Speakers

Captain Jeff Gumport has been a volunteer with the SS John W. Brown for seven years. His father was a merchant mariner who sailed Liberty Ships during World War II, so for Jeff, being onboard is really something special. The Brown is one of only two remaining, fully operational Liberty ships that participated in World War II. The ship looks now almost exactly as she did toward the end of World War II. Despite her grey paint and many guns, she is not a warship but rather a merchant ship. The Brown was built by the government and was under the control of the War Shipping Administration. John W. Brown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Thomas Guay is the Program Officer at Severn River Association (SRA). The Association creates science-based programs and opportunities for students and volunteer citizen-scientists to study and understand the health of the Severn River ecosystem. There is a robust water quality monitoring program, oyster restoration programs, and environmental education programs for students grades 4 through 10 on our Floating Classroom. SRA is also investing in stormwater mitigation and shoreline restoration projects to reduce our number one pollutant, stormwater runoff.

Maritime and Admiralty law is an ancient body of law that involves a complex interplay between international, federal, and state law concepts. It is one of the most complicated areas of substantive law. Mr. Lochner will discuss some of the key concepts as they apply to licensed captains.

Captain Mike Dodd grew up in Baltimore when it was a quiet southern town. His dad got him interested in boating at a young age. Recently, aboard a 1984 Hatteras 61 motor yacht, he and his wife, Maureen, made a tour of the Bay and composed a book about the experience. Hear about some of the 23 ports of call and their fascinating history.