Chesapeake Bay Buy Boats visit Smithfield Station

Chesapeake Bay Buy Boats visit Smithfield Station


415 South Church Street
Smithfield, VA 23430


Thursday, August 04, 2022
All Day Event

Chesapeake Bay Buy Boats are restored oyster boats that enjoy a rich history on the Chesapeake Bay especially in the older port towns like Smithfield. In fact the F.D.Crockett used to collect hogs from farmers and deliver them to Smithfield in the 1920s and 30s. Most of the boats are privately owned and maintained and several are museum boats with educational exhibits.

In August of 2013 the Chesapeake Bay Buy Boat Association was hosted by Smithfield Station. They are returning to Smithfield again for an opportunity for the public to board 8-9 historic boats again on Thursday, August 4.

From the early 1900s through the 1980s, large freight boats known as buyboats traveled the length and breadth of the Chesapeake Bay. At one time numbering several thousand vessels, there are now about thirty still alive in the bay area. Their tasks included the buying, transport, and selling of oysters from tonger to shucking house (hence the name buy boat). The large decked boats with a large boom for lifting cargo also carried lumber from sawmills, tomatoes to packing plants, pigs to Smithfield, and watermelons from as far as Elizabeth City, where the sweetest varieties were grown, to Baltimore for shipment further north. Soft crabs were shipped quickly from southern ports. As highways, trucks, and fast engines took away their freighting duties, the boats became active as crab and oyster dredgers, and a number of the vessels were active into the 1990s. The wooden workboats, which average 60 feet in length, are still voyaging to the far reaches of the bay as privately owned vessels and museum educational boats. Their mission, as members of the loosely organized Chesapeake Bay Buyboat Association, is to bring an understanding of these historic vessels to ports where they were once numerous but often now forgotten.

A number of the historic vessels will be visiting Smithfield Station arriving on August 3 and departing August 5, 2022, and will be open for tours during the day of the 4th. Visitors may board the historic craft and talk to their owners, who travel at their own expense to ports around the Chesapeake so that the public can learn of the buyboats’ importance in bay history.

Planning to visit are the museum vessels:

F D Crockett 63ft X 16ft X 4.8ft 30 AMP

Peggy 60ft X 12ft X 4.5ft 20 AMP

55th Virginia 48ft X 14ft X 4.5ft 30 AMP

Ella K 50ft X 15ft X4.1ft 30 AMP

Emmett H 37ft X 10.5ft X 3.5ft 20 AMP

Sheer Delight 45ft X 16ft X 3.5ft 30 AMP

Linda Carol 62ft X 14ft X 4.5ft 50 AMP

Shadow Fay 30ft X 7ft X 3.5ft 30 AMP


Riverfront Romance
This package is a perfect fit for your next romantic retreat. This special package focuses on the best that Smithfield Station and historic Smithfield Virginia have to offer and features: • A one night stay in our Deluxe Lodge Room, Deluxe Lodge Room with Jacuzzi, any of our Boardwalk Rooms or Cottages, or the Lighthouse • Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries • Dinner for two in our award-winning restaurant, which includes; soup, an appetizer to share, entrée, dessert, coffee or tea, and a bottle of house wine • Continental breakfast Book Now: https://secure.webrez.com/hotel/969/?package_id=243194&?rc_id=10529

Start Date : March 29, 2022
End Date : April 01, 2021

Relax on the River
Tucked away just off of the Chesapeake Bay and James River, Smithfield Station is truly miles away from the daily hustle and bustle of your day to day routine. Located directly on the Pagan River Smithfield Station is the ideal lodging choice to experience all Smithfield has to offer: • One night stay in one of our Deluxe Lodge, Boardwalk, or Traditional Water View Balcony rooms • Dinner for two which includes cup of soup, appetizer to share, entrée, dessert, coffee or tea, and a bottle of our house wine Book Now: https://secure.webrez.com/hotel/969/?package_id=243173&?rc_id=10529

Start Date : March 29, 2022
End Date : April 01, 2023

Romantic Weekend Getaway
Our quaint storybook town has everything you need for an unforgettable romantic retreat. Many of the rooms at Smithfield Station feature jacuzzi tubs, fireplaces, water views, and private balconies. This package includes: • Two nights stay in any of our Boardwalk, Waterfront, or Lodge Rooms • Champagne in room upon arrival • Dinner for two which includes cup of soup, appetizer to share, entrée, dessert, coffee or tea and a bottle of house wine Friday night or Saturday night • Lunch off the menu Saturday afternoon to include two entrees, dessert to share and coffee, tea or soda • Our sumptuous Breakfast Buffet for two on Sunday morning with your choice of two Station Bloody Mary’s or Mimosa’s Book Now: https://secure.webrez.com/hotel/969/?package_id=243195&?rc_id=10529

Start Date : March 29, 2022
End Date : April 01, 2023

Lighthouse Enthusiast
Few landmarks capture the imagination like lighthouses. Smithfield Station in Smithfield features the only lighthouse in Virginia that features overnight accommodations and you won't be disappointed in this truly unique experience! Modeled after historic Hoopers Strait lighthouse in Maryland and is a must stay for any lighthouse aficionado • One night stay in either of our Lighthouse Suites • Dinner for two in our award-winning restaurant. – This special dinner for two includes; soup, an appetizer to share, entrée, dessert, coffee or tea, and a bottle of house wine. • Continental breakfast Book Now: https://secure.webrez.com/hotel/969/?package_id=221483&?rc_id=10529

Start Date : March 29, 2022
End Date : April 01, 2023

Smithfield Station Packages
Smithfield Station is the best location for exploring this beautiful small town! Their packages feature a wide array of activities and attractions that will captivate travelers

Start Date : July 18, 2023
End Date : July 18, 2024

Photos
Chesapeake Bay Buy Boats visit Smithfield Station