Welcome Lady Patty

A Historic Homecoming: Lady Patty Returns to the Chesapeake

Nearly a century after she was built on the shores of Solomons Island, Maryland, the legendary 1935 wooden ketch Lady Patty has found her way back to the Chesapeake Bay — and we couldn't be more thrilled to welcome her to St. Michaels.

Lady Patty's story reads like a seafaring adventure novel. She raced from St. Petersburg to Havana, sailed through the Panama Canal, and competed in the legendary Transpacific Yacht Race from California to Hawaii. For 25 years she was a beloved charter vessel out of Tilghman Island before a brief chapter sailing the waters of Nantucket. Now, she's home — joining the fleet of St. Michaels Sailing Charters, owned and operated by GM and Laura Bell.

For GM, bringing Lady Patty back to these waters is deeply personal. He grew up sailing the Chesapeake, taught junior sailing at the Miles River Yacht Club, and even spent summers as first mate aboard the Selina II — the beloved charter vessel whose longtime dock Lady Patty will now call home. Continuing that legacy, in this harbor, with a vessel as storied as Lady Patty, is exactly the kind of authentic, rooted experience that makes St. Michaels special.

Beginning in April 2026, St. Michaels Sailing Charters will offer public sails and private charters aboard both Lady Patty and Epiphany, a 44-foot modern catamaran — two very different vessels, and one unforgettable destination.

Read the full story in What's Up Magazine and then come experience Lady Patty for yourself this season.