By Aaron Rodenhausen
Elm Staff Writer
During the first three days of November, downtown Chestertown came alive for the annual Sultana Downrigging Weekend. Hosted by the Sultana Education Foundation, this event features one of the largest yearly gatherings of tall ships in North America, in addition to three days of live bluegrass music, ship tours, exhibits, sailing, and other community-based activities. What’s more, the event’s proceeds go directly to the SEF, which promotes Chesapeake Bay stewardship to students of all ages and helps them attain practical experience on the water.
“Downrigging” is the process of partially or fully removing the sails and rigging from a sailing vessel, usually in preparation for winter or other harsh weather. In the case of this weekend’s event, it is done to commemorate the end of the sailing season.
The Sultana Downrigging Weekend is a time-honored tradition here in Chestertown. According to the local Brampton Inn, “the festival started in 2001 when two schooners sailed together down the Chester River before they ‘down-rigged’ for the winter season. Today, the weekend gives attendees a chance to spend time touring a fleet of tall ships in one of America’s best-preserved historic seaports.”
Since that historic incident, locals have been more than happy to take the SEF up on its offer each year, they flock to the downtown area and line the piers in the marina, necks craned to take in the full heights of the attending tall ships.
Visitors were also able to purchase tickets to the “Music Village,” a huge tent located right on the water’s edge, where bluegrass groups including Wendell Mobley & Lee Thomas Miller, Serene Green, Pictrola, and the U.S. Navy’s own Country Current performed live throughout the weekend.
The event’s biggest draw was its gathering of tall ships. To see nine such vessels anchored in the Chester River at once was a truly arresting spectacle. The lineup featured a mix of replicas and originals, representing a wide variety of time periods, places, and styles.
The oldest ship in attendance was the Sigsbee, which was originally built in 1901 to dredge oysters and haul cargo. The largest ship was the Pride of Baltimore II, a 1988 reproduction of a War of 1812-era privateer.
According to the event’s website, Downrigging.org, the “Pride II honors Maryland seafarers of all eras and, wherever she sails, shares the innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, and patriotism that forged and continues to define Maryland’s maritime identity.”
Almost all of the event’s other participating vessels work to promote nautical education and represent their respective home city or state as well.
As for the event’s namesake, the Chestertown-based Sultana is a familiar sight to locals. The ship, a 2001 replica of a merchant schooner of the same name, was built in Boston in 1768. The original vessel was brought about by the British Royal Navy in order to enforce “Tea Taxes” in the American colonies.
According to the official Sultana Education Foundation website, “the modern Sultana sails as a school ship, taking more than 4,500 students out onto the Chesapeake Bay each year for hands-on programs in environmental science and history.”
In addition to raising money for a good cause and bringing the town together for a fun few days, Downrigging is also a testament to the flourishing culture of the Eastern Shore and the Chesapeake Bay at large. The event recognizes and celebrates the region’s unique and fascinating history and unites attendees in their shared love of time spent on the water.
The Sultana Downrigging Weekend is a great annual opportunity for students to get involved in their community and to learn more about this amazing area. Although its return is now a year away, Chestertown has plenty to offer until then, including, but not limited to, the weekly Farmer’s Market, First Fridays, parades, plays, and more.
Photo by Aaron Rodenhausen.
Photo Caption: This year’s selection of boats caused major crowds as these beautiful historical ships docked in Chestertown.