Jersey Shore Folk Life Center
Demonstrator
Schedule | Meet our Artists
| Adult and Children’s Classes
Gus Heinrichs
Master Boat Builder
Sneakbox
builder Gus Heinrichs of Tuckerton, NJ is a fourth generation wooden boat
builder. His grandfather, Sock Heinrichs, owned and operated a boat yard
and marine railway on Tuckerton Creek until the 1940s and his father, Gustave
Heinrichs, built and sold sneakboxes until his death in 1972. Gus Heinrichs
grew up helping out his father in Burton’s boat yard until he began clamming
in a 24’ garvey made by his father. Before becoming a judge for the competition.
Gus
Heinrichs grew up helping out his father in Burton’s boat yard until he
began clamming in a 24’ garvey made by his father. Before becoming a judge
for the competition, Gus Heinrichs won at least 17 awards for his feather
edged sneakboxes at the Ocean County Decoy and Gunning Show. Today he his
sneakboxes are in private collections and he is a regular demonstrator
at the Tuckerton Seaport where one of his sneakboxes is displayed alongside
a sneakbox built by his father.
