The Mathews Maritime Foundation will again be sponsoring a day for residents and visitors to learn more about the county’s rich maritime history. Mathews Maritime Heritage Day 2011 will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at various locations throughout the county.

Dave Machen, MMF spokesperson, said that there will be seven stops people can make on the tour Saturday. "Each stop will bring its own unique experience," he said.

"This year, we are presenting maritime heritage in a much different way than in the past," said another MMF volunteer Marcy Benouameur. "Rather than meet at one place around various booths, we would like for you to visit actual maritime-related sites in person."

The event will have a home base of Morningstar Marinas, Cricket Hill, where Machen said there will be various displays and music by Juniper Green around 11 a.m. "The Yorktown Waterman’s Museum will have some of its artifacts on display," he added. Wood boats will be also be lined up for display.

After leaving Morningstar, people can head across the bridge to the Gwynn’s Island Boat Shop. There, the MMF-owned "Peggy" will be on display and Eric Hedberg of Rionholdt Once and Future Boats will be on hand to discuss making reproduction of Chesapeake workboats from cellular PVC material. Local authors Benouameur, Jim Brown and Larry Chowning will be there in the afternoon with their books.

Next on the list of stops is Callis Wharf. Here, people will be able to enjoy seafood and crab picking, Machen said.

Fourth on the list of stops is Island Seafood. Machen said the store will be open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Fresh seafood will be available.

Later, participants will be able to visit the Gwynn’s Island Museum located near the center of the island. The museum will be open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. with staff on hand to help explain the exhibits relating to the maritime heritage of Gwynn’s Island. Machen said the museum also has a new Smithsonian exhibit telling about how Mathews Captain Thurston Shawn of the scallop boat "Cinmar" unknowingly dredged up the oldest formal artifact found in America.

After leaving the museum, Machen said visitors are invited to come back to the mainland to visit the Mathews Maritime Museum and Tompkins Cottage.

Visitors will be able to pick up a detailed brochure to help guide them and give them more information on the various stops they will make from Morningstar Marinas, he added.

For more information about Mathews Maritime Heritage Day, call 725-4444 or visit www.mathewsmaritime.com.