The DC Traveler

I recently wrote about the tall ship Schooner Sultana, which was part of the Alexandria Waterfront Festival.

The replica of a 1796 British Revenue Cutter and Dispatch ship intrigued me, so I did a bit of research.

The original Sultana was built in Boston in 1767, as a Revenue Cutter.  It’s mission was to inspect the holds of cargo ships and ferret out smugglers, who were looking to avoid paying King George’s taxes under the Townshend Acts (1767). Goods imported into America, notably lead, paper, glass and tea (think the Boston tea party), were taxed. The result, colonialists were outraged.  

Typically, seized smuggled goods would be sold by the tax collector and transported to England and resold.

During the Sultana’s four years of patrolling off the U.S. coast, and after searching hundreds of merchant vessels, she had only made one smuggling seizure.

The Townshend Acts, along with other laws and taxes, caused strong colonial opposition, leading to the phrase “No taxation without representation”. While the act was repealed just three years later, the damage was done and the thought of ending the rule of the British on American soil was firmly planted.

A couple hundred years later, the phrase, “Taxation Without Representation”, made a public comeback and ended up on Washington, DC license plate, starting in 2000.

You can get a taste of the salty sea as a British sailor working for English King George III’s Royal Navy and take a 2-hour sail on the Sultana. Sailing out of its historic home port of Chestertown, Maryland, (about a 1½ hour drive from Washington, DC), voyages occur on eight Saturdays from April to September.

Passengers are encouraged to help the crew by raising and lowering the sails, steering the ship and getting a taste of life on the high seas by exploring the crew’s quarters below-decks.

The ship also offers three 5-8 hour day sails, starting at one port and ending in another for $50 per person.

Sailing on the Schooner Sultana
100 Cannon Street
Chestertown, MD 21620 (map it)

Dates and Times - Saturday, Apr. 26, May 24, 25, July 5, Aug. 23, 30, Sept. 6 & 13.  One or two sails per day. Click here for the schedule and times.

Tickets - Adults - $30.00, children 11 and under $15.00, no kids under 5 years old. Advance reservations are recommended by calling  410-778-5954.  Slots fill quickly, so reserve early.

Images - Sultana on the Potomac - Photo by Michael Wootton, Racing - Drew McMullen

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