Welcome to the Maryland Dove

Welcome to the Maryland Dove. . , The ship you see anchored before you in the St. Mary's River is a modern living history exhibit. It was built in 1978 to represent a 17th-century trading vessel., [Captions:] , Construction of the Maryland Dove was completed in 1978. William A. Baker was the architect and James B. Richardson was the shipwright., Lack of evidence from the original 1634 Dove made an exact reproduction impossible. After careful examination of 16th- and 17th-century records, however, plans were drawn for a pinnace, a small ship used for trading and exploring., Visitors to the Maryland Dove discover firsthand the hard work of a colonial sailor., The Maryland Dove is a working maritime exhibit. Several times a year, she makes goodwill visits to various ports in the Chesapeake region., To meet 21st-century schedules, a pair of diesel auxiliary engines was installed on the Maryland Dove in 1988. This allows the ship to sail in calm weather., Wooden ships sitting in the river for months at a time are in constant risk of worm damage and rot, just as they were in the 17th century. The Maryland Dove is carefully inspected and repaired every winter., A volunteer crew, recruited from interested individuals of all ages, assists in the operation and maintenance of the Maryland Dove., The Maryland Dove is interpreted as a typical mid-17th-century pinnace. This class of vessel was able to cross oceans but was primarily used for trading up and down the Atlantic coast., The Maryland Dove ,

Length Overall: 76 feet , Length of Deck: 56 feet , Length at Water Line: 51 feet , Beam Overall: 17 feet , Draft: 6½ feet-7 feet , Capacity: 42 tons , Approximate Sail Area: 1,965 square feet , Height of Main Mast: 64 feet above the waterline

. This historical marker was erected by Historic St. Mary's City. It is in St. Mary's City in St. Mary's County Maryland