Just as one historic charter sailboat leaves St. Michaels for good, another sails in. Technically, she was trucked in—a head-turning wide load traveling right down S. Talbot Street on Tuesday:
Lady Patty, a 1935 ketch built in Solomons, is already familiar to some on the Bay. She operated as a charter sailboat under three different owners on Tilghman Island from 1995 to 2020.
Originally built as an offshore racing yacht, she has been restored but retains her original wooden cockpit, wheel, and mast. The ketch has an adventurous early history, racing along the Southern Ocean Racing Conference circuit in Florida, including a notable victory from St. Petersburg to Havana, according to her new owners. She even once passed through the Panama Canal to San Francisco to complete in the Transpac, a two-week race from California to Hawaii.
Lady Patty spent the last five years as a charter boat in Nantucket, but returns to the Bay as the newest acquisition of St. Michaels Sailing Charters, owned by local sailing couple GM and Laura Bell. GM and Laura both grew up sailing and have sailed internationally, GM is a licensed captain and former instructor at the Miles River Yacht Club. The couple has traveled the East Coast and the Bahamas on their 45-foot catamaran, Epiphany, the first boat in their charter fleet.
How did they come to expand their charters from a modern luxury catamaran to include a 1936 yacht? GM had spent a couple of summers as a first mate aboard one of St. Michaels’ most popular sailing charter boaters, Selina II. Captain Iris Robertson just retired after the 2025 season, and her 1926 catboat is moving to New York under the care of Robertson’s niece. With Robertson leaving a strong fan base and an open dock in St. Michaels, the Bells saw an opportunity to expand their fleet and follow in her footsteps.
Beginning in spring 2026, the Bells will take Robertson’s place at the Harbour Inn & Marina dock where Selina II operated. There, St. Michaels Sailing Charters will offer cruises aboard the historic Lady Patty and Epiphany, each of which can accommodate up to 13 passengers. Guests can enjoy day sails or sunset cruises, wedding or engagement packages, wine or beer tastings, and even private sailing lessons.
Lady Patty left New England on a truck Monday morning, Dec. 15, and arrived on the Eastern Shore Tuesday morning. After making her way down Rt. 33 and passing through her future home of St. Michaels, she will spend the winter in her former home at Knapps Narrows in Tilghman Island. The Bells plan to dive into major teak work this off-season, starting with the yacht’s two masts and then moving on to the topsides.
