Maritime Museum Floating Fleet

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Maryland is lucky enough to have a floating fleet of Chesapeake Bay historical boats including skiffs, workboats, and log canoes.  I loved reading and photographing them when I visited back in early December.

I know what you are thinking...these pictures could not have been taken in December!  I know, right?  Look at that beautiful sky.  Believe it or not, it was FREEZING that day with windchills down in the teens or single digits.  I am here to tell you, people, it was COLD and windy.

I was smart enough to take a picture of the markers next to some of the boats so I could share some information about these unique treasures with you!  How is that for preparedness?

The first specimen, the Delaware pictured above, is a tug.  The Delaware was built in 1912 by William H. Smith of Bethel, Delaware.  Tugs like the Delaware were very important to the economic development and viability of the Bay region.  Large sailing vessels carrying various products such as lumber, wheat, produce, and fertilizer were a common sight until the 1930's.  With the Bay's narrow, winding rivers and shallow harbors, the waterways were difficult for these large vessels to maneuver.   That is where the tugs, such as the Delaware, came into play. They would meet the large vessels in the open water and tow them safely to port or up the winding rivers.  Today, with the expansion of coastal trade, most freight is transported by barge.

The Volunteer is a replica of a Smith Island crab scrapping boat built in 2002 by staff and volunteers at the museum.  In the shallows around Smith Island, crabbers use boats such as this one to harvest the animals.  They drag a special dredge called a crab scrape behind the boat to rake up peeler crabs hiding on the bottom.  These boats are designed to move easily around the shallows where the crabs hide in eelgrass to shed their shells.  The low sides on the boat allow the crabbers to pull the crab scrape over the edge of the boat more easily.

And that is where my brilliance ends because, folks, I forgot to take a picture of the rest of the markers.  My apologies if you were looking forward to more information about the Bay's boats ;0)

I hope you enjoyed your little look into the floating fleet of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.  Of course, there are many more to see there in person, so I highly recommend spending a day there if you are ever in that area.

I still have more pictures from this beautiful spot to share with you and some include more of the floating fleet, so don't be sad that this is it.  

There are more on the way for all of you water lovers ;0)

Have a blessed Wednesday, y'all.