Patriot Cruises July 26, 2020

This 65×26′ passenger vessel was built in 1989 to resemble a steam ferry that would have gone between St. Michaels and Baltimore, Maryland in the 1930s and was built in Norfolk, Virginia by Howdy Bailey Ship Yards for Patriot Cruises. A previous Patriot was converted from a 1965 built fishing boat in 1969.

Located in historic St. Michaels Patriot Cruises is just steps away from the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Tickets can be purchased in a small shack next to the vessel’s berth or online from their website.

At boarding time the bemasked, friendly, and enthusiastic Captain John Marrah went over safety guidelines with passengers awaiting to board. These included wearing of masks when “vertical” – standing or moving about the vessel, maintaining social distancing, and not moving the chairs which have been positioned to help maintain social distancing.

The boarding process was orderly and reminds one of airline boarding according to the boarding pass number you get when purchasing your ticket. You listen for your ticket number and board accordingly. I didn’t do a headcount but I believe there were between 35 and 40 passengers and the process went quickly.

Passengers can choose from the air conditioned lower deck or the open upper deck, much of which was covered from direct sunlight but open to the air. It looked like it could be enclosed during inclement weather.

After taking my seat near the pilot house I was pleasantly surprised by the sound quality of the announcements over the PA system. I am partially deaf and have come to take it for granted that PA system announcements will not be understandable to me because the quality is the sound is bad and/or the volume makes it difficult to understand. The system on this boat is very clear and set to a good volume. Additionally Captain John Marrah has a very good speaking voice.

Departure was signaled from blasts from the ship’s horn then reversing from the berth. Once clear the vessel turned towards the Miles River to begin the 65 to 75 minute cruise. A good amount of pleasure boat traffic heading in and out of St. Michaels could be seen.

This was a hot day in the mid 90s and plenty of sun, but the breeze of from the movement made for a comfy ride. The narration over the PA system described the history of the area and specific features were pointed out. Wakes from passing boats barely moved the vessel and the ride was quite smooth and pleasant.

Reasonably priced refreshments are available on the lower deck.

Many sights were seen from beautiful and large houses,

a variety of watercraft from ski jets and larger powered boats to sail boats.

We even passed the Selina II which you can also ride.

A bit after the midway point in which the tour turned back towards St. Michaels I went to the stern to check out the view from there. The narration changed over to music.

Then Captain Marrah showed me the pilot house.

On a navigation marker on the way back into St. Michaels an Osprey was spotted on a navigation marker!

A good view of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is afforded as we near the end of the ride.

The new Maryland Dove tallship under construction can be seen under cover as well.

After disembarkation the crew began wiping down all surfaces in preparation for the next cruise of the day. Between wearing masks, social distancing, and keeping the ship clean this cruise is a great way to get out and try to keep safe during these trying times. Take a look at this short video I made of the day’s trip.

Pricing for the narrated historic cruises can be viewed by clicking here and tickets may also be purchased online. Currently there are 9 sailings a week every day except Wednesday and one of these is the Island Music Cocktail Cruise on Saturday evening, this schedule changes regularly so check their schedule!

The Patriot can also be chartered for your special events, click here for information.