Black Boaters Celebrate Their Legacy FRIENDSHIP, MD (wypr) - Dozens of African-American boating enthusiasts gathered this past weekend near Annapolis for fellowship and fun on the water. WYPR's Donna Marie Owens was there and filed this report.

Aboard his 41-foot yacht, christened Headroom II, to accommodate his 6-foot-5-inch frame, Charles Crisp and wife, Patricia, occupy a slip at Herrington Harbour Marina South, about 12 miles of south Annapolis, in waters off the Chesapeake Bay.

The retired couple arrived by boat from Baltimore to attend the annual Chesapeake Bay Boating Alliance Weekend, which draws African-American boating enthusiasts, mostly from this region and nationwide.

Crisp is a member of what is believed to be America's oldest black yacht club, the Maryland-based Neptunes, founded in 1954. He ticks off several others.

"There's a Fort Washington club just south of Washington. And then, in Annapolis, is the Seafarers. Then, in this area, in Herrington, there's a club called D' Boaters. Then we have the Pleasant Yacht Club, which is near Baltimore. And then there's Universal Sail, which is a black sailing club.


The three-day event featured everything from boating awareness and safety seminars, to a fish fry, beach barbeque, and a Hawaiian-style luau.

In between, folks swapped tales of life at sea. Stacy Reddick of Washington, D.C. is a member of Universal sailing club. She's sailed some 30 years, but recalls her first experience as harrowing.

"Caught a bad wind and the boat flipped. It was a 24-foot Stiletto. And the wind just carried me off with the boat.

In addition to the camaraderie, the gathering aimed to increase awareness of African-American boaters nationwide, which the participants believe is a sizeable number.

"Probably across the country, it's well over a million people.

That's Marion Porter of Inland Boater magazine, based in Bowie, Maryland. The publication targets African-American mariners and was created to address the lack of people of color in mainstream boating publications.

"We thought that it's time that the industry awaken to the fact that, you know, other people boat. Other people have the wealth, and the wherewithal to boat. And so we established ourselves to address the marine lifestyle in a more inclusive way.

Indeed, many of the members told stories of the way segregation impacted early African-American boaters. Captain Ed Morris is a member of the Seafarers, a yacht club founded in Annapolis in 1959.

"The club was formed originally because African-Americans were not welcome around the bay. One of the stories that several of the original members told was when they went into Baltimore, they couldn't stop at marinas. And several of the marinas would not sell them fuel.

Jean Lockett of Baltimore, whom, with her late husband, has been involved with the Neptunes since the early 50s, remembers similar incidents.

"There were times we could make reservations, [such as] in Chrisfield in the early 70s. We had reservations there and got there and they told us, no, we could not stay. Even after getting there. But things have changed now and that's good.

Today, the clubs today operate pretty much as other boating clubs do, taking monthly trips together at sea. They also educate the community about boating safety and more.

Haywood Burrell, known as H.B., is fleet Captain of the Seafarers. Earlier this summer, the club hosted a boating camp for underprivileged kids.

"We take them through a week cycle of boat training, politeness, etiquette, that kind of thing.

Captain Billy Smith, who's been boating 25 years and is a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, said black boaters are no different from anyone else when it comes to enjoying life at sea.

"It's just a serene feeling. Especially when you get out in the ocean and there's nothing around, but you, the ocean and fish.

I'm Donna Marie Owens, reporting from Herrington Harbour Marina South in Friendship, Maryland for 88-1, WYPR.
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