Log canoes tend to catch your eye when they’re out on the water. The creative sail plans, the clean lines, and the seemingly endless miles of white canvas, attract a flock of sailing paparazzi trailing behind the fleet, cameras at the ready. 
Photo by Al Schreitmueller
You can’t help thinking back to the days when sailing meant something different on the Chesapeake. Beyond the beauty of the leg-o-mutton sails and dugout designs, log canoes are tied closely to the history of oystering on the Chesapeake Bay. Before dredging was made legal in 1865, oyster tongermen used the log canoes as an inexpensive means of transportation that could be easily assembled.
As the bugeye and skipjack became more prominent on the Bay, sailors did exactly what you would expect them to do: they started racing the boats. Racing the log canoes successfully is a tricky and often dangerous endeavor. It’s crucial that crew weight be distributed over the hiking planks, and it’s not unusual for excess wake or a rogue puff to capsize one of the boats.
When that happens, the support boats are always on hand help make sure everyone is safe and dry.
A great place to catch the log canoes in action is always the annual Oxford Regatta, this year held August 9 and 10 at Tred Avon YC in Oxford. The Choptank and Tred Avon rivers are flooded with various fleets, from Opti to PHRF, racing on seven different courses. The log canoes themselves have three races between TAYC and Choptank River Light scheduled: two on Saturday, one on Sunday. Afterward, a party at Harleigh Mansion on the banks of Trippe Creek is by (highly coveted) invitation only.
Oxford Regatta celebrates both the beauty and the tradition of sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. It’s a great opportunity for sailors to participate in the living tradition by sailing onboard one of the log canoes or spectating on one of the many chase boats. For more info on how you can get involved, visit chesapeakebaylogcanoes.com.
