History

Half Shell weighed down with thousands of oysters, bringing them into market to sell.

The buyboat in action! Photo courtesy of Bill Mullis.

Half Shell under her old moniker, Norman T. Photo courtesy of Bill Mullis.

Half Shell under her old moniker, Norman T.

Half Shell relaunched by Living Classrooms Foundation in 2017.

A model of Half Shell when she was Norman T.

Half Shell cruising in the Baltimore Harbor. Photo courtesy of the Baltimore Sun.

Half Shell’s old quarter board, featuring the Washington, D.C. flag and an oyster shell.

Half Shell still operates with its original wheel and rope steering system!

Half Shell co-owners Donald & Gwyn Novak and John & Debbie Whelan, on the day they took Half Shell to her new home in Solomons!

After more than 15 years in Baltimore and Washington, DC, the historic Chesapeake Bay buyboat, Half Shell, has made her way to Solomons, MD.

Half Shell has a rich and storied history that we’re proud to be a part of!

Built in 1928 in Perrin, Virginia, the Half Shell is what’s known as a buyboat. Long before tractor trailers took over their job on land, buyboats would purchase (literally “buy”) oysters and fish from watermen as they were working and bring them into port to sell. In between seafood hauls, they were loaded down with watermelons, tomatoes and pumpkins – making their way up and down the Bay. Half Shell served as a working boat until the 1950s.

After that, she had various homes in the Annapolis area, where she ran pleasure cruises and was privately owned throughout the 1960s-1990s.

In the early 2000s, Half Shell was acquired by the Living Classrooms Foundation, a Baltimore and DC non-profit that inspires children, youth, and adults to achieve their potential through hands-on education. Half Shell ran environmental education tours for youth in the Baltimore & DC regions for about 15 years.

In November of 2017, Half Shell Adventures was born and this beautiful boat made her way to Solomons, MD! Now, Half Shell’s spacious, open deck is perfect for hosting truly unique recreational cruises. The Half Shell is U.S. Coast Guard certified for 42 passengers (though we recommend 30-35 instead!), 54’ long, 26 tons, and ready to welcome you aboard!