spring/summer 2016 - Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

SPRING/SUMMER 2016
Mission Statement
The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is
dedicated to preserving and exploring the
history, environment, and people of the
Chesapeake Bay.
Museum Values
Relevance. We provide meaningful and
accessible experiences to everyone who
cares about our Mission—all of our
communities and constituencies.
Authenticity. We seek genuinely to
represent the people and cultures whose
stories we preserve and tell.
Stewardship. We value the priceless assets
entrusted to us and accept their preservation and enhancement as our paramount
responsibility—our collections, our campus
and facilities, our financial resources, and
the volunteers and staff who perform our
Mission and make our Museum the rich
enterprise it is.
Sign up to receive Navy Point News,
featuring announcements and news
about our programs, festivals,
exhibitions, and more.
Email [email protected] to be added
to our mailing list, or sign up online
at cbmm.org.
CONNECT WITH US:
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
213 North Talbot Street
St. Michaels, MD 21663
410-745-2916 | cbmm.org
HOURS:
May to October, 9am-5pm
November to April, 10am-4pm
On the cover:
Easton Middle School 8th grader Trinity
Turnage participating in CBMM’s Rising Tide
Boatbuilding Program. Photo by Dick Cooper.
Editors: Marie Thomas & Tracey Johns
Creative Director: Marie Thomas
Copy Editor: Jodie Littleton
Contributing Writers:
Kristen Greenaway, Jen Matthews, Pete Lesher,
Kate Livie, Tracey Johns, Marie Thomas
With special thanks to Pixel, Print & Post on the
production of this issue.
The Chesapeake Log is a publication of
the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.
2 SPRING/SUMMER 2016
Museum Staff
President’s Office
Guest Services, Membership, & Museum Store
Kristen L. Greenaway, President, 4951
Kathy Ferguson, Executive Assistant, 4955
Jen Matthews, Major Gifts Officer, 4959
Tom Oates, Annual Fund & Membership Manager, 4950
Debbie Collison, Membership Coordinator, 4991
Ed Rowe, Guest Services Manager, 4981
Sara McCafferty, Museum Store Manager, 4963
Leigh Peek, Assistant Museum Store Manager, 4982
Boatyard
Michael Gorman, Boatyard Manager, 4968
Jennifer Kuhn, Boatyard Program Manager, 4980
Matt Engel, Shipwright Educator, 4967
Joe Connor, Shipwright, 4967
Communications & Special Events
Tracey Johns, Vice President of Communications, 4960
Marie Thomas, Communications & Art Director, 4953
Melissa Spielman, Director of Events, 4956
Ida Heelan, Wedding & Events Coordinator, 4944
Liza Ledford, Sponsorship & Events Coordinator, 4978
Finance & Administration
Jean Brooks, Vice President of Finance & Administration, 4958
Howard Parks, Controller, 4957
Patti Miller, Staff Accountant, 4954
Trish See, Staff Accountant & Human Resources Manager, 4985
Operations
Bill Gilmore, Vice President of Operations, 4949
John Ford, Facilities Manager, 4970
Lad Mills, Boat Donation Program Director, 4942
Todd Taylor, Boat Donation Program Manager, 4990
Sam Fairbank, Facilities Maintenance Assistant, 4969
Joseph Redman, Facilities Maintenance Assistant, 4969
contents
12
spring/summer 2016
20
16
Preservation & Interpretation
Pete Lesher, Chief Curator, 4971
Richard Scofield, Assistant Curator of Watercraft, 4966
Kate Livie, Director of Education, 4947
Jillian Ferris, School Programs Manager
Allison Speight, Education & Volunteer Coordinator, 4941
Eric Applegarth, Exhibition Specialist
Lynne Phillips, Collections Manager, 4972
To contact any staff listed above, dial 410-745, and the number listed.
To email, use first initial and full last [email protected].
2016-2017 Board of Governors
James P. Harris, Chair
Diane Staley, Vice Chair
Richard W. Snowdon, Treasurer
Richard J. Bodorff, Secretary
Schuyler Benson
William S. Dudley
Dagmar D. P. Gipe
Leeds Hackett
Christopher A. Havener
Robert N. Hockaday, Jr.
Francis Hopkinson, Jr.
Fred Israel
Richard J. Johnson
Alice Kreindler
Deborah Lawrence
Kathleen Linehan
Frank C. Marshall
Donald L. Martin
Patrice Miller
Talli Oxnam
Charles A. Robertson
Bruce Rogers
Lelde Schmitz
Alfred Tyler, 2nd
Carolyn H. Williams
Emeriti
Richard T. Allen
CG Appleby
Howard S. Freedlander
Alan R. Griffith
Margaret D. Keller
Richard H. Kimberly
Charles L. Lea, Jr.
D. Ted Lewers, MD
Fred C. Meendsen
John C. North II
Sumner Parker
Robert A. Perkins
Joseph E. Peters
Norman H. Plummer
John J. Roberts
Tom D. Seip
Henry H. Spire
Henry H. Stansbury
Benjamin Tilghman, Jr.
Joan Darby West
Donald G. Whitcomb
2016-2017 Friends Board
Martha Austin
Kathy Bosin
Marc Castelli
Mike Cottingham
Robbie Gill
Lauren Greer
Jay Hudson
Sherri Marsh Johns
THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
Bill Lane
Mary Lou McAllister
Lin Moeller
Libby Moose
Trish Payne
Matthew Peters
Estela Vianey Ramirez
Sparrow Rogers
Spence Stovall
Cassandra Vanhooser
Jaime Windon
Brenda Wooden
4
5
9
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
by Kristen L. Greenaway
CURRENTS
New waterfowling exhibition opens
April 9; CBMM announces access
program for low-income families;
ALL welcomes new Chair; Members’
Guide to the Season cut-out.
LIFELINES
Volunteer Profile: Elizabeth Simoncini
by Tracey Johns
10
12
16
CURATOR’S CORNER
Maritime Talbot County: Photos by
H. Robins Hollyday
20
ON THE RAIL
22
CALENDAR
by Pete Lesher
FEATURES
Rising Tide: Building Boats and
Creating Opportunities
by Dick Cooper
“Beautiful Swimmers Revisited”:
Exploring Warner’s World, 40
Years Later
Story by Kate Livie
Photographs by David Harp
Logs delivered for the Edna
restoration. Construction
continues on the Hooper
Island Draketail.
Upcoming member nights,
boatyard programs, education
and on-the-water programs,
festivals, and more.
THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
SPRING/SUMMER 2016
3
President’s Letter
by Kristen L. Greenaway
I’m delighted to be doing a fair bit of public speaking lately, whether on one
of our local radio stations or at various organizations around the region. The
underlying vision is how CBMM is focusing on social responsibility, and how
that in turn helps create social capital. We’re working on three key platforms to
achieve this vision: new partnerships with a strong community focus; K-12
education expansion; and saving, interpreting, and accessing our maritime
heritage. I’d like to offer you an example for each.
We’ve recently joined Museums for All, a signature access program of the
Association of Children’s Museums and the Institute of Museum and Library
Services to encourage families of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly
while building lifelong museum habits. The program enables low-income families
to visit CBMM for a minimal fee of $3 per person. Participating in Museums
for All is part of our broad commitment to seek, include, and welcome all. Read
more about the program on page 6.
With its pilot program now complete and first full session underway, our
new Rising Tide After-School program is teaching a group of middle school
students basic woodworking, boatbuilding, and related safety skills. Ultimately,
we want to prepare students in an engaging and academic way to support their
long-term success, especially during these crucial years of development. Most
exciting to me, our students are now utilizing the skills they’re learning to build
a railbird skiff, with classes including on-the-water sessions in boater safety and proper
handling along with navigation and marine engine skills. Read more about this program
and its progress on page 12.
Last but not least, our commitment to maritime heritage is evident in the restoration
of the 1889 log-built Edna E. Lockwood, the world’s last historic sailing bugeye of her
kind. Edna’s restoration is a major commitment for the Museum to fulfill. Edna will be
relaunched near the end of 2018, and in 2019 will undertake a six-month circumnavigation of the Chesapeake Bay to help tell the story of the Bay’s maritime heritage.
All stages of the restoration will be in full public view in the Boatyard as an engaging guest
experience, and we will maximize programming surrounding the project to engage
targeted audiences in greater depth. We are also employing apprentices for the project to
pass traditional boat-building skills on to the next generation of shipwrights. Read more
about this project on page 20.
I hope to see you at our May 22 Community Block Party—a free event that features
performance stages, free boat rides, live music, family activities, and more! Details about
the event and the generous sponsors who are making it all possible are on page 24.
The Museum’s fiscal year ended February 29. I want to give a heartfelt thank-you to
all who donated to our Annual Fund. Your support makes it possible to grow and expand
both our reach and our programs to inspire in more people a love and appreciation for the
Chesapeake Bay.
It’s a great time to visit—and belong to—CBMM!
4 SPRING/SUMMER 2016
THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
currents
Chesapeake Ammo, Camo, and Calls
Waterfowling Exhibition Opens April 9
The transformation of Chesapeake waterfowling
gear, tools, and clothing over the last 100 years will
be explored through artifacts, advertising ephemera,
and photographs in a new exhibition opening April
9, 2016 in the Museum’s Waterfowling Building.
Chesapeake Ammo, Camo, and Calls explores the
fact that waterfowling is not just about decoys. A
gunner needs an entire field kit of gear and tools—
from clothing to guns, ammunition to duck and
goose calls—for a successful day in the field. Over
the last 100 years, these waterfowling essentials
have transformed from simple to sophisticated,
reflecting innovation in firearm technology,
camouflage development, and the ongoing search
for an ever-more-persuasive call. Though today’s
gear is more advanced in form, the function
remains the same—to mimic the Chesapeake
marshes, call in waterfowl on the wing, and finally
achieve the perfect shot.
From the evolution of shotguns to the vivid,
beautiful boxes made to hold ammunition, Chesapeake
Ammo, Camo, and Calls explores the personal, intimate way
innovation has changed the sportsman’s field experience.
“Visitors may recognize some of the objects from their
own shoots from days past, or calls, ammunition bags, and
clothing similar to things their grandfather might have
owned,” commented Director of Education Kate Livie,
who is curating the exhibition.
“From the days when people carried actual powder horns
into the blind to the photo-realistic camo sportsmen wear
today, we want to show the resourcefulness and innovation
inspired by waterfowling.”
Chesapeake Ammo, Camo, and Calls is generously
sponsored by Judy and Henry Stansbury, Gourmet by the
Bay, and the world’s leading decoy auction firm, Guyette
& Deeter. Entry to the exhibition is free for CBMM
members or with general admission. Chesapeake Ammo,
Camo, and Calls will travel to the Waterfowl Festival in
Easton, Md., on November 11-13, 2016 and will return to
the Museum’s Waterfowling Building through March 2017.
From the evolution of shotguns
to the vivid, beautiful boxes made
to hold ammunition, Chesapeake
Ammo, Camo, and Calls explores
the personal, intimate way
innovation has changed the
sportsman’s field experience.
THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
SPRING/SUMMER 2016
5
Signature Festivals & Member Events
currents
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, St. Michaels, Maryland
CBMM Announces Access Program
for Low-Income Families
The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum recently joined
Museums for All, a signature access program of the
Association of Children’s Museums and the Institute of
Museum and Library Services that encourages families of
all backgrounds to visit museums regularly while building
lifelong museum habits.
The program enables low-income families to visit
CBMM for a minimal fee of $3 per person for up to four
people with the presentation of an Electronic Benefits
Transfer (EBT) card and photo ID. The special rate is good
for general admission, including access to the 1879 Hooper
Strait Lighthouse and the Museum’s numerous education
buildings showcasing the history, environment, and people
of the Chesapeake Bay region.
“Participating in Museums for All is part of CBMM’s
broad commitment to seek, include, and welcome all,” said
CBMM President Kristen Greenaway.
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Free admission for everyone
Members Boating Season
KICKOFF Cookout
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Free admission for CBMM members
Community Block Party
“It helps toward our goal of reaching more children and
parents—especially those less fortunate—with the valuable
learning resources of the Museum. In Talbot County alone,
we have 4,567 Independence Card participants, and now
they and others can have more accessibility to our campus
to enjoy with their families, while strengthening their
connection to the Chesapeake Bay in meaningful ways.”
Through Museums for All, families can visit any participating museum year-round for a minimal fee. Visit
museums4all.org for details.
ALL Welcomes New Curriculum Committee Chair
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Free admission for everyone
*Antique & Classic
Boat Festival
Father’s Day Weekend
June 17-19 2016
Admission – Good for two consecutive days
$5 per person for CBMM members & member
guests, $18 adults, $15 seniors (62+) &
students with ID, $6 children ages 6-17,
free for children ages 5 & under
*Big Band Night
by Ann DeMart
The Academy for Lifelong Learning’s rich
programming is due in large part to the efforts of Sam
Barnett, Curriculum Committee past Chair and former
Vice President of ALL. Sam’s volunteer work has been
invaluable for both ALL and CBMM. In addition to his
leadership on the board of directors, he led 12 classes on
subjects including philosophy, religion, history, and
current topics. Sam and his wife, Julie, have recently left
the Eastern Shore to begin a new adventure in Ohio.
New Curriculum Committee Chair Fred Smyth retired
six years ago from managing strategic marketing for international high-tech companies via a company he founded.
His work allowed him to travel and spend enough time in
European and South American countries to become
familiar with their business and government climates.
ALL’s Spring Semester epitomizes the Museum’s
mission of exploring ideas, exchanging knowledge, and
sharing experiences. Whether you crave science, math,
nature, literature, or enlightenment, we have something
6 SPRING/SUMMER 2016
Blessing of the Fleet
THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
Free admission for CBMM members
General admission $5 per person until 11am,
regular museum admission after 11am, free for
children ages 5 & under. PREVIEW DAY: Friday,
September 2, 2016 preview boats for sale 9am7pm. Free for CBMM members. Non-members $5
Boating Party Gala
Saturday, September 10, 2016
CBMM’s annual fundraiser with dinner & dancing
$250 per person. Tables available
Mid-Atlantic Small
Craft Festival & Maritime
Model Expo
October 1-2, 2016
Free admission for CBMM members
Admission – Good for two consecutive days
$15 adults, $12 seniors (62+), $6 children
ages 6-17, free for children ages 5 & under
*OysterFest
October 29, 2016
$6 CBMM members & members’ guests,
$10 non-members; $2 after 8:45pm.
Free for children ages 5 & under
$5 for CBMM members & members’ guests,
$18 adults, $15 seniors (62+) & students with
ID, $6 children ages 6-17, free for children
ages 5 & under
August 12-14, 2016
Free for CBMM members August 12-13
Festival admission applies August 14
Regular admission rates apply for non-members
for you to enjoy and share with like-minded individuals.
Visit cbmm.org/all to view a list of all upcoming courses
and field trips. We encourage you to register today!
Saturday, September 3, 2016
*AUCTION BEGINS AT 11 AM *
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Buyboat Reunion
(left) ALL Curriculum Committee past Chair Sam Barnett and (right)
incoming Chair Fred Smyth.
Charity Boat Auction
*Watermen’s
Appreciation Day
Sunday, August 14, 2016
$10 CBMM member adult & licensed waterman*,
$6 CBMM member child/ licensed waterman child*,
$18 adults, $8 children ages 6-17, free for children
ages 5 & under
*Education, Boatyard, &
On-the-Water Programs
Year-round Member discounts
Members receive reduced pricing on all CBMM
programs, including speaker series, workshops,
woodworking workshops, on-the-water activities,
youth and adult education programs, small craft
rentals, and more!
*Reduced admission for CBMM Members & their guests
Please remember to keep pets at home during festivals
and special events. Leashed pets are welcome at CBMM
on non-festival days.
*Must show license
213 North Talbot St. | St. Michaels, MD | VHF Channel 16 | 410-745-2916 | Full calendar at cbmm.org
lifelines
WELCOME ABOARD! to your CBMM Members-Only Marina
CBMM is pleased to offer our boaters newly refurbished docks, upgraded power and water, climate-controlled
showers, and the free use of bicycles, picnic tables, ice chests, and a new barbecue grill. CBMM’s campus has also
recently been refreshed with new exhibitions and enhanced, faster Wi-Fi access for marina and Museum guests.
Our Boaters’ Guide has also been updated with changes to marina guidelines, and overnight and hourly docking policies,
all designed to enhance our boaters’ experience. The updated guide, found at cbmm.org/visit/docking, includes important
policies covering holidays and festivals.
While you’re visiting, explore the beautiful neighborhood streets of St. Michaels. Many local restaurants and businesses
offer discounts to CBMM members. Make your group marina reservations by calling 410-745-4981.
Friendly Reminders for Boaters
•
Watch your wake at all times when entering and exiting the harbor and marina areas.
•
Call the Dockmaster on VHF Channel 16 or 410-745-4946 when you enter the harbor for slip assignment. Please understand there is no
guarantee of specific slips.
•
Upon arrival, please check in at the Welcome Center or Museum Store for registration information and to complete financial transactions
for the duration of the stay.
•
Overnight Docking is available to Mariner-level members and above. Check-in time is noon; check-out is 11:30am.
•
Hourly Docking is available to Household-level members and above on G-dock between 9am and 2pm, based on space availability. Authorization by the Dockmaster is REQUIRED prior to arrival for slip assignment. No advance reservations are available for hourly docking.
•
Dinghy Dock is available to CBMM members provided they check in at the Welcome Center upon arrival. Please use only a bow line to tie up,
and leave the motor in the water. NO jet skis!
•
Coupons for free overnight stays cannot be honored during festivals or holidays.
•
Please cooperate with your dock mates for electric. If you need the 30 AMP service, please do not use the 50 AMP service.
•
When docking on a “T” head, please tie up at one end or the other, not in the middle. CBMM reserves the right to move your boat if needed
to accommodate another boat.
•
Dockage space at CBMM’s marina is to be used at the risk of the owner. CBMM shall not be liable for the care or protection of the boat,
including all gear, equipment, and contents, or for any loss or damage.
•
If you break something, please report it to the marina staff.
•
Pets are permitted as long as they do not disturb other guests. They should be leashed at all times.
•
For safety reasons, pets and carry-on alcohol must remain on boats during CBMM festivals and special events.
Slip reservations for holidays and festivals
Volunteer Profile, in Memoriam: Elizabeth Simoncini
by Tracey Johns
For anyone who has enjoyed a CBMM festival or been on
the dance floor for our annual Big Band Night
celebration, you’ve likely had the opportunity to meet two
of CBMM’s most dedicated volunteers, Elizabeth and
Sal Simoncini. Sadly, Elizabeth passed away on December 27, 2015, and the Museum joins Sal in mourning her
loss. We know that through her work and our memories,
Elizabeth’s legacy will carry on here at the Chesapeake
Bay Maritime Museum.
Elizabeth and Sal began volunteering at the Museum
in 2004. One year earlier, they had moved from Brooklyn
to their just-finished home at Toad Hall—the 26-acre
farm they had bought many years earlier, building their
home while splitting time between New York and
Wittman. They originally visited the area to see family in
the late ‘90s, and fell in love especially with the peace and
quiet.
Prior to moving to the Chesapeake’s Eastern Shore,
Sal worked as a contractor in Brooklyn, NY renovating
brownstones, while Elizabeth worked as a New York City
Housing Authority administrator for 25 years. They went
on their first date in 1989. At the time of Elizabeth’s
passing, they were about to celebrate their 20-year
wedding anniversary.
“When we were in New York, Elizabeth and I
went to four operas and four Yankee games each year,”
Elizabeth & Sal Simoncini.
commented Sal. “She loved music and art, and after
moving here, particularly loved the opera broadcasts at
the Avalon Theatre.”
A keen volunteer in “the land of pleasant living,”
Elizabeth’s volunteer service also benefited Habitat for
Humanity Choptank, St. Michaels Rotary, and Christ
Church St. Michaels.
“The Museum is just full of good people and we made
a lot of friends down here,” continued Sal. “We loved
bartending at all the special events and talking to so
many nice and interesting people.”
The Museum is grateful for Elizabeth and Sal’s
volunteer work, and looks forward to continuing to be
a part of Sal’s life moving forward.
Shop at the Museum Store
and receive a FREE GIFT!
•
Reservations for holidays and festivals are accepted only two weeks prior.
•
Two-night minimum stay required.
•
Full payment required at time of confirmation.
•
72-hour cancellation notice required for refund.
•
No free night stay coupons.
• Spend $25 and receive a commemorative magnet
•
No hourly docking available.
• Spend $50 and receive commemorative playing cards
Find books, apparel, jewelry, housewares, burgees,
keepsakes, and specialized Museum merchandise,
only available in the Museum Store. Become a
CBMM member and receive a discount!
• Spend $150 and receive a copy of the exhibition catalogue for
A Broad Reach: Celebrating 50 Years on the Bay
Shop online: shop.cbmm.org or call 410-745-4962
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Marina | 410-745-4946 Dockmaster | cbmm.org/visit/docking
THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
SPRING/SUMMER 2016
9
Extend your Chesapeake Bay Experience
by engaging with us on these channels
curator’s corner
Maritime Talbot County: Photos by H. Robins Hollyday
by Pete Lesher
Photographer H. Robins “Bob” Hollyday (1898-1981)
documented Eastern Shore people and places from land,
water, and air through much of the 20th century. Beginning
in 1929, Hollyday teamed with aviator Malcolm Hathaway
to fly the skies, taking aerial photographs from an open
cockpit plane with a large and cumbersome camera.
Hollyday photographed properties from the air for the
area’s realtors, captured events for local business and society,
and documented the region’s culture. His photographs
reflect a distinct sense of place, and in Talbot County,
which claims 600 miles of shoreline, that character is
closely intertwined with the water. In these images,
Hollyday documented the area’s waterborne transportation
and recreation, waterside industry, and fisheries.
A new exhibition, Maritime Talbot County: Photographs
by H. Robins Hollyday, is displayed in the Museum’s Van
Lennep Auditorium through September 2016. Hollyday’s
extensive photograph collection is preserved by the Talbot
Historical Society in Easton, Md., which created this
exhibition in collaboration with the Museum.
/CBMMorg1965
/mymaritimemuseum
#chesapeakemaritime
/photos/cbmmphotos
Ferries were a vital part of the local transportation network. The ferry
Gov. Emerson C. Harrington II departed Claiborne, a steamboat terminal
near St. Michaels, for much of the 20th century. Before the Bay Bridge
opened in 1952, this boat crossed Eastern Bay, connecting Claiborne
and Romancoke, at a slow 4 knots. This ferryboat was built in 1913 and
is still in use today on Vermont’s Lake Champlain.
Sailing regattas proliferated on local waters during the 20th century.
Mason Shehan and his crew Robert “Footsy” Jones sailed his Lippincott-built
Star boat Vim off Oxford in the early 1950s. Shehan and his crewman
hiked out to increase their speed and balance the boat. Shehan was
among the highly competitive sailors in the area, having won the Star
District Championship in 1950 and placing sixth in the Star World
Championship in 1946.
10 SPRING/SUMMER 2016
THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
Taken in 1952, more than 30 boats are dredging for oysters in a newly-reopened bar off Poplar Island, including skipjacks, three bugeyes,
one sloop, and one schooner reaching back and forth. The decade following World War II was a productive period for the oyster industry. Just
a few years later, two oyster diseases decimated oyster production.
Top-rated photos from our Flickr page
beautifulswimmers
Rising Tide
“It’s a time in their lives when
they are moving
toward a growing sense of
responsibility. It seemed
Building Boats and
Creating Opportunities
like the right thing for us to
do, to teach hands-on skills
and do what we do best:
By Dick Cooper
The fluorescent overhead lights push back against the
winter darkness, giving the cavernous Boatshop a soft,
almost intimate feel. At one of the workbenches, Trinity,
an Easton Middle School eighth-grader, focuses intently
on the job at hand, putting the finishing touches on her
first-ever, very-own, I-made-it-myself wooden toolbox.
Under the watchful eye of Chesapeake Bay Maritime
Museum Volunteer Dr. John “Doc” Hawkinson, she
measures to make sure the toolbox handle assembly is in
line. Then she measures again, this time from the other
Museum Volunteer John “Doc” Hawkinson works with Easton Middle
School 8th grader Trinity Turnage. Photo by Dick Cooper.
side, just to be doubly sure before she screws the pieces
together with an electric hand drill.
“Good job,” Hawkinson says, but Trinity is visibly not
pleased. She runs her fingers over the edge of the handle
St. Michaels Police Chief Anthony Smith told her, “If you
and is not happy with what she feels. “It’s too rough,” she
can find a way to help me keep local kids off the streets
says with a hint of disappointment. Hawkinson hands her
after school and on holidays, we can work together.”
a Japanese rasp with a wooden handgrip and shows her
Greenaway says that during another meeting with
how to work it over the rounded edges. After several passes,
YMCA CEO Robbie Gill, they talked about a Boatshop
Trinity checks her progress. This time she likes what she
program for sixth-graders. Derek White, the executive
feels and her toolbox is almost finished.
“I am going to paint it blue. I am a blue person,” she says, director of the Y’s Easton Branch, says that nationally, the
YMCA has programs that have identified the sixth grade
showing off her blue-polished fingernails.
as a crucial point in a child’s development where bad
Trinity is one of the first Talbot County middle-schoolchoices can often lead to future problems.
ers to sign up for the Rising Tide After-School Boatbuilding
Greenaway adds, “It’s a time in their lives when they are
program, a cooperative initiative designed by CBMM
moving toward a growing sense of responsibility. It seemed
and the YMCA of the Chesapeake to teach children
like the right thing for us to do, to teach hands-on skills
wood-working skills and give them new ways to spend
and do what we do best: messing about with boats.” With
their after-school time. Plans are in place to make the
the help of a first year kickstarter grant from the Wallace
program a regular part of the Museum’s community outGenetic Foundation of Washington, D.C., Rising Tide
reach. The program evolved over the last few years as local
began to float. The Museum hired Matt Engel as a
officials talked about common concerns for children.
shipwright educator to build the curriculum and teach
Museum President Kristen Greenaway recalls one of her
the classes.
early meetings with community leaders, during which
12 SPRING/SUMMER 2016
THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
messing about with boats.”
- CBMM President Kristen Greenaway
(top) Trinity takes measurements for the toolbox project. Photo by Dick Cooper.
(bottom) Museum volunteer Don Boehl works with Trinity Turnage and Easton
Middle School 7th grader Trey Potter. Photo by CBMM.
Engel came to St. Michaels on a circuitous route that
includes a background in retail sales and management,
crewing on Caribbean charter boats, a boatbuilding
education from the renowned Landing School in Maine,
and stints as a disaster-relief carpenter in Haiti and the
Philippines. A major part of his disaster-relief work
involved teaching people displaced by earthquakes and
storms the carpentry skills needed to rebuild houses and
schools.
“When I came back from the Philippines in 2014, I
wanted to get involved in education,” Engel says. “I didn’t
enjoy the traditional school environment when I was in it
and did not thrive there. I was looking for something that
was less traditional where I could still teach. This fitted.”
All of this planning resulted in the first after-school
classes, held in the Boatshop on Tuesday and Thursday
afternoons. The students’ assignment was to build toolboxes, starting with a plan and uncut pieces of wood. “I
wanted them to have to cut each piece three or four times.
Other classes for kids this age might offer a kit. In hindsight, I think this may have been too challenging rather
than too easy, but they all finished the project and came
out with great toolboxes.”
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13
“We want them to learn things in a way that they
can immediately see the real-world application.”
- Matt Engle
(Clockwise from top) Easton Middle School 6th grader Mark “Mac” Custis, Jr.
works on a Christmas present for his Grandmother. Museum Volunteer Don
Boehl works with Easton Middle School 8th grader Kasai Thompson. Easton
Middle School 6th grader Jonathan Storch uses the jigsaw. Mac prepares for
the next step in his project. Rising Tide participants work and learn under
the leadership of CBMM Shipwright Educator Matt Engel.
14 SPRING/SUMMER 2016
THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
Engel says it was a learning process for him as well as
the students. “I was surprised at how quickly they would
pick up a task and dive right in with no fear and get the
job done. There is always the balance of wanting them
to be productive and wanting them to explore and use
their creativity.”
Engel said one boy was frustrated when he kept banging
his hands while using a plane on a piece of wood held in a
vice. The student began applying a series of clamps to better
secure the wood.
“He got up to about eight clamps and several blocks of
wood, and he finally got it stable,” says Engel. “Then he
ran the plane along and hit his hands on the clamps. It was
really cool to watch him go through the entire process.
It was a better way for him to learn than just telling him
how to do it.”
Engel says he also quickly discovered that the students
needed extra instruction in taking accurate measurements,
especially when it came to working with fractions of an
inch. While they all said they had used rulers before, they
had used them to draw straight lines, not to calculate size
down to a 16th of an inch.
“They didn’t really think about that when I asked, ‘Who
knows how to use a ruler?’ I don’t think any of us thought
we would spend that much time teaching them how to use
a measuring tape and a square.”
To help with future sessions, the Museum crew made
an eight-foot-long ruler to give the students a better visual
learning tool. “We want them to learn things in a way that
they can immediately see the real-world application.”
Greenaway says that part of the Rising Tide experience
is aimed at teaching math and science in ways that are fun
and interactive. She says Adam Green, founder of the
successful Rocking the Boat program in the South Bronx
that has been teaching math and science to children
through boatbuilding for 10 years, talked to her staff.
“We were going to be more curriculum based, but he
said, ‘Do that and you’ll lose everybody. It’s got to be
organic, and it’s got to be fun, and the kids have to feel like
they are helping to drive the program.’”
Greenaway says Rising Tide is intended to give the
children skills that can spark new ideas about career paths
in later life. She also hopes it will establish lasting
relationships with the Museum. “We want them to come
back every year. I feel very passionate about them learning
to build a boat and then coming back and doing something
with that boat: learning to paddle, or sail or row that boat
with their mates. We see this as a key platform for the
Museum and its community-driven vision,” Greenaway
says. “We see Rising Tide as a flag-bearing program and a
great example of how we are moving forward.”
In the Boatshop, Engel keeps an eagle eye on his
students as they work on their projects. With the help of
Hawkinson and Don Boehl, an experienced boatbuilder
and teacher, Engel supervises their every move to make
sure they are mindful of the necessary safety precautions.
The Boatshop is not kid-proof. Whirling saws, sharp
blades, and hard objects are part of the environment.
Everyone must don sound-deadening earmuffs when
the power saws, sanders, and planers are running; safety
glasses are worn, and the sawdust vacuums are turned on.
At the bandsaw, Engel quietly gives instructions as Mac,
another sixth-grader, screws up his face in deep concentration and pushes a piece of pine board into the fast-moving
blade, following a penciled pattern and cutting out the
shape of a squirrel.
He is making an oven rack puller to take home. Across
the room, Trinity is sharing her new skill by showing
schoolmate Trey how to use the Japanese rasp to put the
finishing touches on his toolbox handle.
Kasai, a quiet, almost shy sixth-grader, is sanding a
laminated cutting board he is going to bring home as a
present for his family. When asked if he had ever worked
with tools and wood before, he shakes his head without
looking up.
What does he like best about working in the Boatshop?
“It’s cool,” is his soft reply.
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15
Beautiful Swimmers Revisited
Exploring Warner’s World, 40 Years Later
Story by Kate Livie
Photographs by David Harp
“It is so known through the length and breadth
of its watershed. The Bay. There is no possible
confusion with any other body of water, no need
for more precise description. It is, after all, the
continent’s largest estuary. Its waters are rich,
the main supply of oysters, clams and other
seafood for much of the Atlantic seaboard. Its
shorelines cradled our first settlements. It is the
Chesapeake.”
- William Warner, “Beautiful Swimmers”
With these vivid lines—almost a declaration—William
Warner set the tone for the first chapter of his classic
Chesapeake book, Beautiful Swimmers. Exploring the
Chesapeake’s environment, landscapes, and traditions
through the lens of the late 1960s crabbing industry,
Warner’s book introduced the world to the Chesapeake’s
simple, seductive charms. Beautiful Swimmers also
suggested how fleeting those charms might be.
Of the increasingly degraded Chesapeake environment
and the crabbing industry it supported, “the problem is
people,” Warner wrote. “Nature, or the supreme deity, has
endowed the Chesapeake with a remarkable resilience…
but only if people do right by the Bay. The time is now.”
Beautiful Swimmers turns 40 this year. Though
Warner’s work has remained a perennially popular cornerstone of the Chesapeake canon, much has changed in the
Bay’s watershed and fisheries that Warner captured so
evocatively. To commemorate the anniversary, filmmaker
Sandy Cannon-Brown had an idea—why not explore what
four decades of change have brought to the people and
places of Beautiful Swimmers?
Collaborating with the Chesapeake creative duo of
author Tom Horton and photographer David Harp,
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THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
Writer Tom Horton, left, filmmaker Sandy Cannon-Brown, center, and
photographer David Harp, right.
Cannon-Brown sought to answer that question through a
new project—“Beautiful Swimmers Revisited.”
The team is wrapping up the resulting documentary—
and recently I sat down with them to understand the
legacy of Warner’s masterpiece.
Kate Livie: So, Sandy, tell me where you got the idea to
take on Beautiful Swimmers, 40 years later?
Sandy Cannon-Brown: I just read Beautiful Swimmers for
the first time over the holidays in 2014. It’s a book that you
don’t just read—it’s a book you watch. Warner is so visual
in his writing, so descriptive, that I started seeing it, like
a film. And then, in the afterword, he writes about his
friend, Tom Horton.
And I thought, Tom Horton is the one who would be
the obvious and logical person to pick up where Warner
left off. When I called Tom, he agreed to sign on, but only
if his friend Dave Harp could be a part of the project, since
they do everything together.
Tom Horton: Sandy came over one day and said, it’ll be 40
years since Warner published his book. The more I thought
about the idea, the more I thought I’d like to be a part of
it. It was a good concept, and a good book. Having to
Morris Goodwin Marsh culls soft crabs from bottom grasses collected in his crab scrape, as he has every summer and fall for more than 40 years.
reread it for the film, I was more impressed than when I
had read it the first time. A chapter of his called
“Swimmers” is as good as anything you could write today,
to introduce people to the blue crab and why it’s the coolest
thing going.
Dave Harp: I love the book, too. My wife gave me a copy
when we were dating in 1976, and we’re coming up on our
40th anniversary this year. I’ve had a relationship with the
book for as long as I’ve had a romantic relationship with
my wife! I’ve just thought it was wonderful ever since. So
when Sandy talked to Tom and me about doing a film, I
just thought that would be lovely.
Kate Livie: What is it about Beautiful Swimmers that still
resonates with people? What makes it such a standout
example of a Chesapeake classic?
Tom Horton: Well, I think half of it or more was the fact
that he was a hell of a good writer. It’s wonderful prose.
I think also he was able to bring an outsider’s view to this
phenomenon—to observe this fishery and say, “Do you
recognize what you have here? This fishery is unique in
all the world.” He had a holistic vision of the Chesapeake
estuary, supporting this astoundingly complex fishery that’s
connected to sociology and culture of the Bay, too. But
then Warner was able to execute this concept so well, with
his vision and his talent. It’s masterful.
Dave Harp: The culture of the crab is, especially for those
of us who live around the Bay and on the Eastern Shore, a
very important part of our lives. We love to eat crabs, we
love picking crabs in the summer around the table with our
friends and family, we love to watch watermen going back
and forth on their trotlines. There are communities built
around the crab. They’ve become the icon of the
Chesapeake that the oyster used to be, and Beautiful
Swimmers connects readers with this essential culture.
Kate Livie: You spent months visiting the places and
people that Warner described in his book 40 years ago,
and exploring the changes that have impacted the crabbing
industry since Beautiful Swimmers was published in 1976.
What experiences stand out to you as you look back on the
finished film?
Sandy Cannon-Brown: We went out to Smith Island,
Deal Island, Tangier, the Patapsco River, we’ve been out
on winter dredge surveys. We were out on the water about
20 days. But my favorite place was Smith Island, where
THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
SPRING/SUMMER 2016
17
“I was caught pleasantly by surprise
that the argument has really moved
away from the old struggle over
harvest amounts and is more about
how to crab smarter. Generally, I
came away very optimistic that,
very soon, we’ll have a world-class,
sustainable crab fishery.”
- Tom Horton
Tom lived and knows everybody very well. I fell in love—
we had the best time. The people on Smith Island are just
wonderful, the friendliest, nicest, most giving people in
the world. The only thing I didn’t love was that we visited
once in fly season—imagine, shooting while you’re swatting biting flies away all day long!
Tom Horton: I was really struck by some very sophisticated
views watermen have about crabbing. These watermen were
not saying that they wanted to repeal regulations to catch
more crabs—they were saying that they wanted to catch
the same number in a way that reduces crab mortality
and increases their income, and had science to back them
up. I was caught pleasantly by surprise that the argument
has really moved away from the old struggle over harvest
amounts and is more about how to crab smarter. Generally,
I came away very optimistic that, very soon, we’ll have a
world-class, sustainable crab fishery.
Kate Livie: Were you able to connect with any of the
crabbers Warner profiled in Beautiful Swimmers 40 years
ago?
Tom Horton: Yeah—Morris Goodwin Marsh and Grant
Corbin—that was pretty cool. Both of them are still crabbing. Grant, though, has changed quite a bit. He’s doing a
lot of shedding out on a big scale [Editor’s note: “shedding
out” refers to waiting for lower-priced hardshell crabs to
shed out of their shells and become the more-lucrative softshell crabs].
Morris still scrapes for crabs. He’s starting to feel his
age some days—I couldn’t do what he’s doing, and I’m five
years younger than he is. I don’t know if they’ll both be out
there 50 years after Beautiful Swimmers, but they’ve both
kept going for a remarkably long time. Morris probably
parts his hair the same as he did when he was 12 years
old—he says that they’ll put “He Never Changed” on his
gravestone. Except for lines in his face, we could have been
18 SPRING/SUMMER 2016
THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
Willy Warner out there watching him work.
Dave Harp: The thing I really noticed with Grant Corbin
was scale. The number of shedding floats that he has—
he’s really scaled everything up as an entrepreneur and
a businessman. The added value of shedding out crabs is
something that has really made him evolve his business,
from going out with pots and catching hard crabs, to
catching peelers that become soft crabs. He said, “If I can’t
get a hard crab that’s going to become a soft crab and keep
it alive, it’s not worth anything to me.”
Kate Livie: What do you think is the most important
message viewers of “Beautiful Swimmers Revisited” will
take away from watching the film?
Sandy Cannon-Brown: What we want people to come
away with is that the crab industry is well managed, and
it is resilient. The danger to the crab fisheries is people,
and this is not an industry where we can blame watermen
for overfishing—it’s one that we look to the problems
with Mother Nature. The danger to the Bay is what we’re
doing to it. Warner, in 1993 in his afterword, says then,
‘the time is now.’ That was 1993—this is 2016. Everybody
worries— have we passed the critical time when we could
still save the Bay?
Dave Harp: I agree with Sandy—undeniably, our message
is that we can build a crabbing industry in the Chesapeake
Bay that’s sustainable, if we let science guide us. We’ll
always have ups and downs, but in the end, if we can just
figure a way to make it sustainable, my children and my
grandchildren can enjoy crabs the way I always have. I
have four young grandchildren now, and I think about
these things, like crabs and climate change, and I hope
we can figure out ways forward, to ensure that parts of the
Bay’s heritage carry forward.
j
“Beautiful Swimmers Revisited” will be shown at 7pm
on April 13 at Salisbury University in Salisbury, Md. The
film makes its television debut on April 26 at 9pm on
Maryland Public Television (MPT) as part of Chesapeake
Bay Week.
Copies of Beautiful Swimmers, as well as Tom Horton
and Dave Harp’s new book, Choptank Odyssey:
Celebrating a Great Chesapeake River, 1st Edition, are available for purchase in the Museum Store or online at
shop.cbmm.org.
Images from the documentary “Beautiful Swimmers Revisited”, depicting
the modern Chesapeake Bay crab industry. Photos courtesy David Harp.
THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
SPRING/SUMMER 2016
19
on the rail
Logs Arrive for Edna E. Lockwood Restoration
Apprentice for a Day: Hooper Island Draketail
On March 5, 2016, delivery of the loblolly pine logs needed
for restoration of the nine-log bottom hull of the 1889
bugeye Edna E. Lockwood was made to the Museum. A
registered National Historic Landmark, Edna E. Lockwood
is recognized as the world's last historic log-bottomed
bugeye still under sail. The historic restoration will be
undertaken in full public view through 2018.
“After a two-year search, we are delighted to announce
Edna’s loblolly pines logs have been secured,” said
Museum President Kristen Greenaway. “And all thanks
to a very generous donation by Paul M. Jones Lumber Co.
of Snow Hill, Md.” With transportation costs of the logs
generously underwritten by individual donors, the pine logs
were brought to St. Michaels over several truckloads and
submerged in the Miles River for preservation until the
restoration project continues later this year.
Johnson Lumber of Easton, Md. delivered the 16
loblolly pine logs—allowing overages if needed for the
project—averaging 55 feet in length with a 10-foot
circumference. The logs were discovered at the back of a
private stand of pines in Machipongo, Va., recently felled
by Paul M. Jones Lumber Co.
“This project took a village just to get the logs to
campus,” continued Greenaway. “Because of the enormous
weight of these logs, Alan Johnson—a longtime supporter
of the Museum—had to transport the logs three or four at
a time over several trips from Snow Hill to his own yard
in Easton, where they waited until delivery to the
Museum.”
The Edna E. Lockwood historic log-hull restoration
project is expected to take 25 months, with work on the
logs beginning this September. Built in 1889 by John B.
Harrison on Tilghman Island for Daniel W. Haddaway,
Edna E. Lockwood dredged for oysters through winter and
carried freight—such as lumber, grain, and produce—
after the dredging season ended. She worked faithfully for
many owners, mainly out of Cambridge, Md., until she
stopped “drudging” in 1967.
In 1973, Edna was donated to the Museum by John
R. Kimberly. “This type of boatbuilding is specific to
the Chesapeake Bay,” said Museum Chief Curator Pete
Lesher. “Just as Native American dugout canoes were
formed by carving out one log, a bugeye's hull is unique in
that it is constructed by hewing a set of logs to shape and
pinning them together as a unit.”
In the Museum’s Apprentice for a Day public boatbuilding
program, construction continues on Pin Tail, a 25’ Hooper
Island draketail. The project will continue through spring,
with hull completion scheduled for June and engine
installation and the boat’s launch anticipated for late
August. The boat features a reverse-rake round stern,
which is also referred to locally as a “torpedo stern,”
“dovetail,” or “ducktail.” The custom boat is available for
purchase, with proceeds supporting the Museum’s
restoration projects.
“These were the first types of power workboats developed
in the Chesapeake Bay region, having their heyday in the
'20s and going out of style in the '40s when crab-potting
became legal,” said CBMM’s Boatyard Program Manager
Jenn Kuhn. “This boat will look a lot like a smaller version
of the Museum’s 1934 dovetail Martha, which is widely
known for her beauty and speed.”
Pin Tail is being built using plank-on-frame and started
upside down on a strong-back. The bottom will be traditionally cross-planked with bead and cove strip planking
for the topsides. White oak is being used for the keel, stem,
chines, rails, bed logs, Atlantic white cedar for planking,
and locust for the knees and breast hook.
AFAD participants can be a part of the entire process
or sign up for specific dates. The “Journeyman’s Special”
package makes a great gift and includes any four days
for one reduced price, and can diversify the experience to
include several different learning opportunities.
Individual classes are $45 for Museum members and
$55 for non-members, with a reduced participation fee
of just $25 per person offered the third Saturday of each
month. A four-session Journeyman’s Special is offered at
$150 for CBMM members and $200 for non-members.
Participants must be 16 or older, unless accompanied by an
adult.
For the boatbuilding schedule or more information, visit
cbmm.org/afad. To register for the AFAD program, to
inquire about purchasing Pin Tail, or to commission your
own vessel, contact CBMM Boatyard Manager Jenn Kuhn
at 410-745-4980 or email [email protected].
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THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
“This boat will look a lot like a
smaller version of the Museum’s
1934 dovetail Martha, which
is widely known for her beauty
and speed.” - Jenn Kuhn
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calendar
programs • member nights • special events
april | may | june | july | august | save-the-dates
MEMBER NIGHTS
BOATYARD PROGRAMS
Blessing of the Fleet
Rising Tide After-School Program: Boatshop Orientation
Thursday, April 14
5pm in the Boatyard
RSVP to 410-745-4991 or [email protected].
Wednesday and Thursday, April 13 & 14
Tuesday and Thursday, May 3 & 5
Boatshop, 3:30-5:30pm. Free, but class size is limited.
For grades 6-8. Registration required to Matt Engel at
410-745-4974 or [email protected].
Celebrate the beginning of this year’s boating season by
honoring the working vessels and pleasure craft of the
Chesapeake Bay, including the Museum’s floating fleet. Prayers
by the Reverend Kevin M. Cross of The Church of the Holy
Trinity in Oxford will be offered to boaters for a safe and
bountiful season, and also for those mariners whose lives
have been lost at sea. The event is free and open to the
public, featuring live music by the Royal Oak Musicians and
light refreshments following the ceremony.
Members Boating Season KICKOFF COOKOUT
Saturday, May 7
5-7pm, Navy Point
For party reservations, call 410-745-4991 or email
[email protected]. If docking with us overnight, advance
reservations are required by calling the CBMM Dockmaster
at 410-745-4946.
Come by land or by sea to a Kickoff Cookout welcoming the
2016 boating season. Chat with fellow boaters and compare
seafaring stories, or just lounge on the deck of At Play on the
Bay while taking in the lovely Miles River vista. BYOB and a
covered dish to share and your own seating. We’ll provide the
grill, the chefs, and the burgers and hot dogs.
Members Reception: Hollyday Photo Exhibition
Wednesday, June 8
5pm in the Van Lennep Auditorium
RSVP to 410-745-4991 or [email protected].
Please join us for a member reception exploring CBMM’s
latest photo exhibition, Maritime Talbot County: Photographs
by H. Robins Hollyday. Drawn from the Hollyday collection of
Easton’s Talbot Historical Society, the exhibition features
extraordinary images of Eastern Shore people and places
from land, water, and air through much of the 20th century.
Free to CBMM and Talbot Historical Society members.
Students learn the ropes of the Boatshop, with emphasis on
keeping themselves and others safe in a working environment.
Students learn how to use a tape measure with
fractional increments, and practice using basic hand tools,
such as a saw and a plane. Class meets two nights and is
required before a student can participate in any other
Rising Tide classes.
Brightwork
Saturday and Sunday, May 14 & 15
Two-day workshop, 10am-4pm in the Boatshop. $45 CBMM
members and $55 non-members. Reservations required to
410-745-4941 or [email protected].
Join Boatyard Program Manager Jenn Kuhn in the art of finishing.
Participants will gain first-hand experience in correctly
preparing surfaces, addressing any problem areas, and, finally,
applying varnish and/or paint to the surfaces of our small craft
vessels.
Rising Tide After-School Program: Toolbox Build
May 24, 26, 31 & June 2
Boat Shop, 3:30-5:30pm. Free, but class size is limited.
For grades 6-8. Registration required to Matt Engel at
410-745-4974 or [email protected].
The toolbox build challenges students with their first
individual project. Students make all of the toolbox components
using hand tools and are introduced to basic power tools,
including a bandsaw and a cordless drill and driver. The toolbox
belongs to the student. This is a four-night class; students must
attend all four nights in order to complete their project.
Rising Tide After-School Program: Boatbuilding &
Maritime Skills
Select Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays through June.
See cbmm.org for complete schedule.
Boat Shop, 3:30-5:30pm. Free, but class size is limited.
For grades 6-8. Registration required to Matt Engel at
410-745-4974 or [email protected].
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THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
Students in the boatbuilding and maritime skills class will
work together to build a railbird skiff. Students continue to
gain proficiency with tools and are challenged with
increasingly complex assignments and responsibilities
as their skill levels develop. When weather conditions allow,
classes may be held on the water, learning boat safety,
handling, and navigation skills. This class offers the most
flexibility for students with other after-school commitments
and does not require attendance every night.
Rising Tide Summer Program
Schedule to be announced. For more information, contact
Matt Engel at 410-745-4974 or [email protected].
Rising Tide will offer day-long boatbuilding and maritime skills
classes throughout the summer, as well as weeklong day
camps in partnership with the YMCA of the Chesapeake.
Details for classes and camps will be available at cbmm.org.
Nameboard Basics
Saturday, July 9
9am-4pm in the Boatshop. $50 CBMM members and
$75 non-members. Reservations required to 410-745-4941
or [email protected].
Join experienced carver and model maker Ed Thieler in learning
the basic skills necessary in carving a nameboard. Materials
and tools will be provided.
Plane Making
Tuesday and Thursday, July 19 & 21
Two-day workshop, 5-8:30pm in the Boatshop
$150 CBMM members and $175 non-members. Reservations
required to 410-745-4941 or [email protected].
Join Boatyard Manager and Shipwright Michael Gorman in a
two-night class on Krenov-style plane making. Participants will
understand the parts of the plane while working through the
sequencing of cutting parts, gluing up, shaping the plane to fit
each participant, tuning the throat, and sharpening the blade.
Each participant will go home with a working plane. Materials
and tools will be provided.
Stand-Up Paddle Workshop
Saturday and Sunday, August 6 & 7
Two-day workshop, 9am-4pm in the Boatshop
$175 CBMM members and $200 non-members. Reservations
required to 410-745-4941 or [email protected].
In this two-day workshop Shipwright and surfing enthusiast
J. Maris Connor will walk participants through what makes a
good paddle. Participants will learn basic paddle construction,
including bent shaft laminating and shaping skills. Each
participant will take home their own custom-tailored cedar
paddle at the end of class. Bring your wetsuit if you want to
demo different styles of paddles prior to making your own.
Materials and tools will be provided.
Skin-on-Frame Sea Kayak Workshop
Saturday, September 24 through Saturday, October 1
Eight-day workshop, 9am-4pm in the Boatshop
$1,600 CBMM members and non-members. Reservations
required. For more information and to register, please visit
seawolfkayak.com/sb-worshops/register.
In this eight-day workshop, participants will join Kiliii Fish, a
builder of indigenous skin-on-frame kayaks and a photographer
of wildlife, places, and things, in building their own skin-onframe kayak and greenland paddle. At just 28 pounds, these
kayaks are extremely lightweight and durable. The framing will
be locally sourced Atlantic white cedar with the skin a covering
of 8.5 oz ballistic nylon, originally used for military flak vests.
The skins are coated in a special two-part polyurethane that is
highly abrasion- and UV-resistant.
Apprentice For a Day Boatbuilding Program
Saturdays & Sundays, 10am-4pm in the Boatshop
$45 CBMM members and $55 non-members, or save
money and sign up for the “Journeyman’s Special”
(4 classes) for $150 CBMM members and $200 nonmembers. Drop-ins welcome, though advance reservations
are encouraged. Contact 410-745-4980 or [email protected].
CBMM’s public boatbuilding program is building a 25-foot
draketail from scratch through June 26, with more work being
done on our small craft fleet throughout the summer and fall.
Join us for a day or more. For the complete build schedule, visit
cbmm.org.
EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Boater’s Safety
6-10pm on Wednesdays & Thursdays, Van Lennep Auditorium
April 20-21, May 18-19, June 15-16, July 20-21, August 17-18.
$25 per person. Registration is required to 410-745-4941 or
[email protected].
Individuals and families with children ages 12 and over are welcome
to participate in our Boater’s Safety certification program and
learn the basics needed to operate a vessel on Maryland waterways. Maryland boaters born after July 1, 1972 are required to
have a Certificate of Boating Safety Education. Graduates of our
two-day Department of Natural Resources-approved course are
awarded a certificate that is good for life.
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calendar
Community Block Party is May 22 at CBMM
On Sunday, May 22, 2016, the
Museum’s 18-acre waterfront
campus will transform into
festival grounds as CBMM
hosts a Community Block Party.
Underwritten by a large number
of generous community sponsors,
the Block Party is offered free of
charge and is open to the general
public. It will feature several
performance stages, free boat
rides, live music, regional foods and
libations, Chesapeake-related
family activities, and more.
“Our local and regional communities have been so supportive
of the Museum over its first 50 years,” said Museum President
Kristen Greenaway. “We wanted to host a celebration to
say ‘thank you,’ and to open our entire campus and exhibitions
to the public—free of charge—so that everyone in our
community can experience CBMM, whether it may be
your first time coming to the Museum, or you’re a regular.
And with our sponsors’ support, we are able to host this
very special day.”
Greenaway further commented that the Museum’s
Friends Board—comprising community leaders who help
guide the Museum—fully supports the event as a way to
help make the Museum more accessible to everyone.
The Block Party’s presenting sponsors include CBMM’s
Friends Board, Choptank Community Health Services,
Phyllis and Marc Castelli and the Carla Massoni Gallery,
the Miles River Yacht Club Foundation’s Sink or Swim
Program (SOS), and media sponsors What’s Up? Magazine
and 96.7 WCEI, which will broadcast live throughout the
event. In-kind event sponsors include Eastern Shore Tents
& Events, Bay Hundred Covenant Churches, Rommel’s
Ace Hardware, Survival Products, and Peach Blossom
Events.
“The focus of the event is to celebrate community and to
give back to those we serve with an authentic Chesapeake
festival experience,” said CBMM Friends Board and Block
24 SPRING/SUMMER 2016
THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
Party committee member Martha Austin. “So you’ll find
lots of local talent and tastes to entertain and satisfy guests
from all ages and interests, from near and far.”
The day’s events kick off at 9am with the Bay Hundred
Covenant Churches’ tent service, which the public is
invited to attend. The service includes leaders and
congregations from area churches, with participants
engaging in gospel singing and prayer. Covenant
Churches works to unite the Town of St. Michaels and
the surrounding Bay Hundred community by connecting
African-American and Anglo-American churches from
throughout the area. Block Party activities officially start
at 10am on both sides of CBMM’s Miles River waterfront
campus.
Block Party-goers can get out on the water on a wide
variety of vessels throughout the day. Guests can take a
scenic river cruise on the Museum’s 1920 buyboat Winnie
Estelle, or explore St. Michaels harbor on a selection of
historic boats in CBMM’s floating fleet. Kayaks and
paddleboards and many of CBMM’s rowing and sailing
small craft will also be available.
“These on-the-water activities are generously underwritten by the event’s sponsors, so we’re very pleased to
offer them free of charge,” said Greenaway. “The sponsor
support and community engagement around this event
warms our hearts, and really hits a high note in helping
to further our mission.” With three performance stages, the
Block Party will highlight the arts and a broad array of local
talent. Live music from area bands will begin at 10am from
the historic Tolchester Beach Bandstand, with local youth
talent featured on an under-18 performance stage and an
“unplugged” youth sound stage.
Stage sponsors include The Talbot Bank; Mid-Shore
Dance Academy; Sherwood Auto of Salisbury; Ben Franklin
Crafts; AskNeal AV; Tri Gas & Oil; Choptank Electric
Cooperative; Ewing, Dietz, Kehoe, Kaludis; Talbot Watermen’s Association; The SRVP Group–A Baird Financial
Company, and Hair O’ The Dog Wine & Spirits. The
program is sponsored in part by the Talbot County Arts
Council, with funding from Talbot County and the Towns
of Easton, Oxford, and St. Michaels.
In celebration of the arts, Ouvert Gallery of St. Michaels
will present an “Out of the Box” art exposé, with Block
Party-goers participating in workshops featuring artists
using varying mediums throughout the day. St. Michaels
Art League’s plein-air artists will capture the day in paint.
Family activities include an inflatable playground, pottery
painting, and a putting green sponsored by Hog Neck Golf
Course. Health screenings will also be offered by presenting
sponsor Choptank Community Health. Activity sponsors
include Beat the Rush Delivery; BJ’s Wholesale Club of
Easton; Blackwater Paddle and Pedal Adventures; McHale
Landscape Design; Ouvert Gallery; Fitness Rx; Imagination
Library of Talbot County; and Rising Tide Partners. Pixel,
Print & Post is the event’s exclusive printing partner.
A variety of regional foods will be available for purchase,
including healthy choice options and a selection of sweets
and coffee, offered at the Steamboat decks and hosted by San
Domingo Fair Trade Coffee & Goods and Sinful Desserts.
Edna’s Lounge will be set up on the deck of Oystering on
the Chesapeake, offering libations and kid-friendly drinks.
While at the Museum, guests can take in the Hollyday
photo exhibition in the Van Lennep Auditorium, and the
special exhibition Chesapeake Ammo, Camo, and Calls is on
view in the Waterfowling Building.
Boatyard demonstrations take place throughout the event,
with guests seeing progress on the 25’ Hooper Island
draketail being built in the Boatshop.
Entry to the Block Party, its boat rides, and CBMM
activities is free for everyone, with event hours from 10am
to 5pm. Food and beverages will be available for purchase;
some activities require fees. For more information, visit
cbmm.org.
EDUCATION PROGRAMS CONTINUED
Meet the Author: Brilliant Beacons by Eric Jay Dolin
Wednesday, May 4
6pm in Van Lennep Auditorium. $6 for CBMM members
and $10 for non-members. Registration is required to
410-745-4941 or [email protected].
Join Eric Jay Dolin, author of the new book Brilliant
Beacons, as he explores the epic history of American lighthouses, telling the story of America through the prism of its
beloved coastal sentinels. Set against the backdrop of an
expanding nation, Brilliant Beacons traces the evolution of
America’s lighthouse system from its earliest days, highlighting the political, military, and technological battles fought to
illuminate the nation’s hardscrabble coastlines.
Beginning with “Boston Light,” America’s first lighthouse,
Dolin shows how the story of America, from colony to
regional backwater, to fledging nation, and eventually to
global industrial power, can be illustrated through its lighthouses. Book sales and signing to follow.
Ways of the Watermen–Stories and Songs of the
Chesapeake with Andrew McCown and Pres Harding
Friday, July 29
6pm in Van Lennep Auditorium. $12 for CBMM members
and $20 for non-members. Registration is required to
410-745-4941 or [email protected].
Join Captain Andrew McCown and Warren Preston “Pres”
Harding for a night celebrating the Chesapeake Bay in songs
and stories. McCown, a native of Kent County and the
Chester River, brings the lore of the Eastern Shore to life
with stories, poetry, and song. He is joined by accomplished
guitarist Warren Preston “Pres” Harding, grandson of famed
Wingate boatbuilder Bronza Parks, who will share his
experiences growing up in the watermen’s community.
Together, through simple folk tunes and harmonies, McCown
and Harding will pay musical tribute to the Chesapeake
byways they call home.
Summer Kids Club Program
9:30am-12:30pm, Monday through Friday. $125 CBMM
members and $150 non-members. Registration is required
to 410-745-4941 or [email protected].
Led by early education instructor Martha Hamlyn, young Kids
Club campers explore the magic of the Chesapeake Bay’s
people, animals, and environment through creative, hands-on
activities, stories, games, and crafts. Scholarships are available.
2016 Summer Kids Club dates:
June 20-24, 2016: Ages 4 & 5
June 27-July 1, 2016: Ages 6 & 7
July 4-8, 2016: Ages 4 & 5
July 11-15, 2016: Ages 6 & 7
July 18-22, 2016: Ages 4 & 5
July 25-29, 2016: Ages 6 & 7
THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
SPRING/SUMMER 2016
25
calendar
ON-THE-WATER PROGRAMS
Small Craft Rentals
Open weekends only, May 28 through June 19, 10am-4pm
Open Wed. through Sun., June 22-August 28, 10am-4pm
Rentals located on Fogg’s Cove. Days and time subject to
change. Drop-ins welcome, though advance reservations are
encouraged. Contact 410-745-4941 or [email protected].
Members of the public are invited to get out on the water in one
of our small crafts built through our Apprentice for a Day Boatbuilding Program. Available for daily or hourly rentals, we offer
small wooden sailing skiffs, kayaks, and row-boats.
Sailing Vessels:
$20 per hour for CBMM members or $30 per hour for non-members
Daily rates of $100 per day for CBMM members or $160 for non-members
Rowing Vessels:
$10 per hour for CBMM members or $20 per hour for non-members
Daily rates of $50 per day for CBMM members or $100 for non-members
Friday Special: 2 rental hours for the price of one!
Please note, CBMM admission is not required to rent a small craft.
Watch Log Canoe Races Aboard Winnie Estelle
Sunday, June 26, 9:30am & 1:30pm
Saturday, July 30, 9:30am & 1:30pm
Saturday, September 17, 9:30am & 1:30pm
$25 CBMM members and $35 non-members. Registration is
required to 410-745-4941 or [email protected].
Enjoy a river cruise to watch the log canoe races on the Miles
River from our buyboat, Winnie Estelle. Log canoe races are a
quintessential Chesapeake pastime, and from a shady spot on
board Winnie’s deck you’ll get an up-close and exciting look
at the action. Amateur photographers, sailing aficionados, or
wooden boat enthusiasts will all find something to enjoy on
CBMM’s log canoe cruises.
Community Ecology Cruises
Tuesday, June 14, 1:30-3pm
Thursday, August 4, 10-11:30am
$15 CBMM members and $20 non-members. Registration is
required to 410-745-4941 or [email protected].
Join Director of Education Kate Livie on Winnie Estelle for an
up-close and personal exploration of the Miles River and its
unique habitat and ecology. Learn how to monitor the water
quality of the river, try your hand at water testing, and explore
the critters on an oyster reef, all while cruising in the breeze on
the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s buyboat. Birders will
enjoy the route, which features a trip around Long Point Island,
known for its eagle and osprey populations and heron rookery.
Families with children are encouraged to participate!
26 SPRING/SUMMER 2016
THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
Private Sailing Lessons
$50 per hour or $300 for a full day, 10am-4pm. Advance
registration of at least five days is required by contacting
410-745-4941 or [email protected]. Private lessons have a
maximum of four participants per session.
Want to learn how to sail for the first time? Interested in improving
some rusty sailing skills? Private sailing lessons are available
and offered by the hour or for the day. Our instructors will
teach you the basics or help to advance your sailing technique.
Vessels will be provided by CBMM’s small craft rental program.
Families with children over the age of 8 are encouraged to
attend.
FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS
Wooden classics, vintage race boats, and other antique and
Chesapeake Bay-related boats come to the Museum for the
29th annual Antique & Classic Boat Festival. Hosted by the
Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society
(ACBS), this Father’s Day weekend event recalls an era of bygone days. Boats range from runabouts to yachts, including race
boats, workboats, launches, hydroplanes, and utilities. Workshops
and seminars, building demonstrations, family activities, and a
nautical flea market will be available throughout the weekend,
along with a selection of regional and grilled foods, music, and
a Pyrat rum bar for libations and other drinks. Children’s activities
include boatbuilding craft projects, and the Hagerty Insurance
Marine Youth Judging program. Along the Fogg’s Landing side of
CBMM’s campus, the festival’s Field of Dreams features an array
of restorable classic boats and motors, along with other items in
a nautical flea market sale.
6th Annual Elf Classic Yacht Race
Big Band Night & Fireworks
Saturday, May 14, 10am-4pm
More information available at cyrg.org/elfclassic2016.htm.
or contact Bill Sonntag, Race Committee Chairman, at
[email protected].
Saturday, July 2 (raindate Sunday, July 3)
7-10pm. $6 CBMM members and $12 non-members, with
children ages 5 & under free. $2 each after 8:45pm.
This informal pursuit-style race across the Bay from Annapolis
to St. Michaels recreates the tradition of the last two centuries of
yacht racing in a benefit event for the Museum and the Classic
Yacht Restoration Guild. An awards ceremony and reception
will be held Saturday afternoon on the grounds of CBMM.
In celebration of Independence Day, the Museum offers an
evening of live music, dancing, and fireworks along the Miles
River. With the performance beginning at 7pm, the public is
invited to bring lawn chairs and picnic. Food, ice cream, and
non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase during
the event.
Visiting Vessel: Schooner Sultana
Watermen’s Appreciation Day
May 14 through May 25, 9am-5pm
June 24 through June 27, 9am-5pm
Sunday, August 14
10am-5pm. $18 adults, $10 CBMM member adult and
licensed waterman adult*, $8 children 6-17, $6 CBMM
member child and licensed waterman child*, free for children
ages 5 & under. *Must show license.
While at CBMM, Sultana will host students in an under-sail
environmental science program out on the Miles River, with
boarding opportunities for the public offered in May. Dates
and details at cbmm.org.
Model Skipjack Races
Sunday, May 15, June 12, July 17, August 21 & October 16
from 11am-2pm at Fogg’s Cove. To learn more or join the
club, contact Gary Nylander at [email protected].
The radio-controlled sailing races are organized by the
Museum’s Model Sailing Club, which meets regularly throughout the year to build and race these models.
Community Block Party
Sunday, May 22, 10am-5pm. Free admission!
Read more on page 24.
29th Antique & Classic Boat Festival
CBMM Signature Festival
Father’s Day Weekend, June 17, 18, 19
Fri. 11am–5pm; Sat. 10am-5pm; Sun. 10am-2pm
Individual Admission – Good for two days!
$5 per person for CBMM members and member guests,
$18 adults, $15 seniors (62+) & students with ID
$6 children 6-17. Ages 5 & under are free.
This event features a “watermen’s rodeo” boat docking
contest, steamed crabs and other local fare, live music,
children’s and family activities, boat rides, celebrity guest
appearances, silent auction, and more. Steamed crab prices
to be announced the week before.
19th Annual Charity Boat Auction
Proceeds from the Charity Boat Auction benefit the children
and adults served by the Museum. The live auction begins
at 11am, where more than 100 boats—ranging in size and
performance from sailing dinghies to cabin cruisers, and
everything in between—will be auctioned off to the highest
bidder. The event also includes a flea market-style tag sale
from 9am to 11am, when visitors can purchase a variety of
used boating gear, including ground tackle, electrical
equipment, hardware, rope or chain, ladders, fishing tackle,
motors, and more. Beer and BBQ will be available for
purchase beginning at 10:30am.
Boat sales are ongoing throughout the year, with all auction
boats subject to sale prior to the auction. Auction boats will
be available for inspection at the Museum several days prior
to the auction.
SAVE-THE-DATES
Boating Party Fundraising Gala
Saturday, September 10
5:30-10pm. $250 per person. For tickets, contact Kathi
Ferguson at 410-745-4955 or [email protected].
33rd Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival
& 12th Maritime Model Expo
Saturday and Sunday, October 1 & 2
10am-5pm. Free for CBMM members and children ages 5
& under. Otherwise, admission is good for two consecutive
days and is $15 adults, $12 seniors, and $6 children ages
6-17.
OysterFest
Saturday, October 29
10am-4pm. $5 CBMM members and member guests.
$18 adults, $15 seniors (62+), $6 for children ages 6 to 17,
free for children ages 5 & under.
A Few Details about CBMM’s Festivals
During CBMM festivals and special events, dogs are not
permitted on Museum grounds, with the exception of certified
service dogs. Leashed dogs are permitted on Museum
grounds during regular business hours.
Labor Day Weekend, Saturday, September 3
Gates open 8am; Tag Sale 9am; Beer* and BBQ 10:30am;
Auction 11am. Free for members and children ages 5 &
under. General admission is $5 per person until 11am.
Carry-on alcohol on our campus and docks is strictly prohibited
Afterward, regular admission rates apply. *must show license. at all events where alcohol is available for purchase.
PREVIEW HOURS:
Credit cards are accepted at the door for admission, with
Thursday, September 1, 9am-5pm
festival-goers encouraged to bring cash for use inside the
Friday, September 2, 9am-5pm
gates. Please note, the nearest ATM is about a five-minute
$5 admission through Milk House Gate
walk from the Museum.
ADVANCED BIDS DEADLINE:
Friday, September 2, 2pm. 410-745-4992
DONATE A BOAT OR TAG SALE ITEM DEADLINE:
Thursday, September 1, 5pm. Call 410-745-4992.
THE CHESAPEAKE LOG
SPRING/SUMMER 2016
27
You’re Invited!
Community
Block Party
Non-Profit Org.
US Postage
PAID - Easton, MD
Permit # 72
213 North Talbot Street
St. Michaels, MD 21663
Thank you to our sponsors, listed
below, for underwriting the event
and providing FREE ADMISSION.
Sunday, May 22, 2016 | 9am-5pm
Free admission, boat rides, activities, and more!
Presenting Sponsors
MRYC
Phyllis & Marc Castelli
Stage & Activity Sponsors
Ask Neal AV
Hair O’ The Dog Wine & Spirits
Sherwood Auto of Salisbury
Bay Hundred Covenant Churches
Hog Neck Golf Course
Sinful Desserts
Beat the Rush Delivery
McHale Landscape Design
Survival Products
Ben Franklin Crafts
Mid-Shore Dance Academy
SRVP Group - A Baird Financial Co.
BJ’s Wholesale Club of Easton
Ouvert Gallery
The Talbot Bank
Blackwater Paddle & Pedal
Peach Blossom Events
Talbot County Arts Council
Choptank Electric Cooperative
Pixel Print & Post
Talbot County Imagination Library
Eastern Shore Tents & Events
Rising Tide Partners
Talbot Watermen’s Association
Ewing Dietz Fountain & Kaludis
Rommel’s Ace Hardware
Tri Gas & Oil
Fitness Rx
San Domingo Fair Trade Coffee