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River cruises on historic buy boat at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s 1920 buyboat Winnie Estelle is now taking passengers out on the Miles River, with boat rides planned through October. The 45-minute, drop-in public cruises are available Fridays through Mondays, departing from the museum on the hour from 12 noon to 3 p.m.

Winnie EstelleWinnie was used as a workboat on the lower Chesapeake for more than 50 years, carrying seafood and produce to market across the Chesapeake 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. In 2012, she was returned to the Chesapeake Bay by Michael Whitehill of Centreville, Md.

In 2014, Winnie Estelle joined CBMM’s floating fleet of historic boats, which includes the recently restored 1955 skipjack Rosie Parks and the 1889 nine-log bugeye, Edna E. Lockwood. Now, Winnie Estelle takes passengers out for drop-in public cruises, ecology tours, student and adult education tours, private charters, and weddings.

Same-day tickets for drop-in cruises can be purchased at the museum’s store or welcome center, and are available at $15 for non-members, $10 for CBMM members, and $5 for children ages 6-17. A combined boat ride and two-day museum admission ticket is also available at $25. All cruises are weather-dependent, with limited boarding and availability subject to change.

CBMM’s mission is to preserve and explore the history, environment, and people of the Chesapeake Bay. Its St. Michaels campus spans 18 acres, and features 12 exhibition buildings along the harbor and Miles River. For more information, call 410-745-2916 or visit http://cbmm.org/visit/tours/