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Cruise aboard Winnie Estelle June 20, August 3 at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

On Tuesday, June 20, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., children and adults are invited to join Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum educators aboard buyboat Winnie Estelle for an up-close and personal exploration of the Miles River and its unique habitat and ecology. The cruise will be offered again on Thursday, August 3, from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

During the ecology cruise, participants will learn how to monitor the water quality of the river, perform water testing, and explore the critters on an oyster reef, all while cruising in the breeze on CBMM’s buyboat. Birders will enjoy the route, which features a route near Long Point Island, known for its eagle and osprey populations and heron rookery.

Built in 1920 by Noah T. Evans—a native Smith Islander—Winnie Estelle was used as a workboat on the lower Chesapeake for more than 50 years, carrying seafood and produce to market across the Bay. In the 1970s, she made Belize her port of call, where she operated as an island trader, carrying lumber from Honduras to Belize, and later as a charter boat for divers. She returned to the Chesapeake in 2012.

Winnie Estelle runs four daily cruises on Fridays through Mondays beginning each May and continuing through October, with same-day tickets purchased at CBMM. Cruises are also offered to watch Miles River log canoe races on June 24, July 29, Sept. 9, and Sept. 16. For details, visit cbmm.org.

Boarding passes for the June 20 and August 3 ecology cruises are $15 for CBMM members and $20 for non-members, with registration required to bit.ly/CBMM_OntheWater. For more on Winnie Estelle or CBMM, visit cbmm.org

Miles River ecology cruises aboard the 1920 buyboat Winnie Estelle