This year marks the 70th anniversary of Mathews boatbuilder Gilbert Klingel’s book, “The Bay.” Klingel was a naturalist who explored and documented the Chesapeake Bay throughout his lifetime. “The Bay” has remained in print for over half a century, entertain ing and educating readers.

To celebrate the life and legacy of Klingel and the 70th anniversary of book, an article was published in Chesapeake Bay Magazine, written by Marty LeGrand. The article brings Klingel back into the spotlight. Klingel’s daughter Marcy Benouameur said she’s glad to see her father’s name back in the news.

Benouameur said that her father, a Baltimore native, first came to Gwynn’s Island when his family traveled there in 1917. As a young man, Klingel became enthralled by the Chesapeake Bay and devoted his life to learning and experiencing as much as he could about it.

Klingel built his own boatyard on Gwynn’s Island which now serves as the Mathews Maritime Foundation’s second site. Benouameur said that the foundation calls the boatyard the Gwynn’s Island Boat Shop, or GIBS. She said that at his boatyard, her father would construct boats ranging from 30 to 75 feet in length and of varying designs.

In 2018, a documentary on Klingel, titled “The Legacy of Gilbert Klingel: Man of Steel,” was released, and DVDs of the film can be purchased at the Mathews Maritime Foundation’s website, mathewsmaritime.com. The article Chesapeake Bay Magazine article can also be found on the foundation’s site.