Teacher Aboard

Date: Saturday, December 7, 1997
Location: In the Atlantic Ocean, just outside the mouth of Chesapeake Bay heading toward Bermuda
Entered By: Teacher Aboard Leslie Bridgett

Hi guys!

BON VOYAGE CEREMONY

Yesterday's Bon Voyage Ceremony was a moment I will always remember. Despite the cold, hundreds of folks gathered at the dock at HarborPlace in Baltimore's Inner Harbor to bid us farewell and a safe voyage. Local politicians said a few words, and Captain Miles introduced the crew in a warm, friendly manner.
Students from Seven Oaks Elementary School in Perry Hall, J.P. Ryon Elementary School in Waldorf, and my own school of Westlake High in Waldorf presented me with scrapbooks filled with pictures and stories to share with the students in Asia. Sea shanties were sung by the Fifth Grade Chorus from Spring Garden School in Hampstead as everyone prepared to say goodbye to Pride II.

Without using the engine, the crew set sail and Pride II eased away from the dock. Church bells rang and muskets were fired by soldiers dressed in War of 1812 uniforms to wish us a final farewell.

Pride II fired her cannons announcing to her home port of Baltimore that she had set sail for Asia. Tug boats, fireboats, and pleasure boats motored along side to escort us out of the harbor. I felt so proud to be a part of this moment watching a city bid farewell to her beloved sailing ambassador!

SAILING DOWN CHESAPEAKE BAY

As we glided out of Baltimore harbor, the brisk cold wind filled our sails. Sunset painted the sky pink and lights on shore began to appear. We were soon to pass under the Francis Scott Key Bridge as Ft. McHenry disappeared behind us.

When we passed the Fort, we fired cannons and briefly lowered our flag in honor of the birthplace of the Star Spangled Banner. I could hear the crew pointing out the number of blinks on lighted channel marks to help us find our way from the Patapsco River into Chesapeake Bay.

When darkness set in, it became very cold. Everyone was bundled up in layers of gear, hats and gloves. The wind was blowing twenty knots across the deck from the west as we headed south out into the Bay. The wind chill made it feel even colder.

Moving down the Bay, I could see the line of cars crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Annapolis, our state capitol, soon appeared over the starboard (right) rail. I could make out the dome of the state house with the bright glow of city lights surrounding it. I doubted that most people in town knew that on this cold December night we were sailing past them on a mission to represent their state.

FAIR WIND AND A FOLLOWING SEA

Our fellow Marylanders had wished us "fair winds and a following sea." To a sailor this would mean a steady breeze in the right direction and the waves moving with the boat. It is easier to sail if the wind is coming from the side and if the ship does not have to plow through the waves. Their well wishes came true because these were the conditions as we sailed down the Bay. It meant that we did not need to "tack," which is the sailor's word for when the sails have to be moved from one side of the ship to the other. Like a racehorse out of the starting gate, Pride II took off down the Bay.

We reached the mouth of the Bay by midmorning and set our course due east for Bermuda. Now that we are on the ocean, the seas are about seven feet high with the wind behind us. It should an exciting ride as the wind and seas continue to build.

In my next log we will learn what it means to live aboard and sail a tall ship.

More soon from your "eyes & ears,"
Leslie Bridgett

YOUR THOUGHTS

  1. Imagine that you have been asked to plan a farewell ceremony for someone leaving your school or community. Describe the activities you would plan. Consider speakers, banners, music, gifts, parades, fireworks, and mini-performances.
  2. Write a poem or a few lines to a song to wish Pride II farewell and success on her goodwill trip to Asia.
  3. Sketch a picture of the Bon Voyage ceremony based on the description.
  4. Why did Pride II have such a fast trip down Chesapeake Bay?

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