Chestertown’s Downrigging Offers a Welcome Respite by Dennis Forney

In a world hurtling, slashing, cussing and bruising headlong into the 21st century, Chestertown’s Downrigging Festival last weekend offered a refreshing breath of the ancient and durable analog world still moseying along beneath the surface of our increasingly digital existence.

People strolled down busy High Street toward the riverfront, marveling at tall ships and small ships, interloping on a war of 1812 encampment, commenting on the debris line that marked the level of the storm-driven high tide the day before, listening to bluegrass music from beneath a distant tent, enjoying the slower pace of an era measured not by gigabytes, but in the larger, comprehensible units of wind, time, tide, and actual, face-to-face conversation.

Bathed in the light and air of late October, the superbly organized and executed festival unfolded gracefully; effortlessly as Giants Hall of Fame centerfielder Willie Mays making a basket catch of a high arching fly ball.

Nice.  Marvelous. Civil. Gentle.  Like the colonial town’s namesake river.

On Saturday afternoon, the sun worked its way to the west. The steady south wind following Friday’s storm blew straight up the river past the festival grounds toward the old drawbridge.  The crews of five tall ships – Chestertown’s Sultana, Wilmington’s Kalmar Nyckle, Norfolk’s Virginia, Nantucket’s Lynx and Baltimore’s Pride – boarded full loads of ticketed passengers for one of the festival’s signature events.  The Living Classroom Foundation skipjack Sigsbee also joined the cruising fleet.

Singles, doubles and families walked the docks to the vessels tied along the wharf-like Ts of the town’s marina. In slips on either side of their walk, privately owned vintage Chesapeake vessels and Echo Hill Outdoor School’s skipjack Elsworth, buy boat Annie D, and Stanley Vansant-built bateau Ric added to the dynamic nautical display.

The tall ships and Sigsbee cast off their lines, hoisted sails to effect the full flavor of the festival, and eased their way down the river.  Against an incoming tide, they proceeded slowly toward the big bend at Primrose Point and Devil’s Reach. A flotilla of every shape and size of sailboat and motor boat accompanied the fleet, echoing a bygone era when arriving and departing ships made for extra excitement and busyness along the town’s waterfront.

A quarter mile below the point, out of sight of town and the south wind now more favorably on their beam, the vessels came about. With all their sails pulling, two of the vessels fired their cannons when they re-rounded the point, eased their sails for the dramatic downwind leg, and signaled to the town and festival goers as they became visible that their grand return parade was underway.

Back at the docs, sails furled and rigging secured, the vessel crews said goodbye to their passengers as the setting sun pulled away the day’s remaining light.  That set the scene for the festival’s Saturday night fireworks show over the river while volunteers and town crews started cleaning up after the day’s success and readied for repeat performances on Sunday.

By midnight the town’s pace had slowed to that of the tide, ebbing and flooding eternally in the quiet Chester.

This is the view of the Chestertown skyline seen by passengers and crews coming up the Chester River. In the left half is Washington College’s competition sailing center, a nod to the town’s nautical heritage, and First Methodist Church’s white-painted steeple. To the right, Chestertown’s riverfront residences, marinas and downtown heart.

Led by the Pride of Baltimore, tall ships Virginia, right, and Lynx – flanked by skipjack Sigsbee – navigate the flat Chester below Primrose Point on their return back up the river.