Background

Skipjack Lady Helen's hull was built by Carl V. Pederson in Seaford, Virginia, and she was completed in 1987 by Edward L. Fiedler in Pasadena, Maryland. He named the boat after his wife, Mary Helen Fiedler.

While Lady Helen was designed as a skipjack, modeled after Skipjack Rosie Parks, she also was designed as a yacht built for cruising. Her hull was built from southern white cedar, with frames, chines, strong backs and deck beams from Douglas fir. Unlike many older skipjacks converted to comfortable cruising with the addition of a large trunk cabin and thereby losing longitudinal strength in the conversion, Lady Helen was designed from the start to have her spacious cabin. Fiedler built with quality and comfort in mind for extended cruising. She has mahogany trunk cabin sides, solid teak and holly cabin sole, oak countertops and a stall shower. An inboard diesel precludes the need for a push boat.

Fiedler owned the boat until 2002, when he sold her to Mike Gosman, who used her for private charters and public sails out of Chestertown.

In December 2018, Gosman sold her to Jeff McCormick, and her homeport changed to Kent Island. As of 2026, McCormick continues to run charters on Lady Helen out of Kent Island, also participating in many of the races.