One of last skipjacks returns to the bay
Annapolis museum bought Wilma Lee from N.C. nonprofit
The historic skipjack Wilma Lee arrived back in the Chesapeake this past week, pulling into Eastport on Tuesday.
The 47-foot-long vessel was built in 1940 in Dorchester County, but has been in North Carolina since 2012, hosted by the nonprofit Ocracoke Alive.
Recently the Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park purchased the historic vessel, intent on bringing it back to the bay and using it to teach about the environment and Maryland’s maritime heritage.
Skipjacks are Maryland’s official state boat; at one time hundreds sailed the Chesapeake’s shallow waters in search of oysters. Just a few remain.
The Wilma Lee is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Before it could return to the waters of the bay, the museum had to sail it here. Enter volunteers Joe Lombardo and Dennis Krizek, as well as part-time captain-for-hire Matt Hurst of Talbot County. The three men sailed the ship — also using the vessel’s twin diesel engines — out of a boatyard in Wanchese, N.C., on June 7 and arrived at a dock on the South River on June 12.
It waited there for a week, and made its grand entrance at a champagne toast at the museum Tuesday evening.
There were obstacles along the way.
The crew sailed up the Intracoastal
The 47-foot-long vessel was built in 1940 in Dorchester County, but has been in North Carolina since 2012, hosted by the nonprofit Ocracoke Alive.
Recently the Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park purchased the historic vessel, intent on bringing it back to the bay and using it to teach about the environment and Maryland’s maritime heritage.
Skipjacks are Maryland’s official state boat; at one time hundreds sailed the Chesapeake’s shallow waters in search of oysters. Just a few remain.
The Wilma Lee is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Before it could return to the waters of the bay, the museum had to sail it here. Enter volunteers Joe Lombardo and Dennis Krizek, as well as part-time captain-for-hire Matt Hurst of Talbot County. The three men sailed the ship — also using the vessel’s twin diesel engines — out of a boatyard in Wanchese, N.C., on June 7 and arrived at a dock on the South River on June 12.
It waited there for a week, and made its grand entrance at a champagne toast at the museum Tuesday evening.
There were obstacles along the way.
The crew sailed up the Intracoastal
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