Phase 2 of Fishermen's Memorial unveiled at New Jersey Maritime Museum benefit

A little bit of rain and bad weather Saturday, Sept. 14, during the New Jersey Maritime Museum’s sixth annual fundraiser, only seemed to enhance the unveiling of the property’s new bronze sculpture, which symbolizes the entire New Jersey commercial fishing industry. The frieze by Brian Hanlon of Hanlon Sculpture Studio in Toms River is Phase 2 of the Fishermen’s Story memorial. Phase 1, which memorializes the life of the late Jim Mears, a charter boat and tilefishing boat captain who died in January 2012 when his vessel, the Mandy Ness, capsized in a sea lane 10 miles offshore, was erected in Barnegat Light last summer.

The new monument, situated in front of the museum in Beach Haven, depicts six fishermen hauling in a net as they work at what has been named the most perilous profession in the world. They are Harold, Don and Jim Mears as well as Eric, George and Jack Svelling, members of two Island families known for their expertise in the trade.

Photo by Ryan Morrill
The second monument is sits in front of
the museum in Beach Haven.

“The point we’re trying to get across is that fishing is a traditional lifestyle that’s passed down generation to generation,” said Jim Vogel, executive director of the museum and a former commercial fishermen who claimed George Svelling was a mentor to him when he was young. “We wanted something historical, and pound fishing is a historical type of fishing that is not done anymore here.”

The monument was delivered to the museum a week before the fundraiser on Aug. 29, the same day Don Mears passed away from cancer.

“It will always be here since this place is deed-restricted to stay a maritime museum after my death,” said Deborah Whitcraft, president and curator of the museum. “There are over 5,000 documented shipwrecks off the New Jersey coast, and many of these vessels were lost by commercial fishermen pursuing what we refer to as the world’s most dangerous occupation. So that memorial not only symbolizes the work that’s involved in earning a living, but it also represents many of the losses off the New Jersey coast, in terms of shipwrecks. It’s a big part of New Jersey’s maritime history – a very big part – and will always be,” she added.

Community donations contributed to the memorial. The idea for the project began when Whitcraft approached the Mears family about honoring the boat captains and their dangerous work.

“One of the biggest things is that commercial fishermen brave weather elements that most of us will never encounter and never understand, let alone survive,” Whitcraft said. “More than a few people said to me, especially the Mears family who were in attendance Saturday, that this (the day’s weather) is nothing compared to what they face on a regular basis in their commercial fishing industry. So it was nothing to them, and it puts an entirely different perspective on it.

“As bad as the weather was, it’s nothing compared to what they deal with all the time out there, off-shore,” she added. “People understood that. People who had never stepped foot on a commercial fishing vessel said, ‘Hey, this is nothing compared to what they do. So if we can’t put up with a little bit of rain, than we shouldn’t be here.’ They were here to honor the fishermen, and the attendance was outstanding.”

More than 400 people attended the event, including local fishermen, business owners, residents and officials.

The evening was also held in honor of the late S. Mary T. Gruber, a museum trustee and docent who recently passed away. The lending library, which was expanded this summer, has been dedicated in memory of Gruber, who was one of the museum’s original volunteers. She helped catalog and digitize the museum’s “vast collection of artifacts, maritime memorabilia, books and rare documents before we even opened our doors to the public,” the fundraiser program stated.

Close to $30,000 in donations, gift certificates, merchandise and other necessities was given in support of the fundraiser.

“It was our best fundraiser yet, in terms of attendance and fundraising itself, which is surprising,” said Whitcraft. “Every year I have to beg, borrow, steal and plead with the business community to donate gift certificates, merchandise, you name it, and this year they broke all records. ... We could never thank the business community enough. Without their support, we can’t do this.”

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.