Photo Courtesy St. Michaels Sailing Charters
Partnership with the National Park Service connects both vessels to a bay-wide network of parks, museums, and historic sites celebrating the Chesapeake
ST. MICHAELS, MD — St. Michaels Sailing Charters announced that both vessels in its fleet — the historic 1935 wooden ketch Lady Patty and the modern luxury Leopard 44 catamaran Epiphany have joined the Chesapeake Gateways Network, a partnership program administered by the National Park Service (NPS) that connects parks, museums, historic communities, and water trails across the 41-million-acre Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Established under the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998, Chesapeake Gateways links more than 300 places throughout the watershed where visitors can access, experience, and learn about the Bay's natural and cultural heritage. As newly designated Chesapeake Gateways partners, Lady Patty and Epiphany will offer guests on the water a direct connection to that larger network of Bay stories, sites, and stewardship efforts based in St. Michaels, on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Learn more: www.nps.gov/chesapeake
"Being welcomed into the Chesapeake Gateways Network is a meaningful recognition of what these two boats represent," said GM Bell, co-owner of St. Michaels Sailing Charters. "Lady Patty started sailing the Chesapeake Bay over ninety years ago, and Epiphany gives guests a completely different way to experience the water today. Together, they let us share the history and the future of the Chesapeake in the same afternoon." Built in 1935, Lady Patty is one of the last of her kind still sailing the Chesapeake, offering guests a firsthand look at the traditional wooden boatbuilding and working-sail heritage that shaped the region. Epiphany, a Leopard 44 catamaran, offers a contemporary counterpoint — spacious, stable, and outfitted for private charters, sunset sails, and special events. Both vessels are based at the St. Michaels Harbour Inn Marina in the heart of St. Michaels.
More information about SMSC is available at www.stmichaelssailingcharters.com
About St. Michaels Sailing Charters: St. Michaels Sailing Charters offers sailing experiences aboard two distinct vessels docked at the St. Michaels Harbour Inn Marina on Maryland's Eastern Shore: the historic 1935 wooden ketch Lady Patty and the modern Leopard 44 catamaran Epiphany. The company is co-owned by GM and Laura Bell.
