Archives for September 2010

1900 Wednesday September 29, 2010
12 miles SW of Monhegan Island, Maine
Motoring against 20 knots of SW’erly wind

Before falling asleep last night, after an evening ashore with Rockland friends who are also professional mariners, I was able to examine the near and long term weather. I discovered that the pattern of southerly to southwesterly winds preceding a cold front northwest wind due Friday were going to be somewhat more strong as well as somewhat more uncertain as to actual timing. Strong south to southwest wind would not make remaining in Maine waters comfortable; there would be more rain as well. Waiting in Maine for the cold front to pass on Friday would pose the problem of where to wait in Maine…docking is expensive and anchoring can be problematic as well as boring to all hands “trapped” aboard. An uncertain cold front following a rather strong south to southwesterly wind flow would require additional waiting to let the 11 foot estimated sea size die down in front of the northwesterly winds and likely make PRIDE late arriving Boston, causing grief for Guest Crew travel plans. However, the southerly winds that chased us into Rockland would be moderating tonight before the stronger south to southwest winds coming on Thursday. With Boston less than 150 nautical miles from Rockland, and the capability to motor at 7 or more knots in the more moderate overnight conditions we could be in Boston early Thursday, and tied securely to a dock for the coming weather. Then there would be opportunity for maintenance and crew distraction ashore when not having to work, not to mention avoiding creating travel grief for Guest Crew. After today’s lunch we departed Rockland and are pushing on to Boston with hopes of arriving tomorrow morning before the onset of stronger southerly winds.

I am disappointed we had to leave Rockland so precipitately. There are a lot of “like minded” traditional sailors in Rockland that I have come to know well over the years. Some I have been shipmates with. There is a surprising number of alumnus PRIDE crew that has collected in the area, some originally from the area who came to PRIDE to sail. But it is truly better to have made a short visit to Rockland than none at all. Schooner Captain Friends are a wonderful source of “grounding” friendship that is not as readily available in other parts of the country. After all, there is a significant fleet of windjammers that do a wonderful sailing business in Maine waters. They are great sailors with intimate knowledge of what is involved with taking care of a vessel and her crew. PRIDE “wanted for nothing” upon her arrival in Rockland; transportation for shopping, dock with electricity and water for a night (for a discount fee), ready access to shore distraction for the voyaging crew just in from 9 days and more than 1,000 nautical miles and a case of “welcome to Rockland” beer. It would have been great to have been able to return the hospitality…but it is necessary to depart and leave behind our sincere thanks to Captain Kip Files of the Schooner VICTORY CHIMES and his officers and crew, The Barns’s of the Windjammer Pier and Captain John Foss of the AMERICAN EAGLE for the case of “welcome” beer.

Cheers,
Jan C. Miles, Captain aboard Pride of Baltimore II

0800 hours Tuesday September 28, 2010
Sailing towards Penobscot Bay with 20 knot southerly wind. Scattered rain. Fog. Took in main-gaff-topsail last night and topgallant this morning. Wind expected to increase to 30 knots and veer to SW sometime later today. Looking to take shelter at Rockland Harbor.

Overall the plan to wait in Cape Breton Island for the weather to change continues to prove successful. It was always uncertain what would happen after getting around Nova Scotia, largely due to the uncertainty factor of very long range weather forecasts. Hence the Cape Breton Island waiting strategy was mostly focused on how best to get around Nova Scotia and afterwards as far west in the Gulf of Maine before the next contrary weather system arrived. For a while it looked like we would be able to sail all the way to Boston and as a result arrive a long way ahead of schedule. But…that is not the situation now. To escape 30 knot southerly to southwesterly winds forecast in the Gulf of Maine for later today and because we were able to get around Cape Sable last evening, having advanced so well from Cape Canso after departing from Cape Breton Island, the updated weather reports helped me decide that the thing to do was race to upper Maine and get into a lee behind a good headland as smartly as possible. Penobscot Bay is only 120 nautical miles to the west-northwest from Cape Sable, easily sailed with a southerly wind; at 10 knots only about 12 hours away. It took till midnight to get around the blunt point of Cape Sable, and we are now making about 9 knots because the wind is more on the beam so we are having to reduce sail to keep angle of heel within the comfort zone, so it will be more like 14 hours to cross the Gulf and start to reach into the mouth of Penobscot Bay early afternoon today. Arriving back into the USA today here in Maine leaves the rest of this week till our deadline in Boston on Saturday to wait out another weather change to make the run from Maine to Boston. With luck we will be able to sail that distance rather than motor. Even if we motor, the trip from Montreal at this time of year will have been a minimum fuel consumption trip as compared to other trips around Canada coming from the Great Lakes at this time of year.

Meanwhile clearing US CUSTOMS needs to be arranged. Since 9/11 the big change in Customs procedures is the advance notice aspect. Before 9/11 a smaller vessel like PRIDE would notify Customs “upon arrival”. That is no longer permitted. Advance notice is required and must include information about who is aboard. Fortunately Pride has very able office staff to depend on to handle communications between ship and shore during those times the ship is not in harbor and able to handle communications directly. So Customs already knows we are on our way to
the United States from Montreal. They also know that we are a sailing vessel subject to weather vagaries. Now that I know where I intend to sail Pride due to the current weather forecast and have informed Pride‘s office staff, US Customs will be informed and instructions sought for what needs to happen to achieve a Customs clearance in Rockland, Maine. This should not present a great problem in Rockland as it is designated as a “Port of Entry” in the “Northeast District” of Customs, managed out of Portland, Maine. If required, we can wait till Wednesday to clear
Customs, considering the significant change in circumstances and how quickly they have precipitated. After all, this recent development is about avoiding thrashing around unnecessarily in fresh to strong contrary weather, not about getting an early clearance into the States. We can remain aboard till such time as arrangements for clearance can be organized.

Cheers,
Jan C. Miles and the US bound crew of Pride of Baltimore II

1100 hours Monday September 27, 2010
70 nautical miles east of our turn at Cape Sable
Wind SE’rly 12-16 knots, making 7-9 knots
All sail set plus top-gallant (no studding sail)

Since rounding Cape Canso (east end of Nova Scotia) mid day yesterday Pride has been enjoying steady wind & sea conditions from the southeast letting her maintain pretty steady performance through yesterday afternoon, all last night, and we look forward to these conditions continuing through the rest of today and most of tonight.

Tomorrow will bring change. By then, Pride ought to be well into the Gulf of Maine with sea room to deal with the coming change. The forecasts indicate increasing wind from the south starting tomorrow and continuing on well into Wednesday. South winds will not provide reaching conditions like we have now. Instead the wind will be more ahead of the beam. As the wind increases in strength we will need to reduce sail area and we will likely find that to remain somewhat comfortable…steering off to the north of west hence not directly toward Boston…will be indicated. Long range forecasting indicates the southerly winds are to veer further to the southwest increase some, but be less strong near shore. So I am thinking being flexible to head to the north of Boston as wind increases and veers and maybe reach reduced strength sooner may be a workable strategy for the coming weather.

We expect rain sometime tonight and continue tomorrow. For now the partly sunny day is moderately warm and dry. Rain will indeed dampen this very comfortable sail thus far.

With steady conditions such as we have been experiencing since early afternoon yesterday the on-board daily routine becomes rather repetitive. No sail change during watch and no call to have the stand-by watch come assist means everyone lives from meal to meal and sleep to sleep and watch to watch. Every four hours there is a change of watch. One group goes down to sleep as one goes up to take over and the third merely rolls over. At each watch change there is either a meal or a rummage through the snack locker. For those with more lying down and sleeping then they desire there is reading in the saloon (mid-ship cabin). Meal times are when conversation occurs between watches. Otherwise conversation pretty much only exists between watch members.

Well, I suggest everyone enjoy the current conditions…for they will change. Maybe not right away…but they will change and it looks like things will become a bit busier and less steady while also becoming wet and probably colder.

Cheers,
Jan C. Miles, Captain aboard Pride of Baltimore II

1645 hours Sunday September 26, 2010
Sailing with all sail (including top gallant and studding sail) on a broad reach toward Cape Sable…the west end of Nova Scotia…on a breeze from the east-southeast.

The plan to remain anchored for Saturday seems to be working. We are now making our way toward Boston at around 7 knots without having to resort to motoring and we are doing so in favorable and moderate wind conditions with all sail set…a first for the newly reformed crew of Pride.

I am not sure if I had mentioned or not…but come August to September in any given year of sailing it is common for Pride crew that start at the end of February to move on after about six months aboard. This year we will have experienced three quarters crew rotation by mid-October. Right now we have rotated 50%. Due to the geography of this time period of significant crew rotation, many of the new crew have been aboard for several weeks and not had the experience of sailing with some of the sails…or have not reset some of the more commonly set sails like the mainsail…since they boarded or for several weeks after their first experience setting them. The St. Lawrence River and Canal System and in-port festivals do not lend to going sailing…hence new crew can be aboard for several weeks without having the chance to rub off their newness through lack of frequent experience with sail handling. But each time there is experience with sail handling, the newness rapidly disappears. With any decent good fortune with weather between now and mid October’s arrival home to Baltimore, this reformed crew of Pride ought to be in pretty good professional state.

The outlook for the remaining sail to Boston suggests favorable wind til mid next week, followed by contrary winds for a short while. How and where we deal with the contrary winds from the west remains a mystery for now…short of a broad strategic concept. Specifically, sail wide around the west end of Cape Sable and as the wind veers from south to southwest mid next week (hopefully we are midway across the Gulf of Maine) then turn with the veering wind and sail over toward the New England coast till either the wind continues to veer to west or north of west or Pride runs out of room, then tack to the south-southwest and sail “up” to Boston, maybe close along the New England shore. We shall see what we shall see.

What do we do when anchored for two nights and a day with no access to shore? Well…lot’s of little things. Clean, mend, organize, sort, teach & train…relax, eat and sleep. But something special can occur as well. Our little sister privateer Lynx was anchored with us. Last evening an invitation to Pride‘s company to visit after supper for tea and coffee was extended by Lynx. Two American privateers based on the 1812 War Chesapeake Bay model resting in a snug harbor in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia waiting out a change in the weather is a pretty unique thing these modern days. This was noted by a local that sent an email to Pride‘s office and it was forwarded on to Pride…it included a phone number…I called it to share my thanks for an enthusiastic welcome from ashore. The woman that answered was most appreciative of my call and explained she too had schooner history…remembered being sent into a small boat to clean the sides…just like what she was seeing happening at Pride anchored out in front of her home.

That is what can happen when anchored for two nights and a day with no access to shore.

Cheers,
Jan C. Miles, Captain aboard Pride of Baltimore II

 TODAY PRIDE ANCHORED AT CAPE BRETON ISLAND

Pride is a new but temporary inhabitant in Inhabitant Harbor, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada (near the town of Port Hawkesbury).  We dropped anchor here about two hours ago (1400 EDT or 1500 ATD) for the purpose of waiting out a change of weather.

After successfully negotiating the last gale we are attempting to make best use of the new forecasts for fresh to strong southwest wind starting early tomorrow by hiding in a protected harbor till that weather pattern changes. If I have understood the forecast properly we will be anchored here till Sunday morning waiting for the wind to shift from the current light to moderate west to northwesterly wind to south to southwest 20 to 30 knots starting late tonight and going through all of Saturday. When that pattern blows itself out it seems the next wind pattern is to start on Sunday from north to east to southeast to south at between 10 to 20 knots though Tuesday throughout the length of Nova
Scotia. This new forecast to start on Sunday would be a favorable sailing pattern…whereas the southwest pattern would contrary…so we will remain temporary inhabitants in Inhabitant Harbor in hopes for a more favorable wind pattern.

While we wait, crew have jumped into vessel maintenance. Tomorrow we will continue with maintenance and cleaning. If we receive the favorable wind pattern on Sunday…we should continue to be on schedule for the planned arrival in Boston October 2.

Cheers, 
Jan C. Miles, Captain aboard Pride of Baltimore II

Sailing with Foresail, reefed Square-topsail, staysail and jib.
Wind west to northwest 20 to 25 knots.
Steering toward Canso Straits to the southeast.

After dropping off the last and third set of paired pilots at Escumins, Quebec Tuesday evening, the crew set the foresail, staysail and jib below the already set square-topsail and we turned off the engines for the first time since departing Montreal Monday afternoon.

At first the wind Tuesday evening was moderate and Pride moved along at nearly 7 knots. But by midnight the wind was down to less than 10 knots and Pride was down to one knot. But I did not choose to start engines because of a long range weather report that indicated high winds for later in the week in the Gulf of St. Lawrence that would be against us if we were there. With no reason to rush to meet those strong contrary winds Pride was left to drift along with the outgoing river current and what little favorable wind there was through the rest of Tuesday night.

The drifting plan seems to have worked out. We are now comfortably getting along toward Canso Straits with a favorable west to northwest breeze, having dawdled properly enough in the estuary portion of the St. Lawrence River to avoid the gale force southwesterly winds that blew last night in the Gulf of St Lawrence. While we avoided the strong and contrary winds we are experiencing the left over swell of last night’s gale. 

Not that we avoided gale winds! The same weather system that produced the gale winds from the southwest in the Gulf produced gale winds from the west in the river estuary. Last night Pride sailed along dead downwind at between 10-12 knots with only her reefed square-topsail and full staysail set . With a full moon and cloudless night the evening was bright and surrealistically beautiful, enhanced by the bright view of the tall hills of the Gaspe Peninsula passing by on our starboard. 

Looking forward to the next five days of weather it seems we should again not be in any hurry. Another low system with associated high following behind is forecast to pass across our path as we look to go around Nova Scotia. It seems there will be fresh southwest winds on the Atlantic side of Nova Scotia Saturday…just after we pass through the Canso Straits and start to make our turn to the westward at Cape Canso on the east end of Nova Scotia. I am not interested in trying to go against 20 odd knots of southwest wind…so it looks like we may be considering finding an anchorage for the forecast southwesterlies. Hopefully they will not persist for long. A couple of days worth of delay will put some pressure on our deadline to arrive Boston the Saturday after this coming one.

We continue to have the company of our “smaller” privateer friend Lynx. She is just ahead of us by less than 5 miles having motored longer in the St. Lawrence than we did. Even without setting the mainsail aboard Pride we seem to be slowly closing the gap on Lynx. Meanwhile, if the forecast of weather pans out, we will be arriving Canso a full day earlier than we can make use of considering the forecast of fresh southwesterly winds…so maybe we will be anchoring together for a bit waiting for the contrary winds on the south side of Nova Scotia to change.

In other more mundane news…but singularly important to us aboard Pride…The engineer just fixed a problem with the generator’s cooling system. It is not certain what actually went wrong. But proper diligence by engineer John Pickering identified a cooling pump malfunction during morning start-up procedures. With a full spare pump at hand as well a drive belt…less than an hour later…the generator was running smoothly and coolly as it refilled batteries and fresh water to last us the next 10 hours before the generator is started again for another two hours or so every 10 hours for as long as we sail. Our little island civilization continues to be as comfortable as ever it has been on voyages of several days length due to extensive planning and preparation.

Signed
Captain Jan C. Miles and the southbound crew of Pride of Baltimore II

0830 hours DST Tuesday September 21, 2010
Near Quebec City
Motoring down river under guidance of river pilots.

Fall has fallen here in the St. Lawrence River. Everyone is wearing winter coverings when on deck and winter-cabin cloths below. The sky has a winter cast to it with high clouds thin enough to filter the sun’s heat out of the rays that otherwise continue to require sun glasses. Passing by Quebec City this morning at 0700 hours the city did not stand out in the dimmed down morning sun. Instead it too seemed uncharacteristically cold and all hunkered down appearing.

PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II departed Montreal yesterday afternoon after a morning of shore side rushing around and targeted maintenance biding time till the pilots arrived. Weather in Montreal was a pleasant 70 degrees stimulating shirt sleeves while walking vigorously in the direct  sunlight…but as much as a sweater or a coat when idle in the shade. Since departing Montreal, PRIDE has been steadily gaining latitude to he north, while also losing altitude towards sea level, on her way northeasterly towards Nova Scotia and the Atlantic Ocean. Fall weather has been pushing PRIDE along since soon after departing Chicago at the end of August. Now that it is three quarters into September we are in a race with fall towards the Chesapeake Bay with hopes of PRIDE arriving on schedule October 12. I think fall will be awaiting PRIDE’s arrival.

The tall ship fleet that was assembled for the American Sail Training Great Lakes Challenge of 2010 is now disassembled for good. All member vessels are now on singular schedules. All but the two privateers that is. LYNX is again right behind PRIDE making like an escort as both vessels voyage towards their next official rendezvous in Baltimore Harbor in time for the start of the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. Once both vessels reach the American East Coast their routes will diverge until Baltimore. For now and until we reach the American East Coast it looks like anyone observing our passage might experience a double take as two similarly rakishly rigged vessels pass by separated by several miles to as much as half a day, due to the different length of the vessels hence potential speed difference.

Montreal’s tall ship festival seems by all accounts to have been a great success. Certainly the weather played a starring roll. After a cold and soaking parade of sail marking the arrival of the fleet on the eve of the festival the weather turned to marvelous…clear skies with high temperatures in the 70’s and lows at night near 50 that lasted throughout the weekend! The crowds to the ships were enthusiastic on all of the days. For the crews, the second largest French speaking city in the world beckoned. For North Americans seeking a Continental European experience, one does not have to go to Europe. Just go to Quebec Province in Canada! But be ready to pay European prices…at least in the city…beer for $8…just as a for instance. But the culture one experiences is dramatically different than that found outside of Quebec Province. City fashion appears to be singularly Continental European. Older architecture certainly is. Food and style of delivery is French…the common lingua is French…unless one goes out of one’s way to visit an Anglophone neighborhood.

All had to end…of course. We waved goodbye to our wonderful Old Port Marina hosts with a two cannon salute. Our hosts had been as attentive to all the needs of the vessels as new parents. I hope sincerely to a future visit.

But now it is time to refocus on getting PRIDE home…which entails close scrutiny and frequent monitoring of the weather. The weather fax machine has been turned on. The NAVTEX machine has been turned on. Periodic council with the pilots about the weather helps to put into perspective information coming in over the radio frequencies. Further council with LYNX (Captain Jamie Trost) refines the nuances of strategic choice that includes fuel conservation and alternative routing that might be available to achieve shelter for any really strong weather and certainly for any contrary weather. After the pilots debark sometime late this evening we will be in the position to consider sailing as the river will be wider and our timing will be less restricted…pilot time is money spent. Hence, even if there is sailable room, it is best to focus on minimum pilot time aboard then to consider sailing…unless sailing reduces pilot time.

With many PRIDE crew changes since mid August, it is also important to hold training meetings with the new crew. The latest changes occurred in Erie about 10 days ago. Since then there has only been two sailings made of only 6-12 hours and the mainsail was not set. The rest of the underway time has been motoring. When we next go sailing, should it include setting the mainsail, it will be the first time the mainsail is set since the ship was in Lake Huron back about September two weeks ago.

With all of changes in crew we are “back” to the spring after a winter of lay-up and a “new” crew that needs training time. But unlike the spring, we have thousands of miles to cover in limited time rather than short sails scheduled frequently over a month in home waters at the beginning of the season. Voyage planning for the run to Baltimore will be further affected by the newness of the crew.

Cheers,
Jan Miles, Captain aboard Pride of Baltimore II

Pride of Baltimore II is sailing eastbound in Lake Ontario with a cold front wind from the west and low 60 degree weather. This is a great weather pattern for going east…the wind is nearly 20 knots strong…Pride is gliding along downwind directly along her desired course. Weather reports suggest this favorable wind should last through the day and well into the evening. Maybe Pride will be in the Thousand Islands at the east end of the lake before the wind dies. That will be the beginning of the St. Lawrence River with no room for sailing, so motoring will be necessary.

I am back aboard Pride after a two month hiatus ashore after having sailed Pride into the Great Lakes earlier this year. Now, after providing management support to the ship and the office of Pride, Inc. while I was ashore, it is time for me to do my active marine part and bring Pride out of the Lakes and on home to the Chesapeake Bay and Baltimore. My partner Captain, Jamie Trost, is off aboard another vessel (Lynx) after having completed two months aboard Pride sailing her to all those tall-ship festivals that occurred in the Lakes this year. I look forward to Captain Trost returning aboard in November to help with the end of the sailing season, as well assist in putting Pride “away” for the winter.

Pride spent this last weekend in Erie, Pennsylvania supporting a fund-raising tall ship festival in benefit of the Flagship Niagara, an 1812 War naval vessel that starred in Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s winning a significant naval battle against the British back in 1813. In these especially hard modern economic times the traditional sources of financial support coming from the State of Pennsylvania have been significantly reduced putting at risk the possibility that Niagara would be able to continue sailing. Hopefully this fund raising festival will be a significant boost toward preserving Flagship Niagara as a teacher of traditional sailing methods of her original era. For two decades she has been a source of information on how sailing was done way back when and many of those that have learned from her have gone on to become professional mariners, while others have been able to interpret historical details in a “living” and functional manner that goes beyond merely describing such in a book.

There is a great friendship between Pride and Niagara. While it may at first seem logical considering the common perspective of both vessels representing different aspects of the 1812 War, there is also the connection of crew and officers that have spent time working in both vessels together, as well in other vessels. The traditional sailing vessel world is a rather small one and most every one of the professional sailors knows each other. This festival was special for the chance for all of the sailors to visit together while supporting one of our own during what would otherwise have been merely another marine festival with thousands of curious to inform about our vessels. It is all of our fervent hope that the Erie Maritime Festival was successful in its goal to raise supporting funds for a great vessel and program.

Yesterday Pride bid fond farewell to Niagara and headed east from Erie toward the Welland Canal on her way to Montreal and another tall ship festival…this one with a French Canadian flavor. Yesterday’s wind was fair and fresh and Pride made as much as 10 knots at times. With such speed she arrived the vessel locking system that takes vessels over the Niagara Escarpment just after sunset and proceeded to spend 8.5 night time hours negotiating 8 locks over 27 nautical miles while lowering almost 300 feet down to Lake Ontario. The booming sound of rushing water visited the crew on deck as they constantly adjusted mooring lines as Pride followed the lowering lock water levels down 50 odd feet in locks with heavy metal doors that are reminiscent of the Doors of Mordor in Tolkien’s Trilogy of the Ring.

Today we enjoy another sail that we hope will last the length of Lake Ontario. With luck this wind will put us at the top of the St. Lawrence River around dawn tomorrow in good position to view the Thousand Islands as Pride begins her run down river to Montreal and eventually the Atlantic Ocean and home.

Cheers,
Captain Miles and the eastbound crew of Pride of Baltimore II

 

Pride II Needs your VOTE

It’s FREE and it really DOES COUNT!

Pride of Baltimore, Inc. is in the running for a $50,000 Grant through Pepsi to develop a boating safety program to reach under served students in port cities of America.

 We are competing in a sea of 1,000 other great ideas. We really need your help.

It doesn’t cost anything.  Your vote can help Pride, Inc. win $50,000 to “Teach Boating Safety from the Deck of Pride of Baltimore II” to students.  Only 10 Awards will be made in the $50,000 price category.

Vote EVERY day – now through September 30th.  It’s free and it really can make a difference.

 Please Help Spread the Word.  Pride II needs lots of votes!

VOTE NOW!

If you would like a daily reminder to Vote, please send an email to missy@pride2.org and enter “Pepsi” in the subject line.

Thank you for your support!

Tuesday 7 September 2010
Pride of Baltimore II
Alongside in the St. Clair River
Wx SSW F 4 gusting 6, 1 foot sea in the river

After a weekend tucked into the excellent facility and protective dock at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy, Pride of Baltimore II had to make a mad dash around the “Tip of the Mitt” – the Northern Part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Our weekend in Traverse City was not the picturesque and mellow time I had hoped – even though the Grand Traverse is beautiful and quite a lot of fun for the crew, autumn definitely decided to arrive in force. There was no good weather for daysailing as the winds were gale force from the West and Northwest, but our evening event with the Maritime Heritage Alliance on Saturday was well attended. It even featured a double rainbow as a reward for each of the three squalls that passed through – a fitting natural phenomenon for the impressive landscape of the area.

Leaving Traverse City, our transit through the Mackinaw straights was fortunately timed during a lull in the breeze down to 20-25 knots from the North Northwest, going West and then shifting to South West with some more moderation. All of that represented good, possibly great, sailing conditions, but giving into the temptation to sail alone would have left us still on Southern Lake Huron and dealing with a Southerly Gale. Instead we motor-sailed, and then motored to get into the relative protection of the river before things went, literally, South.

Now we are sitting tight and waiting for the Southerlies to become Westerlies and allow us to leave the Detroit River without the experience of meeting a sea state that has been heaped up against the River’s two knot current. A bit of a breather after a full force summer tour through all five Great Lakes. It is also my last breather before leaving Pride II to rejoin her “sister” Baltimore Clipper, Lynx in Erie. My last passage aboard Pride II promises to be another downwind blast, and will take me back to the very waters I first learned to sail on as a kid. And strangely, though I sailed in and out of Erie aboard the Brig Niagara for several years, and countless other times on everything from a Sunfish to a 46-foot racing yacht, this will be my first passage into Presque Isle Bay as Captain.

What better way to do it – aboard such a splendid schooner, with a terrific crew & excellent support staff at home, and at the end of a tour-de-force of the Lakes that has totaled over 50,000 visitors to the ship, over 2,000 nautical miles sailed and awards for three races plus a First Place in the ASTA Tallships Challenge Series. To all the liasions, volunteers and organizers, and particularly to the crew and staff of Pride II and Pride, Inc. Thank you for an amazing summer.

 All best,
Jamie Trost and the Erie bound crew of Pride of Baltimore II