By land or by sea: Skipjack Nathan offers many ways to celebrate Chesapeake style

Story by Madison Bateman

Photos from the Dorchester Skipjack Committee

Skipjack Nathan has become a staple of Dorchester County over the past three decades, offering the public a fun way to learn about local maritime history and an intimate place to connect with others.

A skipjack is a commercial wooden sailing vessel which was used for over 100 years to dredge oysters from the Chesapeake Bay. Launched in 1994, the Nathan of Dorchester is likely the last skipjack to ever be built as a sailing dredge boat.

Pat Johnson, President of the Dorchester Skipjack Committee, has been sailing the Nathan for about 11 years now. She said the nonprofit’s primary goal is sharing the heritage of watermen in the region and educating the public on the significant role of oysters in the ecology of the Bay.

The Dorchester Skipjack Committee owns, preserves and operates the historically maintained boat.

The Nathan is popular among locals as a place to connect with each other, as well as the water, according to Johnson.

“We do all kinds of things with [the boat],” she said. “We’ve had everything from family reunions to bachelorette parties and weddings.

The skipjack sees about 10 weddings or wedding-related events every year.

Couples have the choice whether to perform their ceremony on the dock or on the boat in the river. Most often, the bride and groom get married on the dock and then go for a sail afterward.

The Nathan is perfect for a smaller group and a more casual experience, Johnson said. Guests can arrange to have food and liquor on the boat, as well as laid back musical performances.

The boat is docked at Long Wharf, located at the end of High Street in Cambridge near the Choptank River Lighthouse.

“People like hosting their events on the Nathan because it provides a more intimate environment. It gets you out in nature and keeps people off their phones,” Johnson said. “When we have beautiful weather, the scene on the river is picturesque.”

Ann Robinson, a volunteer with the committee and Dorchester County native, often works on the Nathan. Her father, Robert Ruark, was commissioned by the Nathan Skipjack Committee to build the vessel 30 years ago.

“I have a personal connection with the boat,” she said. “Working on it has been a very unique experience … We have hosted people from all over the world.”

Robinson said she has a lot of fun helping out with the wedding ceremonies on the Nathan and enjoys watching guests have a good time while also having an opportunity to share information about the skipjack.

“It’s a great little place to get married,” she said. “One of our crew members is ordained and the lighthouse nearby makes for great photos.”

Outside of weddings and special events, the Nathan offers public sails almost every Saturday during sailing season, April through October, which can be booked online.

Each sail is two hours long and filled with storytelling and oyster dredging by the boat’s crew.

“The boat is run authentically,” Johnson said. ‘Everything is done by hand, just how it was in the 1800s. We have four crew members and a captain like a typical oyster boat.“

 The boat does, although, have an engine, unlike it would have centuries ago.

“The Nathan is loved by all. It’s a real joy to have people come and experience a sail,” Johnson said. “There is so much maritime history to explore in this area.”

The public can book sails, volunteer and learn more about the Nathan at www.skipkack-nathan.org.