In 1970, a young Craig Starcke, freshly discharged from the Army, made a pivotal decision: to turn his childhood passion into a full-time career as a Bayman on New York’s Great South Bay. His life as a commercial fisherman afforded him a home in Amityville and the means to support his beautiful wife and four beloved children. However, by the end of the 1970s, the New York commercial fisheries faced near devastation due to overfishing, pollution, and overly restrictive government regulations.
To secure his family's future, Craig and his devoted wife sought a new beginning in Emerald Isle, North Carolina. For over forty years, Craig worked the waters from Brunswick County to Cedar Island, teaching his children the craft of harvesting crabs, clams, oysters, and scallops by hand. In doing so, he imparted invaluable life lessons: the importance of loving and supporting one another, engaging in the community, and safeguarding the environment that sustains us.
Craig, affectionately known as "Ditzie" to his grandchildren, passed away in 2023. In their search for peace and comfort after his passing, his family found solace aboard his boat. It is here that Ditzie’s children and grandchildren have chosen to continue his legacy, working the same waters he once did. They remain committed to providing fresh, healthy food for themselves and their community, upholding Ditzie’s traditions, and teaching the younger generation the precious value of life on the water. As a family, they pledge to remain dedicated stewards of their environment, their community, and, above all, each other.
