Volunteers building replica Revolutionary War spy ship in Port Jefferson
PORT JEFFERSON, N.Y. -- An effort to recreate a boat that played an intriguing role in the U.S. winning its independence is underway on Long Island.
CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff got a behind-the-scenes look at volunteers recreating history by hand in time to mark the country's 250th birthday.
They're the bones of what will be a whale boat -- a replica of one used by a Long Islander in 1776 for spying, not whaling.
Caleb Brewster was one of Long Island's crew of spies during the Revolutionary War named the Culper Spy Ring.
"He was a spy for [George] Washington and he would convey intelligence from Long Island to Connecticut under the cover of night, avoiding all the perils, all the privateers, all the British ships," said historian Mark Sternberg.
Port Jefferson was a hotbed of spy activity.
Patriots like Brewster used whale boats to ferry secret messages in invisible ink from the British stronghold of New York City to Washington's forces on the other side of the Sound.
"They could outmaneuver sailing ships. They had a cannon in the front," said historian Chris Ryon.
Hunks of local white oak will come together to teach future generations how intelligence gathered and delivered by brave patriots helped outsmart the Redcoats.
"Where were the troops going? How many were there?" said Sternberg. "What were the British plotting?"
Two and a half centuries later, volunteers sharing a love of local marine history will spend two years building the 24-foot boat.
"The volunteers are all special people, like-minded. They got no professional ship rights. So we're all rookies and amateurs, and we're learning with each other," said Walter Saranceni, one of the boat builders.
To create a period-correct functioning boat, they're using plans dug up from a museum.
"I realize how important it was for us in winning the Revolutionary War, the whale boats ... and the spies who used them," said Len Carolan, Long Island Seaport and Eco Center president.
The project, launched by the village of Port Jefferson and the Long Island Seaport and Eco Center, will teach about the local role in the revolution at parades and reenactments.
"Without the patriots and the spy ring, and men and women who risked their lives, who lived here ... we wouldn't be here today. We wouldn't have the America that we're proud of," said Mayor Margot Garant.
"We're recreating a living history, and it's not just going to be a static display. The boat is going to be used," said John Janicek, another volunteer boat builder. "We're doing something that's really going to be enjoyed by many people for years to come."
When it's done, the Caleb Brewster will have a permanent home at the port where the courage and ingenuity of spies like him helped build a free nation.
If anyone wants to donate to the rebuilding of the Caleb Brewster whale boat, please click here.