From Seafood Packing to Tourism

From Seafood Packing to Tourism. . , Patriot Cruises helps launch local tourism , Since 1969, visitors to St. Michaels have explored the history and environment of the area from the decks of a boat named Patriot. A year before, the wooden fishing boat Tek-Ni-Color traversed the Intracoastal Waterway on a journey from Destin, Florida, to its new home port of St. Michaels, where Jim Heikes refitted it as a cruise vessel and renamed it Patriot. Patriot was berthed at Navy Point, once a hub for seafood packing, now the center of a burgeoning tourism business that began with the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in 1965., In 1990, subsequent owners Dave and Norma Etzel replaced the original vessel with a steel-hulled design reminiscent of a 1930s Chesapeake steamboat. It was designed by naval architect Jay Benford of St. Michaels and built in Norfolk, Va. With a capacity for 149 passengers, Patriot hosted charter cruises with catered food and drink, and became a favorite venue for parties, family reunions, and corporate events under the Etzels' ownership., John and Robin Marrah operated Patriot Cruises from 2009 to 2023, providing an up-close experience on the Miles River for nearly 20,000 guests annually. Over the past five decades, Patriot Cruises helped to launch and sustain the transformation of St. Michaels from a working community centered on the seafood industry, to a bustling retail and travel destination that celebrates the Chesapeake Bay's history, living cultural traditions, and natural beauty. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum continues to steward this favorite St. Michaels tradition., [Captions:] , Patriot off Navy Point, St. Michaels, 2020. Photograph by Shore Studios., Left: A tour bus brings visitors to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum grounds, and for a cruise aboard Patriot. Advertising brochures promote cruises on the Miles River., Photograph, 1970 and brochures, 1980s, gift of Dave and Norma Etzel. Collection of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, MS165,

1968 - Jim Heikes transports Tek-Ni-Color from Florida to St. Michaels , 1969 - Patriot welcomes its first passengers , 1973 - Patriot sold to Bob and Nancy Lambdin , 1982 - Patriotsold to Dave and Norma Etzel , 1990 - New, steel-hulled Patriot begins operation , 2004 - Patriot sold to cliff Meredith , 2009 - Patriot sold to John and Robin Marrah , 2023 - Patriot sold to Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum