Christian Cabral and Duncan Macfarlane Join Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s Shipyard

St Michaels – The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is pleased to announce the addition of two new members to its Shipyard staff — Christian Cabral of Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., and Duncan Macfarlane of Lexington, Ky.

Cabral joins CBMM in a new position as its Floating Fleet Captain. In this role, he’ll be responsible for facilitating on-the-water experiences for CBMM guests through drop-in cruises, educational programs, and private charters.

A graduate of the University of San Francisco, Cabral holds a bachelor’s degree in U.S. history, with a minor in philosophy. A majority of his professional career has been spent on the water, starting with an apprenticeship with boatbuilder, Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway. He later followed his father and brother and began working on sail training/charter vessels operated by Black Dog on Martha’s Vineyard. Since then, Cabral has worked onboard a variety of vessels both commercial and private, managed a charter business and, for the past five years, served as mate and captain onboard an 82’ schooner built by Gannon and Benjamin.

Macfarlane is CBMM’s newest Shipwright and will serve as lead on the restoration of 1912 river tug Delaware. Built in Bethel, Del., by William H. Smith, Delaware once hauled scows on Broad Creek—often laden with lumber—and towed ram schooners to and from Laurel, Del. Occasionally, she carried parties of young people to Sandy Hill for day trips on the Nanticoke River. Donated to CBMM by Bailey Marine Construction in 1991, Delaware is now a member of the floating fleet on display along CBMM’s waterfront campus. Her full stem-to-stern restoration is anticipated to take two years, with regular updates posted at cbmmshipyard.org.

Macfarlane completed a boatbuilding apprenticeship with The Apprenticeshop, an educational nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring personal growth through craftsmanship, community, and traditions of the sea. Prior to joining CBMM, he spent 18 years as a carpenter, 10 of which were dedicated exclusively to working with plank-on-frame wooden boats. Six of those years were spent at Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway.

“This is an exciting time for CBMM, thanks in large part of the flurry of activity in our Shipyard,” said CBMM President Kristen Greenaway. “We’re dedicated to bringing in the best people possible to help us restore and operate the vessels in our floating fleet, and the addition of Christian and Duncan is another example of that.”

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to preserving and exploring the history, environment, and culture of the entire Chesapeake Bay region, and making this resource available to all.

Every aspect of fulfilling this mission is driven by CBMM’s values of relevancy, authenticity, and stewardship, along with a commitment to providing engaging guest experiences and transformative educational programming, all while serving as a vital community partner. For more information, visit cbmm.org or call 410-745-2916.

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~ Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Contributed photos