It's not too early to begin thinking of the June Cruise.  Registration is due February 29 - ABC-Wilmington members should look for registration instructions in your email.  The cruise is also open to other area squardon members, just drop us a line at cruise@abc-wilmington.com and we'll send you what you need to do.

The 2024 ABCW Cruise Committee has laid out an itinerary that is based on 2023 cruise questionnaire feedback. The cruise will be shorter in overall distance; we have two stops of two days; and we have reduced the trip by one day as well.

Here are some details:

6/1. Commander's Kickoff. North Point Marina

6/2 and 6/3. Rhode River. At anchor.  Assigned Raft-ups, shared menu the first evening.  Second day we will tour the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) and some dinghy activities.

6/4. Leadenham Creek. At anchor.  Assigned raft-ups with some dinghy activity.

6/5 and 6/6. Cambridge Municipal Yacht Basin. Dinner on our own, Richardson Maritime Museum, Harriet Tubman Museum and other activities TBA.

6/7. Dun Cove. At anchor with dinghy activity

6/8. Annapolis. Port Annapolis Marina. Banquet and other activities TBA.

6/9. Return to Rock Hall MD

The Cruise Committee wants to underscore its hope that those who cannot join us on a boat meet up with us at the Kickoff, SERC or in Cambridge. No boat is necessary!

Each year the cruise morphs slightly. This time we will stop at two locations for two days each. For years many commented on wanting to visit the SERC on the Rhode River - now a two day stay makes it possible. For those who enjoyed Oxford last year we have more planned at Cambridge - we could have stopped for three days! Also we will reach out to neighboring Squadrons located on the cruise route asking if they want to join us.

Camaraderie, just fun boating and on-shore discoveries promise to make the cruise very special. Remember - boat or no boat - we want you to join us.

Many thanks to the 2024 Cruise Committee: Laura Hepting, Carol Hanson, and Co-Chairs Colleen and John Schleicher, Leslie Brower and Bruce Wyngaard. Do not hesitate to contact any us on cruise@abc-wilmington.com if you have questions.

The following is a recap of our 2024 annual cruise:

2024 Annual Cruise Has Several Firsts

The annual America's Boating Club Wilmington (ABCW) June cruise was a wonderful start to our boating club's summer season. Led by Commander John Bailey aboard Novus, the cruise kicked off from North Point Marina, Rock Hall, with ten sailboats enjoying a brisk breeze. Building on the feedback from the cruise last year, the Cruise Committee put together an itinerary that included a two day anchor in the Rhode River and a two day stay at the Cambridge Municipal Yacht Basin. Cambridge Squadron member John O'Reilly joined us on his boat Sans Souci. We also participated in 3 fascinating tours where we learned about the Chesapeake Bay's history, economy and fisheries. 

Staying two nights at the Rhode River allowed us to tour the superb Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). Our guides described how the center is conducting environmental research relating to Chesapeake Bay wetlands and fisheries that is used to advance environmental science and as a resource for public policy decisions that can protect the Bay. We were joined on shore by ABCW members Gail and Jeff Russell and Laura and Wayne Hepting.

Kathy Mayhue, aboard Star Reacher with husband Scott, organized a delightful dinghy raft-up at Leadenham Creek. Each dinghy came supplied with hors d'oeuvres that were carefully passed from dinghy to dinghy. We also took photos of longtime cruisers, Susan and Randy Williamson with crew Julie and Randy Jr. aboard Windward Passage, and Bev and Bart Wilson with crew Jim and Steve, aboard Pleasure's Mine. It was wonderful to have their grown children along.

The next stop was the two and a half-day visit to the City of Cambridge. Colleen and John Schleicher, with crew Ben and Lee Skinker aboard Scrimshaw, did an amazing job organizing a true triple header of activities. ABCW members Gail and Peter Weintraub, and Gail and Jeff Russell joined the group on shore. We toured the Horn Point Oyster Hatchery - what an interesting place. They raise oysters from spat to adults, supplying oysters for riverbeds in Maryland and Virginia. An oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day. Of the 1.7 billion oysters the hatchery raised last year, 75% were allocated to improve the Bay water quality. The hatchery also partners with the oyster industry to supply them with about 25% of the hatchery's production of younger oysters. All of us were impressed with the size of the operation, the sophisticated equipment and dedication of the staff. The afternoon was capped off with a friendly picnic sponsored by the Cambridge Squadron - another first. They graciously prepared a picnic meal in a Bayside shelter outside the hatchery. It was special meeting with members of our sister Boating Club and sharing stories about boating experiences in the Cambridge area. Finally, John Schleicher organized private van transportation so cruisers could visit the Harriet Tubman Underground Railway Museum and the Cambridge Maritime Museum. At the Tubman museum, we learned about the slave economy, the laws that protected slave ownership and the considerable risks Harriet Tubman took to guide enslaved people to the northern states and Canada. At the Maritime Museum, volunteers shared what they are doing with boat restoration and cruisers toured their extensive boat model collection. Some of us also toured a renovated buy boat that is available for tours. The owner of a WWII German navy training vessel shared his plans to restore his boat, of which only three exist today. The Cambridge stop was capped off with dinner at the Cambridge Yacht Club and a warm welcome by their Commodore. The Club has a great view of the Choptank River. We appreciated the efforts of John O'Reilly who supported the awesome activities enjoyed in Cambridge.

At our next anchorage in Dunn Cove, we all gathered in dinghies around Pleasure's Mine and celebrated Bart Wilson's 90th birthday, complete with a song and cupcakes. Bart's remarks on the meaningful friendships in our Boating Club were truly moving.

But that is not all! Colleen Schleicher organized a Chesapeake Bay trivia contest which involved raft-up groups answering 50 questions related to the Bay and boating. The quiz was not simply fun and competitive, though it was that. We also learned about the Bay economy, history, and political and environmental challenges. It was a big hit and, based on feedback, a version of it will likely be part of a new tradition of the cruise.

To view the cruise itinerary and activities in more detail check the Cruise Guide on the Boating Club website, abc-wilmington.com. John Schleicher did a great job creating and updating the Guide during the planning process and the final product reflects his skills.

Our cruise wrapped up at the Port Annapolis Marina for the second year in a row. We collected donations to support the work of the research and Bay preservation organizations that we had toured. Dennis Wallace, with wife Carol aboard Weatherly, offered final remarks reflecting affection and appreciation for the Boating Club members and the warm community it has represented for so many years. Dennis has a way of weaving together the good times, the challenges we faced and a way to express the connection we make as cruisers.

We all appreciated the efforts of Bill Zimmerman, who capably hosted our directed radio net each morning. Other Cruise participants included Joan and Bill Barber aboard Skylark, Richard and Terry Butler aboard Eau de Vie, and Donna and Bill Zimmerman with crew John and Betty Ingram, aboard Mystic Star.

Banquet attendees filled out the cruise questionnaire that will be used by the 2025 cruise committee. Our heartfelt thanks go to cruise committee members Laura Hepting, Carol Hanson and Co- Chairs Colleen and John Schleicher, and Leslie Brower and Bruce Wyngaard aboard Brio, for a truly awesome educational cruise!

See you next year!

Members are kept  informed of activities planned by regular mailings of the award winning newsletter "The Lubber's Line".

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