A bugeye joins other bay craft at Long Dock, Baltimore in the 1920s to unload her cargo of watermelons picked up from one of the many rural landings down the bay, such as the one in the drawing at the right. Paintings by Louis J. Feuchter.
Museum, St. Michaels. Rounding the lower end of Hooper Island we head up the mid-Chesapeake. Early in the afternoon we turn into the Tred Avon River, admiring stately homes and gardens along the shore, until we reach the quiet town of Oxford, once an international seaport and bustling market center. Here the Oxford-Bellevue ferry, said to be the oldest continuous ferry route in the United States, ties up . That evening l call Mrs. John Moll, who very kindly opens the Oxford Museum building, full of artifacts reflecting the town 's lively past, illumined by th e drawings of Mrs. Moll's illustrious artist hu sband. We stay over in Oxford until noon the next day, allowing the passengers to walk the attractive streets and visit the boatyards on Town Creek. Then, as we eat lunch, the Independence departs for St. Michaels to visit the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, arriving there by late afternoon. A wet northeaster keeps the passengers inside but the large windows of the lounge enable all to enjoy the passing shoreline as we enter the Miles River. We dock at the museum, and next day all SEA HISTORY, SUMMER 1979
hands explore the Hooper Strait Lighthouse, the bugeye EdnaÂŁ. Lockwood being rebuilt, and floating exhibits including the sk ipj ack Rosie Parks. All around is the atmosphere of the Chesapeake, exhibits in the former homes now serving as museum buildings, small craft in a shed, and numerous other artifacts. At noon the ship departs for Annapolis, heading down the Miles River and Eastern Bay. Coming on deck after lunch we see the high arches of the Chesapeake Bay bridge to the north. Over to the starboard, just before the ship starts heading into the Severn River, can be seen the huge shelter, covering 14 acres, which houses the Chesapeake Bay Hydraulic Model. Built to a horizontal scale of 1-1,000, the model was constructed as part of the comprehensive study of Chesapeake Bay, including water utilization, navigation, fisheries, flood control, control of noxious weeds, water pollution, water quality control, beach erosion, and recreation. Located near Stevensville and under control of the US Army Corps of Engineers, the model is open daily except holidays and weekends. While studying
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the Chesapeake's past in its museums it would be good to view the model and learn of its present and future. Tied up to the dock of the Annapolis Yacht Club again, the passengers have the privilege of staying on board that evening to talk over all they have seen. The next morning l take the Mariners Museum group to the Naval Academy Museum. The cruise just ended on the modern diesel ship Independence was most delightful in all respects: food, accommodations, and route around the Chesapeake were beyond reproach. I recommend the trip to all. It differs from the trip~ I've made on the sidewheelers of 50 years ago, which required two nights and a day to sail between Baltimore and II