Stats
Like all Chesapeake skipjacks, the
Dee of St. Mary's has a shallow draft to negotiate the waters along the shorelines and a wide bottom for stability. She is constructed mostly of white oak and spruce pine.
56' long on deck and 20' abeam
Carries approximately 2700 square feet of sail
Draft is 47" aft with centerboard up, 12" at bow
Centerboard is 13' long and 4'7" tall
Mast is 76' tall
Boom is 56' long
Bow sprit is 20' long
Motor is 225 horsepower John Deere/ 1.75" shaft/26×21 four blade prop
A Brief History
The
Dee of St. Mary's was commissioned by Jack Russell and built by Francis Goddard in 1979 at Piney Point, Maryland. Originally used in the commercial oyster fishery, she dredged for 10 seasons. When the oyster populations dwindled, Captain Russell transitioned the
Dee from a commercial vessel to educational uses under the heading of Chesapeake Bay Field Lab. She has been a floating classroom since 1989. Major restoration was done on the
Dee from 2010 to 2012, funded largely by grants from the Maryland Heritage Areas fund. Ownership was turned over to the Calvert Marine Museum in May 2013, where her educational mission continues.
Public Sails
From
May through October the museum offers two-hour public sails aboard the historic skipjack
Dee of St. Mary's, departing and returning from the museum's dock in Solomons, Maryland. A current schedule is posted on the museum website, www.calvertmarinemuseum.com.
Private Charters
Private charters aboard the
Dee of St. Mary's are available.
Educational Sails
Environmental education and natural history field experiences with the Chesapeake Bay Field Lab are conducted aboard the skipjack on the Patuxent River from mid-April through mid-October.
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