John Smith Shallop Heads to the National Sailing Hall of Fame
May 18, 2010
In the end of May, Sultana Projects’ John Smith Shallop will cast off from its home dock in Chestertown, Maryland, and make the 60-mile voyage across the Chesapeake Bay to Annapolis and the National Sailing Hall of Fame. Upon arrival at the National Sailing Hall of Fame, the Shallop will become the centerpiece of a 6-month, in-water exhibit about the history of John Smith’s 1607-1609 voyages on the Chesapeake Bay and the National Park Service’s Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.
The exhibit has been organized by Sultana Projects in partnership with the National Sailing Hall of Fame, the Friends of the John Smith Chesapeake Trail, and the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Water Trails Network.
Built by Sultana Projects in 2005, the John Smith Shallop is a 28-foot replica of the small boat used by Captain John Smith to explore and map the Chesapeake Bay in 1608. In 2007 Sultana’s replica Shallop was used to make a 121-day, 1,500 mile reenactment of John Smith’s 1608 voyages which served as the official inauguration for the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail – America’s first National Water Trail. Today, the John Smith Shallop continues to travel to museums around the Chesapeake Bay, serving as a roving ambassador for the John Smith Trail.
Specific departure and arrival dates and times for the Shallop’s voyage to Annapolis will be announced on Sultana Projects’ Facebook Page on Friday, May 21. It is anticipated that the Shallop will make the voyage to Annapolis between May 24 and 26, weather permitting. En route to Annapolis, the Shallop will be crewed by a dedicated group of volunteers from Sultana Projects that oversees the maintenance and upkeep of the vessel.
