Archives for January 2014

THOWBACK THURSDAY: A Guest Crew Member's Farewell, January 23, 1989

January-23-1989

“Ah the romance of the sea… Being pounded silly from Miami to San Juan, heat, salt water & diesel fumes in the focsle, Paul cursing the stove at 0300, gybing the ship at 2300 with television lights blinding everyone on deck, trying to find fuel in Miami Harbor after 1700, squalls, broken blocks on the main gaff… Ain’t it all grand.

So here’s a toast for the crew of the Pride of Baltimore II.

May you have fair winds and following seas.
May Captain Jan sleep happily in his cabin and someday give the perfect lecture.
May Rob’s hair always stand on end.
May Kirby’s ribs hang together.
May Paul enter stove heaven.
May Mark someday look at the rig & say… ‘Perfect.’
May Dawn spend her birthday in Rincón – but not alone.
May Louise keep spreading sunshine.
May Casey find the perfect wave… & the perfect business (bidness.)
May Peter stay in one piece.
May Kelly keep everyone well fed… & stay away from the lee rail.
May Kaboobie somehow get enough beef (raarf.)
May TJ & Jessica stay sane as they join the crew.
May Bill see all of ya again.

Happy sailin’ hon. It’s been great. See you back in Balmer.

Bill Fitzpatrick

(over)

But seriously folks —
The Pride has a great captain – really excellent – and a great crew. It has been an honor and a pleasure to sail with you. Keep up the good work and the great times.

Bill”

NEW YEARS RESOLUTION: Get Pride ready for her 25th year of sailing and public appearances

As always, winter at home for Pride is a chance to get ready for the next season. It is not a restful time for us captains. While we were overseeing the process of getting the ship protected for the winter and collaborating with the staff regarding end of the year mission requirements, there was also searching for the winter maintenance crew. Now it is January, and while the holidays were a time period not distracted by having to oversee the ship as there was no work being done, eight winter crew are now hard at work chipping away at the work list. This requires captain oversight time in between more mission planning and collaboration with the staff, and selecting the 2014 sailing crew, only to mention a few winter work requirements. Fortunately we have a very qualified foreman of the winter crew. Once we have described things to Patrick Flynn and answered his questions, we captains go to the office for meetings; those meetings generating further work lists and more meetings.

Now, a week into winter maintenance (we started last Wednesday because of the arctic cold snap last Monday and Tuesday with temperatures as low as -10°F wind chill making outside work problematic) the rhythm of the winter crew is quite visible. Patrick has steadily been grasping the logistics of the neighborhood of suppliers along with the Maryland Port Authority (MPA) work-space leased for Pride‘s winter layup. It is also evident there is a growing rapport between him and the winter crew. The work list accomplishments are evident. This means we captains can limit our time at the winter work site and spend more time collaborating with the staff, assembling the 2014 mission schedule for the ship.

In addition we have the added benefit of Pride volunteers joining the winter crew. During winter maintenance the volunteers are a terrific productivity multiplier. This is our third season of winter maintenance volunteers and it is truly pleasurable to see our friends of Pride for the last two winters returning for a third. They bring a steadiness and focus to their work assignments – a great influence on the winter crew along with increasing overall productivity.

Our current winter crew come from all around the country and is composed of veterans aboard Pride as well as those new to her. All have pretty extensive experience with traditional working class sail vessels similar to Pride‘s technical period and embody the desirable attributes of a culture in alignment with Pride‘s.

Is everyone making inroads to the readiness requirements of the coming sailing season?

Jan Miles
A Captain with Pride of Baltimore, Inc.

Football's not until Sunday, Come play with Pride on Saturday!

Crew

Hello Pride Volunteers,

Winter Maintenance is in full swing now, and even the weather has been a bit more cooperative. We’ve got lots of projects going at the ship and look forward to your help with just about all of them. (We’ll save the really dirty jobs for the crew.)

Come down to your favorite schooner on Saturday and help us get ready of our Spectacular 2014 season!

Where: Same place, 1910 South Clinton Street*
When: Saturday, January 18th, 2014
from 0830-1630 (4:30pm)
What: Taking PRIDE in our work
Why: Cause we and Pride have missed your smiling faces!
How: Send us a notice via e-mail that you’ll be coming, and then show up.

*Please note that our old office building across the street at 1801 South Clinton Street has been torn down — don’t worry, we moved to 2700 Lighthouse Point East just in time. Parking in the lot at 1801 is no longer possible. It is possible to part street side on Clinton Street in front of the winter berth.

See you this week,

Jamie Trost and Jan Miles,
Captains for Pride of Baltimore, Inc.