Old Maryland Dove Retired

At the Bay Net, 1978 Dove Hauled Out Of The St. Mary’s River For The Final Time

After 44 years of service, the 1978 Dove was hauled out of the St. Mary’s River for the final time on January 17, 2023..

Designed by William Avery Baker (deceased) and built in Cambridge, Maryland by James B. Richardson (deceased), the ship was based on the small merchant vessel that sailed to the Maryland colony in the 1600s.

1978 Dove is owned by the state of Maryland and operated and maintained by the Historic St. Mary’s City Commission.

That strikes me as rather small vessel for routine trans-Atlantic travel.

1978 Dove served as the floating ambassador for Historic St. Mary’s City (HSMC), occasionally traveling to different ports of call in Maryland. When not on outreach trips, the ship was an outdoor exhibit at the living history museum.

The age and natural deterioration of 1978 Dove necessitated HSMC to commission the design, construction and launch of a new Maryland Dove.

A bad cellphone pic of the new Dove from a fishing trip

 It's a shame they needed to pull it.

Built in full view of the public at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michael’s, Maryland, the new ship was launched in the summer of 2022.

After careful consideration and examination of the ship in winter 2022, HSMC staff determined 1978 Dove should be taken out of the St. Mary’s River one final time.

Historic St. Mary’s City Commission is actively pursuing alternatives to make the best use of 1978 Dove.

We've seen, and been on the Dove for a short motor trip in the St. Marys River. Our daughter-in-law, Abi, worked at St. Mary's City, and crewed on the Dove on occasions.