After 34 years of captaining the “floating ambassador” of Historic St. Mary’s City, Will Gates retired last weekend and turned over the command of Maryland Dove to his protégé and former student, Angela Laaro.
Laaro, a generational St. Mary’s County resident who volunteered at the Maryland Dove in her youth, accepted the change-of-command July 13 and will lead as the new shipmaster of the wooden vessel.
“I'm excited to share the love of sailing and the history of sailing with others in the area,” Laaro said. “I, myself, was a product of Will sharing his love with other people, and I hope to be able to continue that mission of sharing it and educating new youth and elders alike.”
Maryland Dove, an exhibit of Historic St. Mary’s City, an outdoor museum on the site of Maryland’s first capital, mimics the design of the original 17th-century Dove that sailed to the Maryland colony with Ark in 1634. The current ship is the second replica to call the museum home; it was built at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels and launched two years ago.
Visitors of the Dove can climb onboard, meet the crew and learn what life was like on a trading vessel. The ship is owned by the state of Maryland and maintained by the Historic St. Mary's City Commission.
Gates said he has no doubts that Laaro will carry out the Dove’s mission to preserve, study and teach.
“I know that I’m leaving the ship and the mission in good hands,” he said.
Gates joined Historic St. Mary’s City in 1989 as the captain of the first Maryland Dove replica ship. During his time at the museum, Laaro was one of his students, and she said Gates has always supported her curiosity with “a warm and open style of leadership.”
“Will has, throughout my growth, served as an invaluable mentor and fount of knowledge and encouragement,” Laaro said.
Laaro graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a biology degree and started her journey on the high seas as a galley hand on the American Eagle in Rockland, Maine. After years of climbing up the ladder and right before becoming the captain of the Dove, Laaro was the captain and fleet manager at Buffalo Boat Tours in Buffalo Harbor and Lake Eerie.
“I’m most honored and excited to be bringing my maritime career full circle back here with the Maryland Dove,” Laaro said. “I've always felt most at home on the water.”
The turnover of command was officially noted in the ship’s logbook, a legal document that records important information about the ship.
Two entries were written in and signed to initiate the change of command. Gates’ entry relinquished command of the ship to Laaro and Laaro’s entry accepted command of Maryland Dove from Gates.
“I will endeavor to sail on with the honor and integrity passed onto me through each vessel and which formed its roots right here on the St. Mary’s River,” Laaro said.
Gates was this year’s Cross Bottony Award recipient and during the ceremony he was presented with a handcrafted silver pin styled after the Crossland Cross, from the Maryland State Flag.
This award began in 1988 to “recognize important contributions to the preservation of Historic St. Mary’s City and the interpretation of Maryland’s history.”
“[Gates] is the face of the face of St. Mary’s City,” Rear Adm. Tim Heely said. “You’ve done a tremendous job and we’ll never forget.”
Most Popular
Comments / 0