#log canoe

On a day that feels firmly sliding into winter, an image that is pure summer- CBMM’s new log canoe, Bufflehead, on the Miles River during her inaugural sail this summer on June 9th, 2015. No shirt required onboard, but a stiff breeze and a certain amount of devil-may-care adventurous spirit is critical.

While log canoes are beautiful boats, the attention to detail in their smallest elements is really something special. This eagle carving and trailboard from the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s newest addition to the floating fleet, Flying Cloud, sparkle with careful carving and strong, glossy colors. As lovely as the best craftsmanship on a Philadelphia 18th century highboy, these decorative elements complete the poetry that is a racing log canoe’s elegant, lithe form.

This ethereal submission to our upcoming #cbmmsnapshots exhibition comes courtesy of Peter Lalor, who captured log canoe Island Blossom during a race on the Miles River in September. “Following log canoe fleet in Sunday morning race, in Steve Huntoon's yacht out of MRYC. The morning started sunny but by 11 there was a lowering sky and very interesting light.”

Log canoe racing has long been a staple of Chesapeake summers. These races are the product of the late 19th century when recreational sailing was in its infancy, log canoes were transformed from their weekday use as workboats into fleet racing craft. Over the years, they’ve lost their use as oystering or fishing vessels, and instead have become the nimble vessels they are today— complete with enormous sails and hiking boards to carry human ballast.

VIDEO: Log Canoe Racing Thrills on Chesapeake Bay

Every summer, sailing crews gather on Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay tributaries to race vintage log canoes. One wrong move and these tippy 19th-century sailboats can flip over.

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