(ST MICHAELS, MD) The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s 1920 buy boat Winnie Estelle begins taking passengers out on the Miles River for the May 22 Community Block Party at CBMM, with boat rides continuing on weekends through October. The 45-minute, drop-in public cruises are available Fridays through Mondays, departing from the museum on the hour from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m.
Before coming to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, Winnie operated 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 1955 skipjack Rosie Parks and the 1889 nine-log bugeye, Edna E. Lockwood, which is now under historic restoration. 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 $10 for non-members, $5 for CBMM members, $3 for non-member children ages 6-17, and free for member children ages 17 and under, and for all children ages five and under. All cruises are weather-dependent, with limited boarding and availability subject to change. The museum is located in the historic district of St. Michaels and is within walking distance of several restaurants, boutiques, other attractions, and inns, with general museum admission good for two consecutive days.
The museum’s May 22 Community Block Party is offered free of charge and open to the general public, and features several performance stages, free boat rides, live music, regional foods and libations, Chesapeake-related family activities, and more.
Established in 1965, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a world-class maritime museum dedicated to preserving and exploring the history, environment and people of the entire Chesapeake Bay, with the values of relevancy, authenticity, and stewardship guiding its mission. Serving nearly 70,000 guests each year, the museum’s campus includes a floating fleet of historic boats and 12 exhibition buildings, situated on 18 waterfront acres along the Miles River and St. Michaels’ harbor. For more information, visit www.cbmm.org. For more information about Winnie Estelle, visit www.bit.ly/winnieestelle or call 410-745-2916.