Baltimore - Schooners on Display

The Great Chesapeake Schooner Race starts Thursday. Schooners are arriving in preparation for this annual event. Those arriving early are docked in Baltimore harbor while waiting for the start of the race. We drove down to see some of these great sailing vessels prior to the race.

The first schooner we encountered was When and If which is a 63 foot, John Alden designed schooner built in 1939 for General George S. Patton who intended to sail around the world until World War II disrupted his plan. When and If remained in the Patton family until the 1970s. Today, it is available for charter or yours to own if your pockets are deep enough. She is truly a beautiful vessel. We are anxious to see her under sail at the start of the race on Thursday.

When and If - John Alden Designed Schooner Built for General George S. Patton

Sultana, a topsail schooner from Chestertown, MD, was docked nearby. The Sultana is a replica of an 18th Century schooner commissioned by the English navy and built in Boston prior to the American Revolution. She patrolled the coastline of the English colonies from 1768 to 1772 enforcing the Townsend Acts or "Tea Taxes". We first came across the Sultana in Chestertown during our tour of Maryland's Eastern Shore last summer. She is the only ship of her kind and a beautiful replica of an American colonial vessel.

Sultana - Replica 18th Century Topsail Schooner

USS Zumwalt -Newest US Navy Destroyer