Museum Offering Opportunity to Assist with Skipjack Restoration

     St. Michaels, MD -- The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum along the Miles River in St. Michaels is offering the public a rare opportunity to be a part of the Rosie Parks skipjack restoration project with its recently launched Community Work Days program.

     As part of the program, the museum will be opening its campus every Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. to community members wanting to volunteer while learning the art of boatbuilding from CBMM’s Master Shipwright, Marc Barto.

     Volunteers will assist in activities like tearing out the keel, stem and centerboard while learning how to build and install new ones. Volunteers must be 16 or older and have an interest in carpentry. All skillsets are welcome and women are encouraged to participate. Pre-registration is accepted, but not required.

     The museum is open daily, and celebrates the way people live, work, and play on the Bay. To learn more, visit www.cbmm.org/rosieparks.htm, call 410-745-2916 or email havefun@cbmm.org.

Upper Bay Noise Levels Subject of Public Hearing Tonight

     Elkton, MD -- The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will hold a public hearing to discuss proposed new sound level limits for vessels using the Elk and Northeast Rivers and all tributaries including the Bohemia River and the C&D Canal. The hearing will be held at the Elkton High School (Room F-107), 110 James Street, Elkton, MD 21921 on Tuesday, May 24. The hearing will begin at 6 p.m.

     The noise limit would be reduced from the existing statewide standard of 90 decibels to 88 decibels for engines made after January 1993. The 90-decibel rule would still apply to older boats. Another proposed regulation would make cut-off switches that bypass or reduce the effectiveness of exhaust-pipe mufflers illegal.

      Interested parties who have questions or wish to submit comments via e-mail may do so by contacting Mike Grant, Regulations Coordinator for Boating Services at mgrant@dnr.state.md.usor by U.S. mail to Mike Grant, Regulations Coordinator, DNR-Boating Services Unit, 580 Taylor Avenue, E-4, Annapolis, Maryland 21401 or by telephone at 410-260-8013.

Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum to Host Boating Safety Course

     St. Michaels, MD -- The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels is offering a two-day Boater Safety Course on June 7 and 8. The course will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. each day on the museum’s campus. Any Maryland boater born after July 1, 1972, is required to have a Certificate of Boating Safety Education, in order to operate a vessel. Those under 16 who are operating a motorized boat 11 feet or more and do not have a valid Certificate of Boating Safety Education must be supervised by someone at least 18.

     The certificate is obtained by passing a Department of Natural Resources approved boating safety course, and once obtained, the certificate is valid for life. Participants completing the course and passing the test will receive this certificate. The course is also recommended for anyone looking to become a safer, more experienced boater.

     The cost is $25 with advanced registration needed. For more information or to register, call Helen Van Fleet at 410-745-4941.

Annapolis Nautical Flea Market May 28-29 at Navy Marine Corps Stadium

     Annapolis, MD -- Come be part of the 3rd annual Annapolis Nautical Flea Market. Produced by the same company which produces the highly successful United States Sailboat Show and United States Powerboat Show held in Annapolis, MD each October.

     This year the Annapolis Nautical Flea Market will feature new and previously owned boats as well as nautical equipment, art, jewelry and accessories.
Dates: May 28, 29 (Rain or Shine)
Times: Saturday, May 28, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. & Sunday, May 29, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Navy Marine Corps Stadium on Rowe Blvd. and Taylor Ave. in Annapolis, MD.
Spaces: 10x10- $100, 9x20- $175
Boats on Trailers: Up to 30 ft.- $175, Over 30 ft.- $225
Parking: $5 ($10 for vans or car w/ trailer)
Tickets: $5
     For more information contact Sheila Jones at 410-268-8828 or sheilaj@usboat.com

First Cruise of the Season Aboard John W. Brown May 28

     Baltimore, MD -- The first Living History Cruise of the 2011 sailing season aboard S.S. John W. Brown will be Saturday, May 28, from Baltimore. Tickets are still available. Spend an day in 1944 as you experience a sea and air adventure aboard Baltimore's restored Liberty Ship.
     Each six-hour "Voyage into History" features: continental breakfast; bountiful luncheon buffet, afternoon snacks and beverages; live Big Band music of the 1940s; military re-enactors and other entertainers; fly-bys of vintage World War II aircraft (conditions permitting), with the ship's Armed Guard gunners manning the guns to fight off attacking Axis planes.
     The ship is open to visit. View the magnificent 140-ton triple-expansion steam engine as it powers the great ship through the water. Tour museum spaces, crew quarters, bridge, flying bridge, chart room, radio room, messrooms, troop berthing areas, stern gun deck and much more.
     Find out more at http://www.liberty-ship.com/

Okoumefest Small Boat Event Slated for May 13 and 14

Chesapeake Light Craft will host Okoumefest May 13 and 14 this year.

     Annapolis and Stevensville, MD -- Chesapeake Light Craft's annual Okoumefest weekend is May 13 and 14 this year. CLC's small-boat festival brings do-it-yourself boatbuilders and small-boat enthusiasts together for workshops, on-the-water demonstrations, and prizes. An Open House is Friday at Chesapeake Light Craft’s factory and showroom in Annapolis from 2-7 pm; on-the-water fun takes place Saturday at Kent Island’s Matapeake State Park from 9 am-5 pm. Complete information is available at www.clcboats.com/festival.

     Now in its 13th year, OkoumeFest (pronounced oh-KOO-me-fest) is a family-friendly event centered on the joys of building and using small boats. For those new to boats or boatbuilding there is no better opportunity to get on the water, attend seminars, and have questions answered.

Hinckley Open House May 21 on the Water in Oxford

      Oxford, MD -- The Hinckley Company has announced a Spring Open House to showcase its pre-owned yacht collection on Saturday, May 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its Oxford service facility, 202 Banks Street.
      More than 13 pre-owned Hinckley Yachts will be on display, in the water.
     “Our Spring Open House presents a rare opportunity to get aboard practically every pre-owned Hinckley Jetboat on the market today in the Chesapeake,” said Jennifer Richards, Brokerage Director for Hinckley Yachts Annapolis. “Whether you’re looking for a gorgeous, little runabout or a stately motoryacht, you’ll find her in the water and ready to go at our upcoming Open House.”
     Hinckley, a privately held company founded in 1928, is renowned for its premium sailboats and power boats. The company builds its boats in Trenton and Southwest Harbor, Maine, and operates eight service yards along the U.S. East Coast. Hinckley has approximately 1,500 boat owners and 5,000 service customers worldwide.

Kinetic Sculpture Race at Boston Street Ramp May 7

     Baltimore, MD -- Mariners are advised that the annual “American Visionary Art Museum Kinetic Sculpture Race” is scheduled to occur in Baltimore on Saturday, May 7, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. A water entry and exit will occur at the Boston Street Public Boat Ramp, in Northwest Harbor, from 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Participants will be accompanied and supported by kayaks and a motorized safety launch. For any comments or questions, contact Coast Guard Sector Baltimore, Waterways Management Division, at (410) 576-2674 or Ronald.L.Houck@uscg.mil. Chart 12281.
     For the complete Local Notice to Mariners click here.

Sailing Opportunties on Saturdays at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is offering sailing to visitors in a selection of rowing and sailing skiffs, like the Melonseed skiffs shown here. Dates for the program are June 11, July 17, August 13, and September 17, with two sessions from 10 am to noon and 1 pm to 5 pm. Cost to participate is $10 plus museum admission. Drop-ins welcome.

     St. Michaels, MD -- Beginning in June, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Maryland will offer novice and experienced boaters a chance to get out on the water along Fogg’s Cove in a selection of the museum’s beautifully crafted wooden sailing and rowing skiffs.
     The Sailing Saturdays program runs June 11, July 16, August 13 and September 17 with two daily sailing sessions running from 10 am to noon and 1 pm to 4 pm. Boats used for the program range in size from 12 to 20 feet, and were crafted in the museum’s Apprentice for a Day public boatbuilding program. The boats are perfect for one to two people, with instruction provided for beginning sailors or boaters.
     “For people interested in commissioning the museum to build one of these boats, this is a great way to ‘try before you buy,’” explains Boat Yard Manager Rich Scofield. “And for the experienced boater, this is a unique opportunity to enjoy sailing in some of the nicest, handmade wooden boats in the world.”
     Boats in the program rotate from the museum’s collection, which includes Melonseed sailing skiffs, Rushton rowing skiffs and paddleboats. “You might event get to sail in the boat that appeared in the Failure to Launch movie as part of your experience,” commented Scofield.
     Reservations can be made, with drop-in participation welcomed. The cost to participate in the Sailing Saturdays program is $10 per session plus museum admission. The museum is open daily and also offers visitors the opportunity to help build one of these skiffs through its Apprentice for a Day program. For more information, call 410-745-2916 or visit http://www.cbmm.org/.