Sea Scout Ship Columbia Ranger

Columbia Maryland

Where We Sail

Chesapeake Bay map S.S.S. Columbia Ranger sails principally on the Chesapeake Bay. The Bay is the largest estuary in the United States, having over 8000 miles of shoreline, 500,000 acres of tidal marshes, and 1,200,000 acres of wetlands. The Chesapeake Bay is almost 200 miles in length and, at points, is 25 miles wide. The Bay and the surrounding areas are a haven for plant and animal life. The Chesapeake Bay is a major economic resource for many, many people. It is also a fantastic recreational resource for lovers of animals, birds, fish, nature, water, and the outdoors. Recreational activities in the Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore area include fishing, hunting, sunbathing, swimming, sailing, birdwatching, hiking, biking, sea kayaking, windsurfing, camping, photography, crabbing, waterskiing, and much more.

Chesapeake Bay satellite photo The Bay has been a source of life, food, and enjoyment to humans for thousands of years. The early Indians of America lived quietly along the shores of the Bay, feasting on blue crabs and other abundant food sources. European settlers pushed their way into the region beginning in the 1600's. The Bay became a major shipping route. Last century, the Bay was a major center of shipping and naval activities on the East Coast. Naval battles of the Revolutionary War took place in the Chesapeake. The British Navy, during the War of 1812, based their Naval forces on islands in the Bay. The Bay was a major shipping route in the Civil War. Civil War prisoners were once held at Point Lookout in southern Maryland.

The Boats

Skipjack The Chesapeake Bay has a long history of purpose built watercraft, most associated with a particular type of commerce, transportation, or fishing. Professional fishermen are referred to in the Bay area as "Watermen."

The only commercial fishing fleet still under sail in the United States is in the Chesapeake Bay, using the Bay's most famous home-grown type of vessel, the Skipjack. The skipjack is a shallow-draft sailboat (since much of the Bay is 6 feet or less) with a huge mainsail. Skipjacks are used for harvesting oysters and, while over the oyster beds, may not use the powered dinghy (called a "push boat") on its davets to manuver. There are only about 40 skipjacks still being used for commercial oystering. It is a very unusual sailing trip for Columbia Ranger to not see a Skipjack.

When we sail up the Miles River (remember, the oldest building of worship in the United States is Third Haven Friends Meeting in Easton ... the Quakers don't believe in saints, so St. Michael's sat on the Miles River ... if you know your Eastern Shore accent, you'd understand), we frequently see log canoe races. Many of these log canoes are over one hundred years old, and all were made of split (wooden) logs. They're really exciting to watch, since one false move will flip the boat or drench the crew.

Another famous Chesapeake Bay vessel is the Pride of Baltimore II. The "Pride's" design is an absolutely authentic early nineteenth century topsail schooner, or "Baltimore clipper." The "Pride" is very shallow draft to allow for navigating in the Bay's many shallow rivers and creeks. The design is very, very fast, but also very dangerous. The "Pride" puts up a huge amount of sail, and with her shallow keel, she can be tippy in unexpected storms. That is exactly what happened to the first Pride of Baltimore, which was caught by an unexpected storm, knocked down, filled up and sank in the span of about two minutes. The "Pride II" was built to U.S. Coast Guard standards, and has watertight compartments, so she should be much safer.

The Pride of Baltimore is the city's goodwill ambassadore, visiting dozens of cities all over the world all year-long. She's a truly exciting boat that Baltimoreans take great "Pride" in.

The Lighthouses

Thomas Point Light Marking the Thomas Point Shoals, this screw-pile lighthouse is at least the symbol of lighthouses of the Chesapeake, and with the skipjack fleet is regarded by most as the symbol of the Chesapeake Bay. The light was contstructed in 1875 and was automated in 1986. The light continues to be both an important navigational and meteorological aid as well as a national historic treasure. Located on the Thomas Point Shoals at the entrance to the South River, near Annapolis, MD the light is the last active screwpile light on the Chesapeake Bay. The lighthouse's fourth order Fresnel lens has a range of 13 miles for the white sector and 11 miles for the red sector. Columbia Ranger sees this lighthouse on nearly every sail we make.

We also frequently visit St. Michael's on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The first landmark we see, long before we see the town, is the Hooper Straight Light, which has been moved to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

For anyone who are been out on the Bay at night, you reley on the color and patterns of flash of the navigational aids to tell where you are. The Hooper Straight Light has a totally unique flashing pattern, flashing C B M M in morse code.