Captain Jamie Trost is back in command of PRIDE and as I write this Monday Morning August 5th PRIDE is making her way down the Michigan shore of Lake Michigan from Lake Charlevoix bound for Chicago come Wednesday.
PRIDE has been coming to Lake Charlevoix since I brought the first PRIDE here in August of 1981. Back then Jack Kidd (The Elder) had promised an R&R weekend for the crew as a thank you for a densely packed three months of voyaging the first PRIDE through port cities in the lower four Great Lakes hosting government agency and corporate receptions on behalf of Baltimore & Maryland. Jack represented Tate Access based in Maryland near Baltimore and one of the Maryland based corporations that took part in the opportunity to market themselves aboard PRIDE and had experienced tremendous positive response from his clients for the experience of going to a reception aboard PRIDE.
Near Lake Charlevoix is Walloon Lake (with many things to celebrate—especially Hemingway’s early writings of his time there) is the longtime summer home of the Kidd family dating back to the late 1800s. If I would bring PRIDE to the port of Charlevoix Jack would arrange to get the crew to Walloon Lake for some R&R and plenty of food & drink. My challenge was to find the time in a season of long established obligations the ship had to arrive to a string of ports for the purpose of pre-arranged on-board receptions. As luck would have it the weather cooperated and I was able to find the time and still have PRIDE arrive on schedule to her next port of obligation.
Since that year PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II has made the same diversion every year she has traveled through the Great Lakes (every 2-3 years) during her first 25 years (PRIDE turns 25 this year) of voyaging to far ports representing Baltimore & Maryland citizens’ special story of the creation of our Nation’s National Anthem The Star Spangled Banner. The elder Jack Kidd passed on but his sons Wally and Jack have been carrying on the tradition. They were raised in Baltimore and Jack continues to live & work there. Wally is a year round resident here near the lake. This year, as was the case two years ago, PRIDE made the stop to the small & pristine town of Boyne City at the extreme east end of Lake Charlevoix due to a new dock providing adequate water depth for PRIDE’s 12.5 foot draft and a much closer location to the Kidd Cottage than is Charlevoix. It does not hurt that the new dock and the enthusiasm of the locals and summer visitors to Boyne City and area for PRIDE’s visits provides some revenue generating opportunity to the ship, giving even more good reason to provide the time for the visit and the one day of R&R the Kidd’s provide to the hard working crew of PRIDE.
This time was just like all the other times the crew has been hosted by the Kidd Family. Water sports, lounging, reading, napping, ground sports, eating, conversation and when all was done, do it all again all day from late morning till dark around 9 PM.
Meanwhile we captains executed a change of command between us while also participating in the R&R activities. Jamie swam much of the lake and I was a member of a team in the ground competitions of ultimate Frisbee (I am credited with three assists in the girls against the boys event…my senior status was balanced by our temporary cook Ann Costlow, Board Member of Pride of Baltimore, Inc. and founder & CEO of Baltimore based Sophie’s Crepes…she is credited with tackling the Frizbee from me and assisting a score for the ladies) and scoring three personal points in the softball game that had no teams…just fielders…each taking a turn at bat.
The day was a success for all. The ship & crew is now back to work. This shore based captain goes to work finding replacement crew, networking with the hard working staff of Pride of Baltimore, Inc., spending time at home with family till returning to PRIDE early September in Erie, PA to sail her home around Nova Scotia. ETA in Baltimore is the weekend of October 4 -6 (sometime during the Fell’s Point Fun Festival). Stay tuned – details will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Jan C. Miles
