Cruise on the West and Rhode Rivers Offers Serenity Aboard Sunset Cruise

Mike Shay and V.K. Holtzendorf had a dream to give their customers a unique view of south county from the water. About five years ago, they tracked down one of the last working wooden passenger ferryboats in operation on the Chesapeake, bought it, refurbished it, and are now offering tours and cruises about the renamed boat, the "Richard Lee."

Named after Holtzendorf's father, the boat is a 65-foot U.S. Coast Guard-approved vessel that can carry 110 passengers. It takes a captain and a couple of crew members to run their West and Rhode river cruises. Their company is called, "West River Cruises."

They're coming off the spring charter season, where customers can rent the boat for $700 an hour (two hour minimum) for birthdays, weddings, rehearsal dinners, learning expeditions, corporate retreats and even memorial cruises. During the summer they offer the charters and a two-hour sunset cruise that is open to the public on Wednesday and Friday nights ($20 per person, $15 for senior citizens).

Holtzendorf likes guests to call ahead to reserve a spot once the weekly forays begin. They provide wine, beer, and soft drinks on the cruises, and they encourage customers to pack a picnic.

The boat departs from Discovery Village in Shady Side.

Shay said that one of the main reasons they wanted to have the cruises is to introduce people to the wonders of the West and Rhode rivers and to offer people a vista from the water. Both Shay and Holtzendorf are big proponents of buying local and supporting local businesses. Along the cruise route they point out local businesses and points of interest. In addition, they try to make sure that what they serve is local as well.

For example, the wines they serve on their cruises are Maryland wines from Harwood (Thanksgiving Farm) and Prince Frederick (Running Hare). For their charters, they encourage the use of Deale's Herrington on the Bay, a certified "green" caterer, because owner Anna Chaney Willman uses all local ingredients, many of them grown on her own farm.

The boat typically departs around 6:30 p.m., cruising out of Parish Creek and into the open waters of the West River. From there, the boat passes by Galesville (where, on Wednesday night, cruisers can watch the Wednesday Night Sailboat Races), from there, they tuck into South Creek where they turn around.

Back out into the open water, the sun sets over the backdrop of the 2400-acre Smithsonian Environmental Research Center property—an undisturbed tract of land along the Rhode River.

This is their fourth year in business. Holtzendorf is retired from the high-tech industry and Shay is a contractor, so maybe it is fitting that they came to the sunset cruise business at the sunset of their careers.

For information on cruises, contact Captain@WestRiverCruises.com or 410-867-6283.