Anjali J., a Stevenson University student, joined Pride II’s Sail250 voyage to Boston as part of America’s Star-Spangled Ambassador: Legacy in Motion, an initiative bringing together storytellers to document the ship’s journey during the nation’s 250th anniversary year. Through film, photography, writing, and other media, these emerging and established storytellers are sharing Pride II’s voyage, maritime heritage, and role as Maryland’s ambassador under sail.
This project is made possible by a generous grant from the Baltimore Community Foundation.
Aboard the Pride
By: Anjali J.
This past July, I had the extraordinary opportunity to serve as a guest crew member on the Pride of Baltimore II.
I should say, I’m not exactly a seafarer. I’ve lived on dry land all my life. My family and home have always been near the Baltimore Harbor, but I had never slept on a ship overnight, let alone four nights in a row.
The Pride of Baltimore II is a tall ship with a big story. The first Pride of Baltimore was launched in 1977 and was the first tall ship to represent a whole city and state. She sailed the world saying hello to people in faraway ports. In 1986, she was lost at sea on the way home. Baltimore and all of Maryland missed her so much that people came together to build a new one, and Pride II was born in 1988.
Being aboard the Pride is an experience hard to put into words. When I boarded the ship, everything I had researched ahead of time couldn’t equal the experience of sailing at 4am with a cup of black coffee in your hand, no skyline in sight. Getting away from civilization into nothing but water, where you could be anywhere at any time, is the most serene I’ve ever felt. My favorite pastime was doodling the crew members while listening to the waves crash against the wood of the ship. I’d seen tall ships in pictures, but to be looking out past the bow at the sunrise and looking out to sea from the crow’s nest is a completely different view. Some things you can only understand by seeing them for yourself.
One thing to know about the Pride is that she’s a true working ship. Nobody aboard is just here for the view. Everyone has a job, and every job matters, and nearly everyone takes part in handling the lines, raising and lowering sails, doing hourly boat checks, and weather reports. She only sails well when the whole crew pulls together, and I am so thankful to have been a part of that team, even for a few days.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I’m deeply honored I was welcomed aboard. Thank you to the captain and crew for sharing their ship, their stories, and their teamwork with me.
If you ever get the chance to step aboard the Pride, take it. You’ll see what I mean.
AJ
