Maryland Dinner Cruises

About Us
Family-Owned Personalized Service...Not One Size Fits All!!!
	Your Hosts Captain's Kelley & Jerry Cox each hold a 50 ton Captain's License, and have been involved in Chesapeake Bay research for a combined total of 55 years. Jerry and Kelley Cox formed Dockside Express Ltd in 1993, after Jerry retired from the State of Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Jerry ran a 50 Foot Research Vessel for the State of Maryland for 30 years. He was instrumental in the design and building of the Department's newest Research Vessel the R/V Discovery. Upon Retirement Jerry was looking for something to do, we started a small water taxi company out of Tilghman Island, Maryland. We offered pizza; ice and newspaper delivery to the boats in the nearby anchorage, as well as, water taxi transportation to local restaurants and marinas.
By September of 1993, we incorporated the business and expanded to include a 14-passenger van to shuttle people around by land. In 1994 we expanded the water taxi business to include Oxford & St. Michaels. In the fall of 1994, we were offered an opportunity to expand into St. Michaels, and we took the offer. We operated the water taxi in St. Michaels through 1997. In 1997, we bought a 38 foot, 34 passenger tour boat and started running Environmental Cruises and Champagne Sunset cruises out of St. Michaels. In 1998 we purchased the hull of what was going to be the Express Royale. Jerry worked on refitting the boat and we finally christened the Express Royale on June 4, 2000.
Kelley is a native of the Tilghman Island, and graduated from St. Michaels High School; she graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Salisbury State College. Kelley has worked in the Scientific Community since 1984 in various positions, from Oyster Hatchery Technician, Research Vessel Mate and finally a Natural Resources Biologist. In 1995 Kelley, who had been working for the State of Maryland Department of the Environment as a Biologist on the Chesapeake Bay Program for ten years, decided that the business had grown enough that she needed to come into the business full time. As a result, we have grown into a full service transportation service, with two 14-passenger vans and we partner with Bay Area Limousine service and local bus services to offer limousine and motor coach transportation to our customers. We are now out of the water taxi business completely and have a 50 Foot, 49-passenger Tour Boat.
There has been a tradition of entertaining people on the Bay Hundred Peninsula of Talbot County. President's such as Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman visited for hunting, fishing, poker games and politics over hot steamed Maryland Blue Crabs on nearby Jefferson Island. Unfortunately, fire destroyed this 2-story Presidential getaway in March 1946. Kelley's Grandfather, Russell Phillips was one of the captain's President Truman enjoyed fishing with. A lot of history has transpired in this area, from John Smith's Exploration, the battles of the War of 1812, restlessness of the area during the Civil War, to the Arafat Peace Talks held on nearby Wye River. When you join us for one of our tours, you can experience the history through the eyes of a native. Kelley's ancestors have been in this area since the early 1600's when Edward Comins and his wife Elizabeth served as indentured servants of William Claiborne on Kent Island. Jerry's roots are from nearby Hooper's Island, where his great, great grandfather William Hooper was a Schooner Captain aboard the Florence Lee. We strive for your safe, quiet, memorable experience, with your fun

• Home • Cruises • Tours • Schedule • • Private Charters • About Us • Directions & Maps • • Gift Certificates • Vacation Rentals • Links • This website designed by Eclectic Graphics