Small craft of all types gather for festival
Perfect weather and a collection of boats you’ll see nowhere else on the Chesapeake Bay marked this year’s Solomons Maritime Festival and Small Craft Gathering on May 3. Traditional and modern buyboats, a skipjack, sail racing dinghies, electric runabout conversions, vintage racing powerboats, an adventure racing proa, and a half-dozen custom camp-cruising boats were among the vessels gathered.
Feeder 'Camp Cruise'
New this year was a three-day “feeder camp cruise” on the St. Mary’s River for small boats. This was sponsored by the Patuxent Small Craft Guild chapter of the Traditional Small Craft Association, in conjunction with the Shallow Water Sailors and Dinghy Cruising Association. All wind, paddle, oar, pedal, and motor-powered craft were welcome, and we enjoyed days of good sailing, great raftups, and communal dinners before heading to Solomons for the festival. A special treat was an in-depth tour of the new Maryland Dove at Historic St. Mary’s City by chief mate Jeremy Heveron.
If you us this year, plan to attend in May 2026. See you then!
By Brian Forsyth
