New Jersey's maritime traditions, those age-old traditions of the sea that were the bulwark of our seafaring ancestor's lives, are explored with a visit to Tuckerton Seaport in Spirit of the Bay. Tuckerton Seaport is a working seaport village that brings to life the rich traditions and heritage of the Barnegat Bay region with a look at the people whose livelihood depends on the sea, the bays, the rivers and the marshes. Tuckerton Seaport preserves the bygone lifestyle of the bay people for the many visitors who visit and tour the site.

The Barnegat Bay area is a patchwork of tidal creeks, marshes, and coastal inlets. For centuries this environment has provided fish, shellfish, and migrating waterfowl with a great habitat for spawning and feeding. The plentiful resources first drew the native Lenape here, and Europeans began settling along the Bay in the late sixteen hundreds. By the 1800s, improved boat construction and harvesting methods helped spur thriving commercial harvest industries - clamming, oystering, water fowling and fishing - which, in turn, built towns like Tuckerton. That way of life - the workaday life of the bayman - is the root of Tuckerton's maritime heritage. Tuckerton Seaport keeps the memory of the bayman alive by returning to that working tradition.

Premiered June 20, 2003.

Spirit of the Bay is produced by . . .

Spirit of the Bay is a half-hour documentary produced by NJN's Emmy Award winning team of Lou Presti, senior producer/director; Jeff Reisly, editor and cameraman; and Bob Szuter, writer and audio. The narrator is Liz Chang; the original music was created by Robert Sands. Valerie Vaughn (www.angelfire.com/music3/vaughn) wrote and performed the song "Tucker's Island" at the end of the documentary.

The Garden State is a state of unpredictability. Residents and visitors alike are frequently and charmingly surprised by the unexpectedness of the varied natural environment and diverse culture and history. For thirty years, Lou Presti has been chronicling that history and filming the forests, mountains, coastlines, rivers, bays and ocean, producing engaging films about New Jersey's beautiful natural landscapes, resources and culture rich communities that comprise the state. Presti, Reisly and Szuter have documented New Jersey like few others before them, exploring New Jersey's remote regions from the mountains of the northwest to the alternating bustle and serenity of the Delaware Bay. Together and individually, they have earned numerous awards and recognition for NJN. Spirit of the Bay is the latest produced by this hardworking and talented team.

Tuckerton Seaport

A trip to Tuckerton Seaport is a journey to a time and world rich in maritime history, where water is the life and lifeblood of the residents. On a 40-acre site along Tuckerton Creek, visitors experience the sights, sounds, and smells that surrounded the lives of the people who lived and worked on the ocean, bays and back creeks of Coastal New Jersey. The village includes sixteen recreated historical structures representing the various trades and crafts unique to the Barnegat Bay region and to the bayman. Along with exhibits of the baymen's tools, decoys and Barnegat Bay boats, there are demonstrations, instructional classes and hands-on workshops to preserve the traditional baymen's trades and craftsmanship. For more information, visit the web site at www.tuckertonseaport.org or call (609) 296-8868.