City guide: Annapolis, Maryland, USA By JANET CHRISTIE Published on Monday 21 May 2012 04:24 THE CAPITAL of the US state of Maryland, on Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, the city of Annapolis owes its birth to the water and it continues to be its lifeblood. In 1649 Puritans from England seeking religious freedom settled in the area, calling their town Providence, and as it grew, it was renamed Annapolis in honour of Queen Anne. An important political base, its power grew thanks to trades such as oyster packing, boat building and sail-making and today it continues to flourish. From the US Naval Academy to the 3.9 million steamed crabs consumed here each year, the waters that gave rise to a rich nautical heritage draw tourists and locals alike to the picturesque shores of America's sailing capital. WITH 4,400 midshipmen and women in town, Annapolis is home to the US Navy and its naval academy trains the officers of the navy and marine corps. Guided tours of the academy start from the Armel-Leftwich Visitor Centre and include the architecturally acclaimed Beaux Arts buildings and campus. Also worth a look is the city dock and Alex Haley Memorial, built to commemorate the 1767 arrival of Kunta Kinte, the slave immortalised by Alex Haly in the Roots book and TV series. United States Naval Academy, behind the Harbormaster's Office, City Dock (www.navyonline.com) FOR landlubbers, the Wednesday night sailboat races can be enjoyed from the city dock and capture its three-century seafaring tradition. Then, for those who love messing about in boats, there are power boats and sailing schools aplenty. Try Annapolis Sailing and Powerboat School, America's oldest and largest. From children to adults, there is sailing and instruction all summer. 7001 Bembe Beach Road, Annapolis (annapolisailing.com) THERE is everything from two-hour sailing cruises on the bay to day-long excursions, and fishing is always an option if that's what floats your boat. Try Cruises on the Bay by Watermark who will even take your pets on board (City Dock, cruisesonthebay.com, 410-268-7601). Or take the children on a Pirate Adventure on the Chesapeake. Watch out for the water cannons, though. www.chesapeake pirates.com IT HAS to be steamed crabs, and there is no end of choice as restaurants dot more than 400 miles of shoreline around Chesapeake Bay. Buddy's Crabs And Ribs, the family-owned restaurant overlooking Main Street and City Dock, specialises in the local crab declicacy, baby-back ribs, seafood, steaks and, if your children are five and under, they eat free. The Annapolis Rotary Crab Feast in August is the largest one in the world and worth getting your claws into.Buddy's Crabs and Ribs, 100 Main Street, Annapolis (www.buddysonline.com) Crab Feast (www.visitannapolis.org) FOLLOW in the footsteps of a colonial-attired tour guide through a maze of downtown streets with Annapolis Tours by Watermark, and enjoy the highest concentration of 18th-century Georgian architecture in the country. You will be led through the Old Senate Chamber, where in 1783 George Washington resigned as commander-in-chief. Then, if they're in school, catch the pomp and ceremony of the Noon Meal Formation of the midshipmen. www.annapolistours.com, adults $16, children $8, under twos free, daily IF WATER'S your thing, you'll probably want to splash out on the Westin Annapolis Hotel which has an indoor pool and is in the historic district of the city. There are complimentary bikes, but it's a short dander from the historic waterfront centre. Or try the historic Randall House B&B, a restored Victorian home across the road from the Naval Academy. Westin Annapolis, from $159/£99 per night (www.westin.com/annapolis), Randall House (www.randallhousebb.com) IT'S always wise to have a few local terms in your vocabulary and in Annapolis they're all nautical. So be nice and brush up on your lingo. "Choker whites" are the smart white midshipmen and women's uniforms; a "cover" is their hat and "plebe" a fourth-year midshipman. If you forget, we find "Hello, sailor" does the trick.