BARNEGAT LIGHT, NJ — Kirk Larson, the longtime Barnegat Light mayor and commercial fisherman whose boat famously appeared in the film The Perfect Storm, has died, leaving behind a legacy deeply intertwined with both New Jersey politics and Hollywood history.
Larson, who served more than two decades as mayor of the small Long Beach Island borough, died this week at the age of 74. His death has sparked reflection across the coastal community he helped shape and fiercely defended, most notably through his vocal opposition to offshore wind projects under Governor Phil Murphy’s administration.
While many knew him as a devoted Republican and community leader, Larson’s name also lives on through his commercial scallop boat, the Lindsay L, which doubled as the “Hannah Boden” in the 2000 blockbuster film The Perfect Storm. The vessel, normally docked at Viking Village in Barnegat Light, was transformed for the film, which dramatized the infamous 1991 storm that battered the New England coastline.
Larson recommended two local fishermen—his son Kirk Larson Jr. and family friend Larry Walsh Jr.—to operate the vessel on screen. Both appeared in the movie alongside Hollywood stars George Clooney and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, steering the boat through the rough Atlantic in scenes that have since become iconic.
In office, Larson led Barnegat Light through numerous storms, both literal and political. He was a persistent critic of New Jersey’s push for offshore wind development, citing concerns about its environmental and economic impact on local fisheries and tourism. His stance garnered him both praise and pushback, as the issue became a statewide flashpoint in recent years.
Larson also remained active in his business as a commercial fisherman throughout his mayoral tenure. His hands-on leadership style and presence in the harbor made him a familiar face to residents and visitors alike. Under his guidance, Barnegat Light preserved much of its maritime identity, even as other shore communities saw significant transformation.