Lady Maryland Facts
Pungy - Chesapeake Bay schooner
that sailed the bay as a fast workboat, primarily in the 1800's.
- The name may originate from the place where some of the first Pungies were built - Pungoteague Creek on the Eastern Shore.
- The first Pungies were built in the mid- 1700's. The last pungy, Amanda
F. Lewis, was built in 1888 and sailed the Bay until the 1930's. Lady
Maryland is the only Pungy Schooner still afloat in the world.
- Pungies were primarily used for trade to make money by carrying perishable cargo. Pungies were engaged in many activities in the 1800's including oystering, carrying watermelons, tomatoes, fish, peaches, grain, cans, people, mail, and lumber.
- Lady Maryland was built in 1985-1986 by the then Lady Maryland Foundation,
a public non-profit organization. We are now known as the Living Classrooms
Foundation.
- The cost of the ship, $650,000, was donated by individuals, businesses, and foundations with some aid from the State of Maryland and Baltimore City.
- Mission: to provide hands-on, multi-disciplinary educational experience for
students in the fields of marine and nautical science, history, economics,
geography, and ecology. Students from every county in Maryland sail the Lady
Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay and coastal waters from Maryland to Maine.
- Lady Maryland is made out of wood, principally from the trees of
Maryland, such as White Oak and Pine. In addition, Douglas Fir and Mahogany
were used. All of the wood used to build Lady Maryland was donated
by the Maryland D.N.R.
- Lady Maryland is pink and green because this is the traditional color
of Pungies. Some say pink was used because the oxides and pigments needed
for pure white paint were not readily available in the early 1800's. Others
say the builders used the same buckets that contained the red paint for the
bottom and when mixed with white paint, produced Pungy Pink.
- Length of Lady Maryland: 104 feet overall (bowsprit to boom end), 72
feet on deck, and 64 feet 3 inches length on water.
- Width: (beam) 22 feet.
- Height: Mainmast - 80 feet, with topmast - 92 feet.
- Draft: the distance between the boat's waterline and the lowest part of the
keel 7 1/2 feet.
- Lady Maryland has 4 sails - Jib, Foresail, Mainsail, Topsail. Sail
Area: 2,994 square feet.
- Lady Maryland has 20 berths for sleeping on board.
- Weight: Displacement weight - 82.5 tons, Ballast - 18 tons. 15 tons inside the bilge and 3 tons built into the keel.
- Lady Maryland has two 80 horsepower diesel engines provided by Cummins
Chesapeake Power.
Lady Maryland, one of four vessels in our fleet, is Living Classrooms Foundation's
flagship.