Schooner Sultana (Acroterion /wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)
Enjoy a full-day exploration of the Chesapeake Bay and its environs. The Sultana was a Boston-built merchant vessel that served for four years as the smallest schooner ever in the British Royal Navy. Manned by a 25-person crew, it patrolled the coastline of colonial North America from 1768 to 1772, enforcing the hated Townsend Acts or “tea taxes.” Its journeys took it to the Chesapeake Bay, and in 2001 the Sultana Educational Foundation in Chestertown, Maryland, launched a reproduction of the schooner as a key tool in its work to bring the maritime history of the Chesapeake region to life, as well as in its environmental science programs.
A 2 ½-hour cruise on the vessel is part of regional historian Hayden Mathews’ exploration of the rich heritage of Chestertown, located in Kent County, the oldest county on the Eastern Shore. Step aboard the Sultana, one of the most accurate 18th-century replicas in the world, for a vivid picture of working life on the water, including a glimpse at navigational tools and original log books.
On land, Chris Cerino, Chestertown’s former mayor and vice president of the Sultana Education Foundation, leads a walking tour of the town’s Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and includes many restored Georgian-style homes. History abounds on these charming streets: The town served as a port of entry during colonial times, and is also the home of Washington College, the oldest liberal arts college in Maryland.
The group enjoys lunch at a local restaurant.
Know Before You Go
- The tour departs by motorcoach from downtown Washington, DC with a designated secondary pick-up outside the city. Content delivered by the study leader on the way to the destination, after the secondary pick-up, is an integral part of the study tour experience. Meeting the group once the tour is en route is discouraged.
- Tour participants meet at and leave by bus from the Holiday Inn Capitol at 550 C Street, SW (corner of 6th and C Sts.), with a pickup stop at the New Carrollton Metro Route 50/south-side Kiss and Ride kiosk at about 8:10 a.m.
- Note: Once in Chestertown, participants will be put into groups, divided for the cruise and town tour portions.
General Information
- Registration for this tour will end by 2 p.m. ET on Friday, September 6, 2024.
- Smithsonian Associates is a mask-friendly environment. Please feel free to bring and wear a mask at any time during a tour, both for your safety or the safety of others.
- As we aim to move away from single use water bottles, guests are strongly encouraged to get in the habit of bringing their own reusable water bottle on tour.
- For additional tour information:
