishes?

Our crew will always be happy to help you.

spice up your trip with our additional services . How sounds Private Cooking for you?

We offer a lot of extra services you can book directly with us., if desired, the unofficial top chef “gogo” conjures up pasta with seafood, local pekas with octopus or lamb, for example, which round off the perfect boating holiday with flying colors. what is cooked is what is previously fished or bought fresh from the market., for all those who like to visit the best taverns, gogo makes the last table possible in every konoba, no matter how busy it is. one could get the impression that nobody does not know our gogo. the black duck offers the desired supporting program for those who love peace and quiet as well as for party lovers..

Have you ever dreamed of flying over the water? Our additional service JETBOARD is our brand new water sport activity.

Jetboard radinn x-sport is a brand new and very exciting jetboard from the well-known swedish manufacturer radinn., it´s combining the thrill and excitement of wakeboarding and hydrogliding. it can add all the fun and excitement to your regular day on the boat. it’s that one thing that will take it from great to unforgettable., included services, dinghy included.

Our dinghy is always available for small trpis and fun adventures

Air Condition

Heating and Air Condition on Board

Stand-Up-Paddel

A Stand-Up-Paddel board is ready for you!

Snorkel Set

Always on board: Snorkel sets for 4 people

Included Free Internet

Sleeping up to 10 people

We have 4 double cabins and 2 extra beds in the saloon

4 toilets and 4 showers

4 electric toilets with a shower each

Outside Shower

Of course we also have an outside shower onboard!

Indoor and Outdoor Sound System

The BlackDuck features an extensive audio system

On board we have a power generator

Solar Panels

The onboard Solar Panels help to supply energy on sunny days

GPS and Autopilot

The Catamaran features an outside-GPS-Plotter and an autopilot

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So, You Think You Need a Duck Boat?

Big or small, a duck vessel brings great rewards and responsibilities..

Adding a duck boat to your duck hunting gear is a sure way to level up the fun factor. (Photo By: Scott Haugen)

Last duck season was the best I’ve experienced in the places I hunted throughout the Pacific Flyway. Looking back on what most impacted my success is a good way to understand the things that truly made a difference.

For instance, I invested in new duck decoys. There’s no doubt the full body standing and floating decoys made a difference, as did the silhouettes when hunting fields. I got a new shotgun last season too, a Browning Maxus II shotgun , which I shot with confidence. And the new calls I ran turned ducks very well. But the one thing that accounted most for my higher success was being able to access prime places to hunt, and to do that, I used a boat.

I know what you’re thinking, “Why spend $20,000 on a fancy duck boat I might only use a few times a season?” My advice, start small. Early last season I accessed some prime public hunting locations on rivers and sloughs by simply using a pram, canoe and kayak. I also relied on a drift boat to float rivers and access less pressured birds in areas that couldn’t be reached by land.

DON'T MISS our "Best Duck Boats of 2022"!

Why You Might Want a Duck Boat

Not only are boats great for accessing good hunting areas, they can be invaluable when it comes to managing a decoy spread. At the end of last season, the Kropf brothers, Richard and Brent, whom I hunt a lot with, dragged a small kayak a couple hundred yards through brush to get to a small creek we hunted one morning. We tossed 20 decoys into the wooded creek that was 15-yards across at the widest point. We had the perfect U set, and in short order killed limits of mallards with a few bonus wood ducks and every one of them fell in the decoys. When it came time to pick up, Richard waded out to get the decoys close to shore, tossing them to me to bag-up, while Brent hopped in the kayak to gather the rest on the far side of the creek. Though it was only couple yards across the deepest part, there was no way we could have set such an effective spread had we not found a way to collect the decoys. In fact, I was on several hunts last season where small crafts were used to collect decoys, not set them out.

If you’re in a place in life where you can afford it, and know you’ll use it, a jet boat, mud boat, even an airboat can make a big difference in terms of accessing prime hunting locales. I’ve hunted with hard-core waterfowlers in multiple states who wouldn’t hunt if they didn’t have their airboat. The same holds true for folks hunting lakes and big rivers, where running long distances in heavy water and bad weather is only achieved in a bigger, safer boat, like a jet sled.

But just because you have a boat, don’t take it to mean it’s your ticket to go where you want, when you want. Be courteous and mindful of fellow hunters when launching at the public boat ramp; help them out if you can. And if someone beats you to “your spot” wish them luck and move on. Waterfowl hunters are a small fraternity, and we’re all on the same team trying to achieve the same outcome.

Earlier this year I was on a public land duck hunt in Texas. My buddy’s airboat got us to where we wanted to be. We were two minutes ahead of another airboat, a guide, who didn’t like us being in “his” spot. So, when we were putting out decoys he cut multiple cookies on high power, right in front of us. As if that wasn’t enough, when he went back by us three hours later, he did the same thing, scaring every duck out of the area. A call to the local game warden took care of that problem and I hope he lost his guide’s license. That’s not what waterfowl hunting is about, and just because you have a boat with a motor, it’s not a special pass to do what you want.

Over the years, I’ve hauled decoys into sloughs in small rafts, even on pontoon boats. Watercrafts also work great to cross large bodies of shallow water that are tough to wade, but again, be cognizant of fellow hunters who took off on foot three hours ahead of you to reach the same spot.

I hear stories every year of new friendships being made, where one hunter showed up to a spot that was already taken, and the first one there invited the late arrival to hunt with them. That’s what duck hunting is all about. Yes, vessels allow you to access more water and shoot more ducks, but they can also lead to fun, tranquil experiences, even new friendships, if you allow it.  

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