THE RESTORATION

Time took its toll—but the story wasn’t over.
Years later, with her paint peeling, chine compromised, and her bones tired, Shirley M. sat quietly, waiting. What came next was a restoration rooted in reverence: for craft, for family, and for the Bay. We found a waterman from Hoopers Island—someone who spoke boat like a second language—and watched as she came back to life, plank by plank. This page documents the journey: the decay, the decisions, the meticulous work, and the profound return of a family heirloom to the water.