Historic ships docked in the Chestertown at the Downrigging Festival. Many Historic ships docked in the Chestertown Marinia in Chestertown, Maryland. The Ships in picture are (Starting right to left): Kalmar Nyckel, Sultana, Pride of Baltimore II, Lady Baltimore.

These aerial photographs were taken in 2009 by Aloft Photography of the Chestertown Downrigging Festival. Many Historic ships docked in the two block area of the Chestertown Waterfront in Chestertown, Maryland for the Downrigging Festival. In 2009 Four of the Ships who participated were the Lady Baltimore, the Pride of Baltimore II, the Sultana, and Kalmar Nyckel. 

As of the autumn of 2015, Sultana’s Downrigging Weekend Tall Ship and Wooden Boat Festival has evolved into one of the largest annual Tall Ship gatherings on the East Coast. It all started back in November, 2001, when the newly launched schooner SULTANA and the PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II, took a casual sail together on the Chester River the weekend before both vessels “downrigged” for the winter. The combination of a stiff breeze, the fall colors at their peak, and thousands of waterfowl flying overhead, made it a day few on board either vessel would soon forget. “We’ll have to do this again next year,” remarked both Captains – and so Downrigging Weekend was born. 

The Sultana                                                                                                                                                                               Sultana sailing on the Chester RiverThe schooner Sultana sailing on the Chester River in Kent County, Maryland.

The Pride of Baltimore II Pride of Baltimore IIPride of Baltimore II underway on the Chesapeake Bay