The Periauger
In the Summer of 2004, a long-lost colonial boat set sail from Beaufort, North Carolina to its homeport of Hertford, North Carolina.
The periauger was constructed at the North Carolina Maritime Museum by The Periauger Project, a unique partnership of the Perquimans County Restoration Association, the parent organization of the historic 1730 Newbold-White House; the North Carolina Maritime Museum; Perquimans County; and East Carolina University´s Program in Maritime Studies. The project was made possible by a successful private fundraising campaign and through a grant from the NC Department of Transportation´s Enhancement Program.
In colonial America, settlers traveled the waterways in common boats called periaugers´ the waterway pick-up trucks of those days. Surprisingly, no physical evidence of these typical colonial vessels exists today. Through this history-making project, the periauger is being and reintroduced to the waterways.
The replica periauger is the only known boat of its kind in the world. The periauger is approximately 30 feet long with two masts reaching the height of nearly 25 feet. It has rowing stations for at least six oars called sweeps.
Video produced by UNC TV and Our State Magazine
