« Events Archive

Summer Event 2003:

Cruising to Thomas Point Lighthouse

Susan Tamborini

It was a beautiful day in Annapolis for the annual AMWA-MAC family outing on July 19. The Annapolitan II left the City Dock at 4:30 pm with 10 AMWA members and spouses on board, as well as our personal guide, Carrie Capuco, and other sightseers. During the 90 minutes we were underway, we learned quite a few things about the Chesapeake Bay and Thomas Point Lighthouse. We also got a chance to clear our minds, letting the water exert its age-old calming effect as we traversed the bay, passing colorful sailboats, motor yachts, and even a few large freighters and barges that were waiting to continue on to Baltimore.

Carrie was very accommodating, answering our questions about all sorts of bay curiosities: When was the first bay bridge span completed? (A: 1968.) How is the aquatic ecology faring? (A: Not too well, as problems such as fertilizer and silt runoff from residential construction continue to affect many forms of marine life). Kent Island was the site of the first piracy on the bay, and Horn Point and Severn Point mark the locations of two forts that once guarded the Annapolis harbor. Other interesting facts were divulged and forgotten as our thoughts wandered from Carrie’s presentation to our own musings and back again.

As we neared Thomas Point Lighthouse, we learned that it is a "screwpile" structure, anchored to the bottom by 4-foot screw pilings. It was recently moved a mile further from land to mark changing shoals in the region.

Turning back toward Annapolis, the captain rounded a Maltese freighter from Valletta so that we could get a look at the details of the operation. We got so close, we thought at first we were going to board the vessel and commandeer it for ourselves, but it turned out that the captain is just a boy at heart and likes showing everyone the big boats.

On our way back in, Carrie pointed out a little-known park on Greenbury Point, just outside Annapolis, that is open only on Thursdays from 1 to 5 pm. Home to abundant wildlife, this isolated park is truly a unique local preservation area of which few people are aware.

Back in Annapolis, those of us who stayed for dinner at Phillips enjoyed great company, excellent crab cakes, and some time to talk shop.

If you want to learn more about Annapolis or experience the waterways for yourself, you will need to undertake your own adventure. We missed seeing more chapter members on this trip, but hope to catch up with you all at our next exciting event!