St Mary's Pier - St Mary's, MD - Piers on Waymarking.com

The plaque says, "The ship you see anchored before you in the St. Mary's River is a modern living history exhibit. It was built in 1978 to represent a 17th-century trading vessel.

[Captions:]
Construction of the Maryland Dove was completed in 1978. William A. Baker was the architect and James B. Richardson was the shipwright.

Lack of evidence from the original 1634 Dove made an exact reproduction impossible. After careful examination of 16th- and 17th-century records, however, plans were drawn for a pinnace, a small ship used for trading and exploring.

Visitors to the Maryland Dove discover firsthand the hard work of a colonial sailor.

The Maryland Dove is a working maritime exhibit. Several times a year, she makes goodwill visits to various ports in the Chesapeake region.

To meet 21st-century schedules, a pair of diesel auxiliary engines was installed on the Maryland Dove in 1988. This allows the ship to sail in calm weather.

Wooden ships sitting in the river for months at a time are in constant risk of worm damage and rot, just as they mwere in the 17th century. The Maryland Dove is carefully inspected and repaired every winter.

A volunteer crew, recruited from interested individuals of all ages, assists in the operation and maintenance of the Maryland Dove.

The Maryland Dove is interpreted as a typical mid-17th-century pinnace. This class of vessel was able to cross oceans but was primarily used for trading up and down the Atlantic coast.

The Maryland Dove
Length Overall: 76 feet
Length of Deck: 56 feet
Length at Water Line: 51 feet
Beam Overall: 17 feet
Draft: 6½ feet-7 feet
Capacity: 42 tons
Approximate Sail Area: 1,965 square feet
Height of Main Mast: 64 feet above the waterline"



The plaque says, "On November 22, 1633, the Ark and the Dove set sail from Cowes on the Isle of Wright in England. Four months later, on March 25, 1634, both ships and approximately 140 passengers sailed up the Potomac River to begin the settlement of a colony to be called Maryland. Their route took them south past the Canary Islands near the coast of Africa and then across the Atlantic to Barbados. Here the two ships met for the first time in two months, the Dove having been thought lost during a storm shortly after their departure. The winter passage of the voyage proved successful as it avoided hurricanes and heat in the tropics. The colonists arrived at a good time for their first planting season in the New World.

All of the approximately 140 passengers sailed to Maryland on the Ark (far right), which was the larger of the two ships. The Dove (right) was laden with supplies but her smaller size would provide a maneuverable vessel for exploring and trading in shallow bays and rivers.

A ship the size of the original Dove would accommodate a crew of about seven to nine men. The officers' quarters allowed some privacy, as well as space to do chartwork and to keep records.

The common sailors had to fend for themselves among the coils of rope and sails, often in the most cramped and wettest part of the ship. There was little time for leisure activities.

"...with the other Gentlemen adventurers, and their servants...imbarked themselves for the voyage, in the good ship called the Arke, of 300. tunne and upward, which was attended by his Lordships Pinnace, called the Dove, of about 50. tunne."
A Relation of Maryland, 1635"

Type of pier: Private Expenses: Free Parking is available: Yes Contact information: Town of St Mary's. Handicap Accessible: Yes Fishing Regulations: None Web site: Not listed

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