• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Pride of Baltimore

America's Star-Spangled Ambassador

Header Right

Main navigation

  • Come Aboard
    • Deck Tours & Day Sails
    • Guest Crew
    • Charters & Receptions
    • Special Events
  • Pride of Baltimore II
    • History of Pride
    • Original Pride
    • Comparing the Ships
    • Ports of Call
    • Where is Pride II?
    • Captain’s Log
  • Education
    • What Is a Tall Ship?
    • Baltimore Clippers
    • War of 1812 History
    • Privateer History
    • STEM+H Education
    • The Port of Baltimore
  • About Us
    • Board of Directors
    • Captain & Crew
    • Staff
    • Sponsors/Partners
    • Community
  • Donate

Rigdown

Captain's Log: Winterizing Pride of Baltimore II

Deciding not to sail a sailing vessel during the cold climes of winter seems like an obvious thing, but contrarily it is not.

Rig Down and Winter Frame Assembled
Rig down & winter frame assembled

Sure, cold weather sailing is not for the feint of heart or the ill equipped or ill prepared. To some degree that is the simple aspect of the decision…be prepared, or do not sail in cold weather!

But when a vessel is neither active nor lived aboard during cold weather, there is no need to provide heat throughout the vessel, thus there are many attendant details to consider for preventing damage to onboard systems due to cold weather.

In the instance of a traditionally built wood vessel, an additional consideration is shielding the vessel from sun and wet weather. Both combine to cause significant degradation to wood surfaces, coated or not. I suspect uncovered & unused wooden vessels in cold weather climes will age at least as fast as from a fully active sailing winter in warmer climes with crew aboard taking care of things on a daily basis. Whereas the cold and wet hinders any interest or even capability to clean or maintain any observed needs. Plus, regular sun exposure while resting in only one orientation concentrates aging.

Rig Down
Rig Down

Thus it is that the PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II’s winters spent in her homeport involve down-rigging all that can be taken out of the rig and covering all as well the ship with something (we use white plastic) that both keeps everything dry and the nearly completely emptied out below areas free to be open hence well ventilated (long term closed up is very deleterious to wood vessels)…but also shielded from sun rays power to age coatings, even reduce the amount of drying of the outside wood construction (deck & above water hull) that comes of regular direct sunlight without benefit of daily cleaning/wetting or changing direction of exposure of an active vessel.

The included photos provide a small hint to why it takes at least three-four weeks to winterize PRIDE. It will take at least twice as long to reverse.

Thus it is Marylanders’ Sailing Ambassador of 27 years of age and over a quarter of a million voyaged nautical miles is as strong & beautiful as she was when new…as well as being admired worldwide.

Thus it is she is ready and able to continue her ambassadorial voyages of imagination and promotion of Maryland & Baltimore far and wide. What do all of you say?

A sheltered & cosy winter wish to all of you in cold climes! 😎

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Pride of Baltimore and National Park Service Partnership Will Bring Pride of Baltimore II to More Families Around the Chesapeake Bay
  • Honoring a Cornerstone of Pride of Baltimore
  • An Agent of Change: A Letter from Our Board Chair
  • Long-term “Pandemic 2020” Layup
  • To Sail Another Day

Recent Comments

  • Steve Lossing on Captain's Day Off
  • Bob Little on CBMM: Home Away from Home
  • Lynell Fleming on Homeward Bound
  • hans lorek on Paradise Near and Far
  • Weldon Nelson on 48 Hours of Sublime Sailing

Archives

  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • March 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009

Categories

  • Captain's Log
  • Featured
  • General
  • Press Releases

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Read the Book

Support PRIDE! Purchase Pride of the Sea using the button below and Pride of Baltimore will receive a portion of the proceeds. Your purchase price will not be affected.

Amazon Button (via NiftyButtons.com)

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.