Ship profile for the sailing ship: "Minnie V."

Technical data of the sailing ship:

Portrait of the sailing ship:

Last update: 25 May 2025

• traditional Chesapeake Bay skipjack built in 1906 in Wenona on Deal Island, Maryland, USA; skipjacks are sailing crafts designed and built to dredge for oysters, during the peak building years approximately from the 1880s to 1910 it is estimated well over a thousand skipjacks were built, skipjacks typically have a flat or v-shaped bottom and a shallow draft with a centerboard, the rig is simple, a self-tending jib and large triangular mainsail make these vessels easy to sail with a small crew.
• spent 87 years in the oyster dredging business, had many different owners in that time, in 1907 purchased by Captain Charles Middleton of Ewell, Smith Island, to dredge for oysters.
• Captain Middleton worked the ship until 1944 when he sold it to his son, Willie, who then sailed the ship for another 10 years before selling it in 1954 to Captains Arthur Somers and Leonard Evans, both of Ewell, Smith Island.
• in 1968 Captains Somers and Evans sold the vessel to Captain Roland Parkinson of Wenona returning the ship to her building site 61 years later. Captain Parkinson sold the boat to Captain Irwin Drummer of Grasonville, who hired Captain James Daniels of Wenona to sail it.
• The City of Baltimore purchased her in 1970 to be berthed in the new Inner Harbor park during the summer months. The vessel still dredged for oysters in the winter under the management of Captain Drummer.
• in 1975, a fire on board caused considerable damage and Captain Drummer towed the ship into a marsh to die. The City decided to restore the ship not long after the fire and in 1981, with funding secured from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, completed a total rebuild of the ship in a small shipyard just north of the Maryland Science center. rebuilt by Melbourne Smith, builder of the original "Pride of Baltimore", a sister ship, the "Anna McGarvey", was also constructed at this time.
• in 1982 turn over of the management of the vessel to the Maryland Historical Society under a 15 year charter agreement, the Society made a handshake agreement with Harrison's of Tilghman Island to put the boat back into dredging during the winter months make money to keep the vessel afloat, the Ocean World Institute of Baltimore was contracted to develop a summer program when the ship would sail from the Inner Harbor, certified to carry passengers in 1983.
• continued to dredge for oysters until the late 1980's when it became unprofitable to do so because of overfishing and diseases such as MSX and dermo, last dredging season was the winter of 1992-93 under Captain John Motovidliac of Tilghman Island.
• in 1996 the management and care of the "Minnie V." was transferred to the Living Classrooms Foundation, again partially rebuilt including replacement of the transom and some planking on the starboard side, also re-wired to bring it into compliance with USCG standards, in 1997 fitted with a new a new Cummins 4BT diesel engine.
• As part of the Living Classrooms Foundation Fleet, the ship was an integral part of the marine education programm conducted by the staff of the organisation from April through October. The vessel was owned by the City of Baltimore and, as part of the lease agreement with LCF, sailed on weekends and holidays, May through September, from the Inner Harbor Amphitheater carrying tourists on harbor history tours. The vessel was also chartered each year by the Maryland Historical Society for their summer harbour history speaker series which took place Tuesdays and Thursdays, June through September. The "Minnie V." was also available for private charter.
• 2010-2012 operated by Potomac River Boating, chartering from National Harbour in Washington, DC; 2013 returned to Baltimore, where she was unused or unmaintained and fell into disrepair.
• 2016 acquired by Stoney Whitelock as owner, transferred to Deal Island, and rebuilt large sections of the hull until she was ready for oyster fishing again.
• 2023 sold to Patrick Murphy, and she will be used again for oyster fishing from Tilghman Island.
• named for the wife of the first owner Minnie Vetra.

Literature for further reading:

We recommend the following references for your further research of the ship. The references marked with have been included in the generation of the ship profile on this page.

American Sail Training Association (ASTA)
"Sail Tall Ships! A Directory of Sail Training and Adventure at Sea"
2000 ISBN: 0-9636483-5-7
(12th Edition)
Page: 180 Source with picture Source with history Source with technical data Quelle with contact

American Sail Training Association (ASTA)
"Sail Tall Ships! A Directory of Sail Training and Adventure at Sea"
2007 ISBN: 978-0-9799878-0-9
(17th Edition)
Page: 210 Source with picture Source with history Source with technical data Quelle with contact