The Chesapeake Bay Freeze-Up of 2026: Iceboating, Watermen, and Winter on the Eastern Shore — Jay Fleming

In January and February 2026, the Chesapeake Bay transformed into a frozen landscape rarely seen. Prolonged Arctic air locked up tributaries, harbors, and shallow stretches of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, creating both hardship and opportunity across the region. For Chesapeake Bay photographer&nbs

Jay Fleming
It was supposed to be a bumper year for oysters. Maryland watermen want disaster aid instead.

Nearing the end of Maryland's worst oyster harvests in years, Gov. Wes Moore appealed to President Donald Trump for disaster aid. But whether the Chesapeake Bay's oystermen will get help from the federal government isn't clear.

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n the early 1800’s people generally didn’t ‘lift weighs’ or ‘exercise’ so Prizefighters were usually men employed in trades like Carpentry, Coal Heavers, #Watermen (pictured) or other vocations that required large amounts of physical exertion that built muscle tone. #HarryHolt #Pugilist #Holt #Biography #HarryHoltBiography #SportsHistory #Bareknuckle #Boxing #Prizefighter #LondonPrizeRing #Regency #Georgian #C19th #19thCentury #History #histodon