Providence is tied up at the maritime museum complex for a rigging inspection and possible associated work.
Two notable vessels of radically different eras and purposes slipped quietly into St. Michaels harbor recently. One, the Providence, remains. The other, American Legend, has since left but is scheduled to return next week.
Eric Detwiler of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum public relations staff, said the tall ship Providence from Alexandria, Virginia has tied up along the south bulkhead of the museum’s Navy Point shipbuilding and repair facility. “They’ve come for a rigging inspection and may be having some work done here,” said Detwiler.
Providence is a full-scale replica of the first ship commissioned for the Continental Navy by the United States during its Revolutionary War with the British. The 110-foot sloop of war, with its 12 guns, was once commanded by the legendary John Paul Jones.
According to the Providence website, the vessel and its crew took many prizes in the war. The most notable was the capture of the HMS Mellish during the winter of 1776-1777. That vessel’s cargo included 10,000 winter uniforms bound for British troops battling the American revolutionaries. The loss was a chilling one for the British, but the Americans were happy to repurpose the uniforms to make that tough winter more bearable for their own troops.
Some of that history may be retold aboard American Cruise Lines’ American Legend coastal catamaran which was the other notable vessel in St. Michaels harbor last week. Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, MD built the 300-foot inland waters cruise ship in 2024.
The vessel is scheduled to depart from Washington D.C. on March 25 for the first of American Cruise Lines’ American Revolution Cruises scheduled in 2025. The vessel will once again tie up at the eastern end of the museum’s Navy Point bulkhead.
According to the American Legend’s published schedule, the vessel and its passengers will be in St. Michaels Thursday and Friday March 27 and 28. That will allow its passengers to get a solid taste of the St. Michaels maritime culture and history including tours of Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. The vessel has a capacity of 100 guests.
St. Michaels is the only Eastern Shore port of call for the American Revolution 11-day Chesapeake itinerary starting and ending in Washington D.C. Other stops include Annapolis, Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, Norfolk, Alexandria and Mt. Vernon.
American Cruise Lines, headquartered in Guilford, Connecticut, bills itself as the nation’s largest operator of inland waters cruise ships and cruises in the United States.
American Legend tied up at Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s Navy Point last week. It’s due back in St. Michaels next Thursday, March 27, for a two-day stay at the same location. Dennis Forney Photos
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