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Teacher Aboard Logs |
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The impressive mountains rise out of the water and hold back the immense power of the wind and sea. |
| As we sailed closer, we saw a monastery on the side of one of the mountains with a trail spiraling down the mountainside. If you look closely, you may see it on the left side, two thirds of the way up. |
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Captain Miles was concerned about the weather patterns as we headed for the mouth of the harbor at Baltimore, Ireland. We knew we were about to experience some strong September weather. We pulled into the harbor at 10:30 PM and dropped the hooks (anchors) to ready the boat for the approaching gale conditions. We spent all of Wednesday waiting out the storm and never got ashore until late in the day. Due to the tidal change and the shallow water, there was no place for the boat to tie up so we had to anchor out during our stay. This made getting ashore a bit awkward since the boat only has one dinghy. In my next log, I'll tell you about the drama that occurred in Ireland! |
Crewmates
Before I leave, let me talk a bit about two more of our crewmembers, Bradford Fleury and Christine Cleary.
| Brad turned 26 on October 5 and calls Glen Burnie his home. He is single and has one older sister who is not in the marine field. After high school, Brad apprenticed in cabinetmaking and ultimately became a cabinetmaker for L.C.M. Associates in Baltimore, Maryland. |
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Through the woodworking community, he heard that the crew working on U.S.S. Constellation needed help so he worked there for the last six months of the project. Constellation, a full rigged sloop, was completely restored and is now berthed in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Several members of the crew working on that project were familiar with Pride of Baltimore II and recommended Brad as a cabinetmaker. So he stepped aboard in October 1999.
Brad had no sailing experience and had never left the U.S. when he joined the Pride II crew! So this trip had all sorts of new things in store for him. His hobbies include surfing, motorcycles, fishing, and now he enjoys sailing, as well. His favorite thing about being on Pride II is the friends he's made in the crew. What's his least favorite? Throwing up!
Brad plans to leave the boat after the winter preparation and return to L.C.M. Sailing on Pride II was an awesome experience, but not something he wants to do for the rest of his life. So he'll be returning to continue his cabinetmaking. His favorite port while on board was Oslo since it was the first time he'd seen mountains in a long time!
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Christine Cleary is our 2nd Mate onboard. Christine is 30 years old, has three younger sisters, and has a home in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Her family is very supportive. Even though they were a bit surprised at her choice of vocation, they now enjoy her experiences vicariously! |
Christine has a B.A. in Political Science from SUNY Stonybrook. After college, she wanted an adventure of some sort so she set off as a sail training passenger aboard Spirit of Massachusetts. She went from volunteer to delivery crewmember, and took an old ketch south to St. Thomas where she experienced three horrible days of seasickness! She says the transition to sailing tall ships was natural. She enjoys the camaraderie and teamwork involved in soccer - the same things she finds onboard Pride II. She's been on seven ships but does not have a favorite.
Christine enjoys the interesting, intellectual crew, but doesn't like missing personal events like weddings or funerals - or the payscale! When asked if she was ever afraid, she replied that gear failure would scare her. She has a healthy respect for the power of the wind and sea, but has faith in the Captain's decisions. Christine's favorite ports are Mystic and Midway Atoll. If she ever left sailing, she might consider a career as a writer or editor.
Well, I'll sign off for now. Tomorrow I'll begin the next log which will cover County Cork, Ireland, the schools I visited. Until then, I'll leave you with some thoughts and say goodnight!
Your Teacher Aboard,
Lee Vogtman
YOUR THOUGHTS
- What countries border the North Sea? Why does it have a reputation for bad weather?
- Norway has become a relatively wealthy nation since the 1960's. What happened that boosted their economy? Clue: there is a picture in this log that suggets the answer.
- What other countries share the same source of wealth?
- What is celestial navigation, and how does it work? Can you explain this to your peers?
- What are monasteries and why are they usually found in such isolated places?
Return to Part 1 of the September 27, 2000
