Maryland Dove Public Sail 

10:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.

Step aboard Maryland Dove for a relaxed public sail on the St. Mary’s River. This two-hour experience will have you spending time on a beautifully crafted wooden vessel inspired by the original Dove of 1634. Take in the scenery, feel the breeze, and experience the river much as it would have been centuries ago.

Ages 5+. 

$65 general / $55 members. 

Registration required: hsmcc.groups@maryland.gov or 301-994-4372

If the museum must cancel due to weather or staffing, the customer will be refunded. Due to limited space, customers may cancel up to 48 hours prior to the sail to get a refund.

HISTORY:

The Maryland Dove is a reconstruction of its predecessor, built in 1978, and of the original Dove, a 17th-century trading ship. Purchased by Cecil Calvert, the Dove accompanied the Ark, a vessel holding 140 colonists and their supplies, in 1634 to what is now Maryland. Dove then remained with the colony to serve as an intracoastal trading vessel. Later that year, Dove was sent north to Boston to trade corn for salt cod and other commodities, and in August of 1635, Dove was sent back to England with furs and timber to trade. Dove was never seen again, probably lost at sea. The new Maryland Dove, launched in 2022, serves as an ambassador for Historic St. Mary’s City and as a public educational exhibit. Maryland Dove is owned by the state of Maryland and operated and maintained by the Historic St. Mary’s City Commission.