The deadrise V-bottom shad boat (pick-up truck boat), became a popular small watercraft fishing vessel in the early 20th century. The shad boat was designed to work nets and haul large amounts of fish. In North Carolina, deadrise shad boat planks will always run fore-and-aft. This particular vessel at the Beaufort Maritime Museum was motorized with an inboard motor. What makes the shad boat unique is that each shad boat was constructed for a particular purpose, whatever the purpose may be. In North Carolina shad boats were often used for transportation, shrimp , herring, menhaden, shad and even shark fishing
