Public invited to opening of Lines of the Floating Fleet

The public is invited to join the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum at its St. Michaels, Md., campus on Friday, June 1, from 5–7pm to celebrate the opening of a new exhibition, Lines of the Floating Fleet.

From its opening in 1965, CBMM has exhibited historic Chesapeake Bay watercraft in their original context—afloat. These vessels have been carefully selected and preserved for their design and construction, for the work they were originally built to do, and for the stories of people whose lives were shaped by these boats. Many of the stories about the boats have been uncovered through their preservation and operation, as well as through recorded oral interviews, documents, and historic photographs collected over the years by CBMM.

Lines of the Floating Fleet is an innovative new exhibition at CBMM that will share these perspectives and stories with visitors by grouping the boats together and interpreting them through an audio tour. The exhibition is designed to engage guests and tell them more about why vessel preservation is integral to telling the story of the Chesapeake Bay. Each narrative will be posted at cbmm.org/audio.

“The floating fleet has been a highlight of CBMM for years,” said CBMM Shipyard Manager Michael Gorman. “What’s great about this exhibition is that it presents our watercraft in a way that hasn’t been done before, and includes something for both the member who visits CBMM every weekend and the guest who’s stepping onto our waterfront campus for the very first time.”

A cell phone or tablet is required to access the exhibition’s audio component, with earbuds available in CBMM’s Welcome Center for a suggested donation. There is no cost for the public opening on Friday, June 1, and no registration is required. The event will feature refreshments and live music, and CBMM shipwrights and curatorial staff will be on hand to answer questions about the historic watercraft.

Established in 1965, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a world-class maritime museum dedicated to preserving and exploring the history, environment, and people of the entire Chesapeake Bay, with the values of relevancy, authenticity, and stewardship guiding its mission. To learn more, visit cbmm.org.