Object Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Boat Compass |
Object Name |
Compass, Ship's |
Description |
Boat Compass One in a series of tools used for boat making by the Deonas Family. Deonas Family Story: This Fernandina resident left his mark on the shrimping industry by his design of the Super Trawler. This collection of tools was provided by his son, Nick Deonas. Dematrios Nicholas Deonas, also known as Jimmy, was born on the Greek Island of Santorini in 1909. Most of the male members of his family were boat builders. "Jimmy's toys" were the tools you see on display there, planes, drills, mallets, and chisels. He spoke a rapid fire mixture of Greek and English and could not read our language. Yet, his keen nautical and mathematical mind created the design of the powerful SUPER TRAWLER, which could handle the heave double rigged shrimp nets. As a nine year old boy, Jimmy was obsessed with boats. He quit school in the third grade and walked into the world of boating. Form are 9 to 12, he worked for free, just to learn the trade. He was often quoted as saying, "You build a good boat, you got to put your mind on it. Like a doctor, nurse, lawyer, and any job. You put your mind on it - on this one thing- you learn, you remember." Some of the young Greek noys he worked with had never been to school and were only six or seven years old. As he grew older, he joined the Greek Merchant Marines. At the beginning of World War II, he was stranded in New York City and subsequently learned that Greek boat builders were needed in Fernandina. In 1941, he cane to work here for Mike Tillakos, another Greek boat builder. At this time, shrimp boats were small, single rigged and about 40' long. As the shrimpers turned to double rigs, structural problems arose. Their boats were not strong enough to pull 2 rigs, 2 doors (the iron-weighted boards hold the net open on the ocean floor) and the larger heavier nets. Mike Tillakos recognized Jimmy's gift for nautical mathematics and pushed him to come up with a new design, which he did. Essentially, he changed the curvature to a slightly rounded hull and added metal reinforcements in the bow. Hence, the Super Trawler of today and Jimmy Deonas' contribution to the history of shrimping. |
Object ID |
L2014.038.006 |
Caption |
Boat Compass |
Dimensions |
H-15 W-5 inches |
Search Terms |
Boats and Boating Shrimp Boat Shrimp Boats Shrimping Families Tool |
Collection |
AIMH |
People |
Deonas, Demetrios N. Deonas, Nick |
Subjects |
Shrimp industry Fishing |