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Bareboat Yacht Charters Blog

Chicken Ruth’s

February 6th, 2009

…and a very special story contributed by Mr. Vince Cable, a 40+ year war veteran.  God Bless America.

“Friends,
This past Friday, we went to Annapolis to visit a recently married friend and take in some of the sights. At the Visitor’s Center, the volunteer said, “Oh, by the way, if you want the best breakfast in town, be sure to go to ‘Chicken Ruth’s’ ” ( at least that’s what I heard).

On Saturday morning, we sought out the place and it turned out to be Chick and Ruth’s and it was packed. The owner, Chick and Ruth’s son, Ted, was everywhere, checking out the service and the timeliness of order taking, etc.  Everyone was friendly, and the food was excellent. Ted kept checking his watch and mumbling about “9:30.”  We finished (actually just stopped eating — there was too much food to finish) at about 9:25, paid, and were fighting our way to the door through the throngs of people waiting to get in, when Ted got on a PA system and said “OK, everybody! We have a tradition here at Chick ‘n Ruth’s. We will all now stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance. Following that, I have a real treat for you.”  It was then I noticed the large American flag flying behind the counter. Everyone in this huge two-tiered restaurant stood in silence until Ted led us in the Pledge.

He then introduced a young man of about 14, who was a busboy we had spoken to earlier. He proceeded to sing the National Anthem. I have to say I had a tear in my eye. When he finished, everyone cheered, whistled, and clapped — then went right back to working and eating. We knew we had again experienced something special in a series of emotional events since 9-11.

Later, we were shopping in one of the downtown shops. I told the shopkeeper of our experience. I then said, “I guess that’s been going on since September 11th?”  She said “Oh no. Chick established that tradition when he opened the restaurant in…1969!”  He apparently believed that it was important to do his part to reestablish that kind of patriotism in the face of the Vietnam war protesters and other naysayers. His son has carried on the same tradition and so is no Johnny-Come-Lately to patriotism.

Pledge of Allegiance at Chick and Ruth's Delly

Pledge of Allegiance at Chick and Ruth's Delly

Thanks for letting me share this simple, but poignant story. If you go to Annapolis, Maryland, go to “Chicken Ruth’s” any day between 6 am and 11 pm. During the week, the Pledge is said at 8:30 am and on the weekend at 8:30 and 9:30 am.”  …and a special note for travelers:  “Chick and Ruth’s Delly” has a bed & breakfast on the 2nd floor called, The Scotlaur Inn.

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3 Responses to “Chicken Ruth’s”

  1. Giles Bointon Says:


    My new wife and I booked the sailing holiday of a life time. A six week charter including our wedding with Christmas and New Year rolled into one in the magical British and American Virgin Islands. The yacht was a real disappointment with a great many basic faults but some important issues such as non-compliant life jackets and fire extinguishers. Our boat was shabby and worn and the GPS did not work.2 days before our holiday finished we had an engine failure at sea. Our support from the charter company was very poor and when we raised these matters we received a very sarcastic reply with no apology and admitting no liability for the state of the boat. There were a great many smaller defects such as a leaking loo pump and very poor galley utensils. I could go on!
    We have refuted their dismissive attitude and are now taking them to court. The director of the charter company who has refused to recognise her responsibility is LUCIE BARONE who runs a couple of yacht charter companies, One goes under the heading ‘Y.Barone’ but the company we used was VPM BESTSAIL. I would advise anyone thinking of chartering with either of these companies to think again.
    Dr G Bointon

  2. admin Says:


    Thank you very much for your detailed comment. I am so sorry that your sailing holiday was so disappointing. It should have been an absolutely magical experience for both of you. The Virgin Islands are just incredible. They are perfect for yachting vacations. The boat’s condition should not have detracted from that.

    When you decide to charter another bareboat (sail or power) in the Virgin Islands or elsewhere (maybe a different Caribbean destination, like the Bahamas or something, so as not to remind you of the frightening trip that you took), feel free to contact our company. We will be more than happy to arrange a perfect vacation for you. Hang in there, and please don’t give up on your love of sailing just because you had a bad experience with some other company. We’ll make it smooth sailing for you!

    Sincerely, Jana L. Sheeder, President, Bareboat Depot http://www.bareboat.com and SailAway Yacht Charter Consultants http://www.1800sailaway.com

  3. LateSail Says:


    This is indeed a very sad story, and one that should have been dealt with in a much more professional manner by the charter company. Good message from Jana- there truly are many other companies out there that can offer a much better experience!

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