A question of timing.

Yesterday, the 20th of March, was the first day of spring.  A time when Eastport dockyard workers traditionally gather together with a few 6-packs of National Bohemian (http://nationalbohemian.com/) and burn their socks to mark the end of winter.  This low key and very local blue collar custom has recently been hi-jacked by the Annapolis Maritime Museum, which although located in the old McNasby Oyster packing house in Eastport still clings (pathetically) to it's Annapolis name!  So, instead of forking over $20.00 to gain access to the sock burning fire and contribute my own stinky winter socks, oh and maybe get a sniff at a roasted oyster, I elected to stay home Saturday, drink a couple beers in honor of the change of seasons (perhaps I'm a Druid and don't know it--I was born on the winter solstice so who knows?) and avoid a lot of other people's sticky, messy little kids.  Besides the tickets were all sold out by the time the light bulb went on in my head and I rationalized that taking decent photos would be much easier the day after the crowds left.  So, here we are a day later.  Those would would like to learn more about the Annapolis Maritime Museum's (well done) program can do so here: http://amaritime.org/index.html

Those that don't care one way or the other can follow along.

McNasby's is the last standing oyster packing plant building left in Eastport.  It stands on Back Creek at the end of 2nd Street in Eastport.  There were no sticky children to distract your diarist.

Diarist-woman inspects the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Skipjack Norman Stanley.  The boat is winter berthed at one of the Museum's finger piers,  During summer months the Norman Stanley is usually tied up over at Ego Alley in downtown Annapolis.  More about the CBF can be found here: http://www.cbf.org/

By Maryland law, oysters must be harvested by boats under sail.  However the laws were amended in 1965 to permit motor power supplied by "push boats" two days per week during the ever-shortened oyster dredging season.  Silk is Stanley Norman's push boat--mostly an engine and a prop with just enough boat to float the cast iron "breeze".

What I just said.

Some interesting info about oysters.

The Museum has several boats including the 1925 buy boat Peg Wallace which was restored as a  land based display in 2010.  This photo gives some indication of how narrow she is.

This style of work boat was endemic to the Hooper's Island region of the Chesapeake and is known as a Draketail.

The Museum's smaller skipjack, Lydia D. still sleeps under her winter quilt dreaming about rigging day.  Soon, soon my pet...

Looking out at the bay.  There was not much wind for these racers.

Several gave up and motored in.

I know, I know, I've shown them before but I just can't get enough of Annapolis's "Eye-Full" towers.  The Navy build many more of these communication towers over on Greenbury Point in 1918.  These are the only survivors.  They transmitted the news of the Armistice that ended World War I.

Unlike these anchored freighters, diarist-woman tells me that we have other fish to fry and so, gentle viewer, we shall leave you until the next installment.