The Emma Giles
A Chesapeake Bay Paddle Steamer
Use caution as there are many sharp bits and submerged hazards.
A shallow draft boat such as a canoe or kayak is recommended.
You will not need to leave your boat for this cache.
Perhaps the most beloved of all the bay steamers, the Emma Giles was built in Baltimore in 1887 at the William E. Woodall & Co. shipyards on Locust Point for the Tolchester Company. Her paddle wheels were 26 feet in diameter, with 22 buckets each, and she cruised at 12 MPH. She was named after the daughter of the financier, and Emma Giles actually broke the champagne bottle on her bow.
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The Emma Giles at
Chalk Point, MD
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For nearly 50 years she carried weekend vacationers from Baltimore across the bay to the beaches and resorts at Tolchester. During the week she'd carry passengers and cargo around the bay to places like Port Deposit, Annapolis, Little Choptank, and others. After 1937 she was sold and converted to a barge to carry lumber from North Carolina to Baltimore. In the late 50's she was surrounded by dirt and used as a breakwater at the mouth of Curtis Bay. She was then moved to her present location to make room for a new ore pier, and burned to recover her scrap metal.
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The Emma Giles in
Annapolis, MD
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Note the cache is not attached to the Emma Giles. She has deterirated to below the waterline just south of here. I believe this ship was named The Conemaugh. Just to the north, the large ship is The Portland. She is a WW1 era Ferris Steamship. See GC4JE09 for more information.
Where to launch
The most convenient free launch point I've found is into Solleys Cove at the end of Carbide Road. Parking coordinates are included in this listing. Park in the grassy area south of the American Legion building and outside their posted private property signs. This is a popular fisherman's launch with all the related character.
These ships are the property of the State of Maryland by federal law.
A permit is not required to inspect, study, explore, photograph, measure, record, conduct a reconnaissance survey, or otherwise use and enjoy a submerged archaeological historic property if the use or activity does not:
involve excavation, destruction, or substantive injury of the historic property or its immediate environment;
endanger other persons or property;
violate other regulations or provisions of federal, State, or local law.