You are invited to the Captain & Chair’s Reception

Photo: Captain Miles & Board Chair, Jayson Williams, pause for quick photo, courtesy of Rich Wiklund.

October 19, 2021

It has been my great pleasure to serve as a Captain for Pride of Baltimore and Pride of Baltimore II over the past four decades. Please join me along with our board chair, Jayson Williams, for our Captain and Chair‘s Reception in Fells Point on Monday, October 25. The evening will be filled with great food and beverage as well as entertainment from members of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Join us as we celebrate our accomplishments and look forward to the 2022 season. Click here to register.

Signed,
Jan C. Miles, Captain

 

Bermuda Voyage Recap

PRIDE II in St. George's Courtesy of Kate Simmons

Photo: Pride of Baltimore II  in St. George’s Harbor, courtesy of Kate Simmons.

Date: Friday, June 11, 2021
Location: Alongside Pennos Warf, St. George’s, Bermuda

Pride of Baltimore II departed Baltimore on June 4 bound for Bermuda & arrived safely on June 10. This Captain’s Log is a collection of updates sent from the ship during the voyage.

Log 1
Date: Saturday, June 5, 2021
Time: 2230
Position: 32°36.8 N x 75°05.4 W
35 nautical miles east of Currituck Beach Light, Virginia.

Since 7 PM Friday Pride had been motoring with all sail struck and stowed. All hands split into three watches. Each watch took 4-hour turns managing Pride down the remaining length of the Chesapeake Bay from near the leaning-over lighthouse of Sharps Island at the mouth of the Choptank River. Pride had company. The fleet of sail racing yachts headed from Annapolis to Newport was making its way down the bay at the same time. The wind was at times light and fickle. At times light and contrary. At times favorable and fresh. But after a full Friday afternoon of the crew aboard Pride tacking nearly a dozen times and a forecast of changeable wind largely from ahead breezes sail was struck and everyone could take the night to recover from the acutely physical effort of those tacks. The pulling on sheets and braces of three headsails, two square yards and the loose footed foresail every twenty minutes to a half hour throughout the afternoon was unrealistic to continue on through the coming night. Particularly as Pride was not actually in a race. Those much more modern than Pride racing vessels made very few tacks and most had only one headsail to pass from side to side. Two additional realities helped me give the crew relief for the night from all the sail handling. A forecast of dead calm at the bottom of the bay most of Saturday and a 600 plus nautical miles ocean passage to make after getting out of the Chesapeake Bay. Now Pride is on her way under sail making 8+ knots with 10-11 knots of beam reach wind under full sail (main, main gaff topsail, fore topsail & topgallant, and three headsails. She has company. Somewhere nearby is Ice Bear, a modern sloop (Swan 59) providing adult adventure cruising under the organizing of 59°-North. Both vessels were set to participate in last year’s Annapolis to Bermuda Race. A multi-decade venerable race canceled at the last moment due to COVID. This year, an off-year of the every two year A2B race, Pride and Ice Bear are sailing in company towards Bermuda, as a memorial to last year’s missed competition. Some friendly competition is on. Also some celestial navigation competition. Now it begins.

Log 2
Date: Sunday, June 6, 2021
Position: 35°47 N x 73°24 W

Started motoring-sailing around 8 AM this morning. At the end of good sailing since 7 PM yesterday. Finally had to strike square-sails and outer two jibs at midday. Being there is not a ripple of wind on the water. Motoring along puts the square-sails aback and slows the motoring. Maybe a new wind overnight. Maybe not till sometime tomorrow

Log 3
Date: Tuesday, June 8, 2021
Time: 0800 EDT
Position: 33°47.6 N x 69°12.8 W
Conditions: SW 10 knots, scattered rain clouds, 3-foot swell from SE

At 1600 hours yesterday Pride’s crew had experienced the first time sailing uninterruptedly for 24 hours. Happily sailing continued overnight last night and on this morning. Weather forecasting indicates we could sail through most of today before we experience the forecast of truly light winds.

The wind for this leg from near the Virginia beaches south of Cape Henry has been somewhat fickle. Saturday night was a good, relatively smooth and speedy sail of around 8 knots. All sail including the square top-gallant. Sunday around 0900 the wind fell to near nothing when Pride reached the main part of the Gulf Stream. Smooth seas and no wind at all. Had to strike square-sails and headsails as they were blocking the breeze made by motoring. Late afternoon Sunday, having crossed the stream, we went sailing again with the return of the southerly-southwest breeze of around 5-10 knots. We have been able to sail continuously since at boat speeds of 4-6 knots. If we can continue all day today, we will eventually accumulate 48 hours of continuous sailing.

Life on board is at a constant 5-10 degrees of heel. Pride heaves and jerks with the impact of 3 foot swells from the southeast. No one aboard is able to stand and walk without jerking around compensating with quickly shifting feet. For those of us less nimble, we have arms out to grab or brace as we move around. Since the rise of water temperature to near 80 degrees Fahrenheit with the Gulf Stream and on toward Bermuda, plus a significant rise in humidity, life down below is a swelter. Notwithstanding, ship’s cook, Ian Bova, has been keeping all aboard well fed. And there be plenty of snacks to reach for if one goes to the designated snack locker. But there is no such thing as a cool drink. No ice to be had. So the coolest a drink can be is around 80 degrees. But anyone can have as much hot drink as one wants.

Log 4
Date: Wednesday, June 9, 2021
Time: 0800 EDT
Position: 32°59.6 N x 66° 37.3 W
Conditions: Wind Light & Variable. Glassy smooth sea. Slight swell.

Started motoring around 2200 hours EDT yesterday. Forecasts of the last several days have indicated sometime late Tuesday winds would go light & variable near Bermuda. And so the wind did go light & variable last night. But at least we managed to accumulate 54 hours of continuous sailing. This morning we are 120 nautical miles from entering St George’s Harbor, Bermuda. At a moderate engine speed of 1,200 RPM we are making around 5.5 knots. So, an early morning arrival tomorrow seems a realistic plan.

Arrival Bermuda will be more than motoring in and dropping the anchor. Some distance away from Bermuda we are required to communicate via VHF marine radio with Bermuda Radio. That call will determine Pride’s crew COVID-free status. Assuming we satisfy the authorities we will be given permission to continue proceeding to St George’s Harbor. Once there Bermuda Customs Clearance procedures will be performed. This will include a COVID test of all aboard followed by remaining aboard until those tests prove everyone is free of the virus.

During this isolation period we will clean Pride and organize for the big changeover that will occur Friday. Guest crew voyagers will debark and new guest crew voyagers for the return sail will embark. Between these movements, the bunks for guest crew will be changed over. Once the change over is complete, customs clearance formalities from Bermuda will be made ahead of the planned Saturday departure. Weather permitting.

Log 5
Date: Thursday, June 10, 2021
Time: 0700 EDT/0800 local time

Pride II has arrived in St. George’s Harbor & alongside the dock awaiting customs and covid testing.

Pride of Baltimore and National Park Service Partnership Will Bring Pride of Baltimore II to More Families Around the Chesapeake Bay

Pride of Baltimore II off Fort McHenry, March 24, 2020, courtesy of Jeffrey G. Katz

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2020
Contact: Erica Denner, 410.539.1151
erica@pride2.org

BALTIMORE, MD – Pride of Baltimore, Inc. (Pride, Inc.) is proud to announce a partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) that will enhance the experience for visitors at select Chesapeake Bay ports along the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail (Trail). While Pride, Inc. has worked collaboratively with the NPS in the past — first as an officially designated Chesapeake Bay Gateway and then on interpretive programming at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine — a recently signed cooperative agreement with the Trail will expand that collaborative programming to sites throughout the Chesapeake.

“We are very much looking forward to working in partnership with the National Park Service and the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail in 2021. The free programming that will be available to underserved communities throughout the Chesapeake Bay along the Trail will strengthen our efforts to be more accessible to everyone,” said Jeffrey Buchheit, executive director of Pride, Inc. “We can think of no better partner than the National Park Service and we hope to work with them for years to come.”

“We are excited to launch this relationship and collaboration with Pride, Inc. to more meaningfully engage with families along the Trail,” said Shaun Eyring, acting superintendent of Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Hampton National Historic Site, and the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail. “Together we will develop new interpretive programs and a traveling exhibit to connect with underserved communities and expand recreational opportunities throughout the Bay.”

The tall ship Pride of Baltimore II (Pride II) will serve as a sailing Trail ambassador that will engage visitors in the history of the people and places in the Chesapeake during the War of 1812. The experience will assist in building a foundation for future stewards of the Trail, as well as of the natural and cultural resources of the Bay. Visitors will be able to tour Pride II dockside and enjoy the full experience of a free day sail on Maryland’s world-renowned tall ship.

Pride of Baltimore II is uniquely suited to serve as a Trail ambassador since it is the only historically evocative reproduction of a War of 1812-era privateer that homeports on the Bay. Capturing public imagination through unique worldwide voyages of discovery, Pride II honors Maryland seafarers of all eras and, wherever she sails, shares the innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, and patriotism that forged and continues to define Maryland’s maritime identity.

A full schedule of port visits will be available in early 2021 at pride2.org.

About Pride of Baltimore II

Baltimore Clippers, sleek, fast, and maneuverable vessels, gained fame as privateers during the War of 1812. Their success in capturing British merchant ships provoked the Royal Navy to attack Baltimore in 1814. Francis Scott Key, seeing the American flag still flying over Fort McHenry after the 25-hour British bombardment, was inspired to pen the “Star-Spangled Banner.”

Pride of Baltimore II, like her predecessor, Pride of Baltimore, is a historically evocative reproduction of one of the most famous of these privateers, Chasseur. For more than four decades, these modern-day prides of Baltimore have promoted historical maritime education, fostered economic development and tourism, and represented the people of Maryland in ports throughout the world. Since her commissioning in 1988, Pride II has sailed over 275,000 nautical miles and visited more than 200 ports in 40 countries.

To learn more about Pride of Baltimore II, please visit pride2.org

About the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail

The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail is a 560-mile land and water route that tells the story of the War of 1812 in the Chesapeake Bay region. The trail traces American and British troop movements, introduces visitors to communities affected by the war, and highlights the Chesapeake region’s distinctive landscapes and waterways. It connects historic sites in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia and commemorates the events leading up to the Battle for Baltimore, the aftermath of which inspired Francis Scott Key to write our national anthem. Congress established the Star-Spangled Banner Trail in 2008. The trail is one of 19 national historic trails administered by the National Park Service and one of 30 trails in the National Trails System. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/stsp.

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THE BUTCHER'S BILL

0600 Breakfast: Cranberry French toast with cinnamon apple topping, and berry smoothies.

A-Watch has the deck and the rest of the boat is asleep. I am making breakfast for eighteen souls, and later, lunch followed by dinner. Even though I am not a morning person, I enjoy this time of day, before watch change, before the boat is properly awake. Of course, the boat is always awake, I am just here to wake up and feed her human machinery.

Make coffee. Fill carafe. Boil water. Fill other carafe. Set out plates and cutlery. Pull everything I think I might out of the reefer and cool storage. Forgot the milk. Pull everything off the counter top and open the reefer again. One crew member can only tolerate limited egg consumption. Do the math on the eggs per serving of French toast (.66 egg per serving). Should be okay. Fire up the propane stove. Draft keeps quenching front right burner. Go to deck and close hatch. Re-light burner. Chop apples. Mix batter. Is the second pot of coffee ready yet? Where is my coffee mug? Running out of time. Scratch apple topping. Whip up some scrambled eggs. Rations: three pieces of French toast, 2 sausages, and no limits on eggs.

Most of the boat cooks I have spoken with work on a breakfast rotation. I am no different. I try to mix it up every day. Muffins. Pancakes. Porridge. Oatmeal. Eggs. Bacon. Sausage. Smoothies. Mix and repeat. I do not serve cereal. It doesn’t pack to punch the crew needs. Cold cereal is served on my days off. From time to time, I find a deal at the grocery store with half-off on day-old baked goods and this week I was able to serve mini pain-au-chocolates. Still, nothing beats a muffin right out of the oven.

Coffee: 48lbs brewed. Eggs served: 1150 +. Muffins baked: 725+ Bacon cooked: incalculable.

1130 and 1200. Lunch:  Roasted chicken cobbler. Industrial size.

When I signed aboard in Chicago, there was 40 lbs of both ground chuck and bone-in chicken breast in the freezer. Too much of either quantity to fully utilize and it was hogging too much real estate in the cold storage. I sold some of it, and traded most of these items with other galley cooks: some for the use of a La Cresuet stock pot for the rest of the season, fresh herbs I could not regularly find or afford to buy, three bottles of a chili paste the crew really likes, 5lbs of finely milled flour, 2 lbs of French butter, a basket of fresh fruit and berries, and the largest bottle of pure maple syrup I have ever seen. Good trades.

I have to remember to check with the captain on the expected sailing conditions. I am working with a shallow pan and if we are carrying a lot of sail, we can heel pretty hard under the right wind. Anyone will tell you that Pride of Baltimore II with her sails set and making 9 knots is recipe for a beautiful afternoon, but any cook will tell you what makes for great sailing above deck can easily make for abject misery down below. Wind changes and wind gusts are not uncommon on the lakes, the crew forgets to tell me we are tacking, and squalls arise unexpectedly. What is “smooth sailing” down below quickly becomes an emergency when boiling water, hot oil, and loose knives are in play. Out come the fiddles for the counter and stovetop securing pots and pans in place, and anti-skid mats for everything in between. I have been attacked – three times – by the dish rack alone. Some meals, under those conditions, leave you physically and mentally exhausted. Not sure if this was a self-fulfilling prophesy, but lunch prep was horrible today so the sailing must have been really great.

Bulk items purchased: 50lbs brown sugar, 75 lbs chicken breast, 50lbs all purpose flour, 40lbs butter, 5 lbs dried cranberries, 5 lbs dried blueberries, 30 lbs, wild rice. 20 lbs mixed nuts, 5 gallons of vegetable oil.

1930 and 2000. Dinner: Braised lamb shanks red wine and lentils.

A cook spends a lot of time thinking about time. Thinking about proportions. Thinking about leftovers.  Leftovers are never as easy as anyone thinks simply due to the fact that you rarely have enough left to feed the entire crew and thus requires a way to incorporate in a new way into a new dish. Oatmeal is the easiest: pancakes and muffins. But four servings of pasta is turned into what? Pull out the smartphone and consult some websites.  I am thankful for the plethora of cooking websites. Simply search for “left over pasta” and I instantly have thousands of recipes telling me what I may consider doing with it. Of course, this only works when there is cell reception.

Dinner today is original, and lamb shanks have become an inside joke amongst the crew this season. When you have $7 a day to feed each body aboard, you buy a lot of bulk items, and lamb is something of a luxury. However, I was able to strike a deal with a local butcher who visited the boat and wanted to do something special for us. This type of generosity happens occasionally, mostly in the form of gift baskets from the port at hand bearing local goodies and snacks. Rarely does such generosity come in the form of lamb. The crew will be grateful and it will be a nice send-off dinner for the most of the crew signing off in Erie. Still, I have to measure and put aside a quantity to create the same dish only meat free for the single vegetarian aboard. Twelve lamb shanks in our small stove will require some maneuvering and is a serious time commitment. I budget four hours at least. Enough time for a shower while the lamb is braising. I anticipate no leftovers.

I am also hoping I can whip up some fresh cookies for dessert. There is some buttermilk I need to use and too much butter hogging space in the cold storage. No hand mixers or food processors aboard the boat, so five-dozen cookies stirred by hand makes for sore mitts in the morning. While I am often privy to personal problems on the boat, I can do nothing to fix them except to listen and make someone’s favorite cookie when they are having a tough day. I’ve made a lot of cookies. But it is an act of love. Love for the crew, love for the sailing, love for the camaraderie, and love for the boat

Pride of Baltimore II has been my home for most of this summer. This is a new experience for me. And it is nice to think of her that way, as a home rather than my husband’s, Captain Trost’s, “other wife”. I know this galley and main salon better than I know my kitchen at home.  After nearly eight weeks aboard this season, I know her quirks and her secrets, and soon I will be sharing that with the new cook who signs aboard in Erie, PA to help take the boat home to Baltimore.

Spicy dark chocolate cookies. A particular crew member’s favorite and she is definitely having a tough day. But I can only just manage it if I start now because soon the lamb will monopolize my time and the stove until well into the evening. Back to work.

Cookies baked: 1,100+

Kathleen Moore

Former and Hopefully Future-Interim-Cook

Pride of Baltimore II