The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race

While we are racing, the crew is divided into three "watches." Each watch is on duty for four hours, then off for four hours, then on stand-by for four hours. Thus there is a crew on duty 24 hours around the clock. That doesn't sound too bad until you find out that you may (and probably will) be called to help the other watches. The crew is required to be ready to put sails up or down as needed or to move the sails from one side of the boat to the other. This is to get the best wind so Pride II will be moving as fast as possible at all times. I am on B watch. That means I will be on duty from 8 AM till 12 Noon, and from 8 PM till 12 Midnight.

The race begins on Thursday, October 14 at 1:30 PM. All of the schooners that will be racing "muster" (gather) beneath the Chesapeake Bay Bridge near Annapolis. This is the starting point of the race. It is an awesome sight seeing so many sailboats with their sails in full glory cruising around, waiting to hear that the race is beginning on their radios. We will be sailing without the use of any motors all day and throughout the night, until we reach Norfolk, about 110 miles down the Bay. The crew and passengers here are totally psyched. There is a fresh breeze blowing, the skies are clear, and it's a great day for a sailing race!

We sail throughout the day and throughout the night. As I begin my watch at 8:00 PM, I am in awe of the grandeur of the star-blanketed sky and the crescent moon I am viewing. Out here in the middle of Chesapeake Bay, there are no lights from cities, towns, or traffic. Stars we usually can't see because of those lights are visible here. I feel as though I am sailing under a planetarium show. Awesome! At first I don't know how we will be able to work without man-made light on deck. But soon my eyes have adjusted to the light of the stars.

Captain Parrot kept his crew busy putting up and moving sails. All of the sails are hoisted (put up) and moved by sheer manpower. This is hard work! Often a crew member is required to "go aloft." This means they must climb up to the sails to work on them. Nine sails are being are used on this race. Every time the ship is turned, most of these sails must be moved to the opposite side of the ship, as quickly as possible. I am dazzled at the hard working men and women that make up the professional crew of Pride II. They work as a well-oiled machine, running from sail to sail, hoisting, hauling, and "sweating" lines, exerting themselves to the limit. They not only never complain or fuss, but they gladly jump at the chance to do it all again! Do you think you have this kind of stamina for hard work?

Throughout my watch, we are keeping pace with Highlander Sea, a boat from Nova Scotia with whom we are in close competition. Through the dark of night, I can see her stern light glowing. With binoculars, I am able to make out her shadowy profile. Stunning! Here is a picture of her taken during daylight. It is spine tingling to be sailing a Baltimore Clipper doing what she was designed to do, moving full-tilt through the waters of Chesapeake Bay. I am relieved from my watch shortly after midnight. I am exhausted and head straight for my cabin to get some rest. I stay dressed as I may be called to help on deck at any time.

At a little after 5:00 AM, I hear the call for "all hands on deck." I pull myself from my sleep to make my way on deck to help with the work that must be done. As the morning sun begins to peek across the horizon promising a clear and sunny day, we quietly cross the finish line at about 6:00 AM on Friday morning. We find out later that we were fourth to cross the finish line. Captain Parrot turns on the engines, sails are brought down, and we head into Norfolk harbor to dock.

You may think that fourth to cross the finishing line means we didn't win. Not necessarily true! In this race there is a "handicap." The handicapping formula is a mathematical figuring of different aspects of the vessels, such as the measurement of the area of her sails, the size of her propeller, and other measurements of the vessel. Using this information, the race committee computes a "corrected time" for each vessel. On Saturday afternoon at the awards ceremony, the winners are announced for each class. Pride of Baltimore II came in seventh place after time corrections were made. Do you think the crew was unhappy that we didn't win? Nope! Everyone had worked their hardest and had a great time. They were just delighted to have been a part of the festivities and the sport.

Lady Maryland was announced as the winner, another local schooner. Have you ever seen a pink boat before?

It is Saturday afternoon as I finish my tour with Pride of Baltimore II. I've had an incredible time working with the Pride II crew in the Great Chesapeake Schooner Race! This has truly been an experience of a lifetime. Everyone on the crew is still working, even though we are docked. Brass gets polished, wood gets varnished, decks get scrubbed.

Good-bye for now to Pride II and to you - my hearty virtual shipmates around Maryland. I know we'll meet again. Fair winds and a following sea!

Your Teacher Aboard,
Mary Kay Hirsh
Brooke Grove Elementary School
Olney, Maryland

YOUR THOUGHTS

1. I have written about several areas of the ship, Pride of Baltimore II. Think of your home. How do these areas match up and compare with your home?
2. The crew of Pride II works hard and works well together. They are very encouraging to each other. Sometimes they will chant to keep everyone pulling on a line in unison. Write a chant to use with your class to give encouragement and prepare you for a difficult task (such as MSPAP).
3. The crew of Pride II has very little space to store their belongings. They have to be very careful about what to bring aboard with them to live with for the next six months. If you could only bring enough of your belongings that could fit into a large duffel bag, what would you bring? You may want to make a list of wants and needs (don't forget your toothbrush!). Remember to bring clothes for all kinds of weather.
4. When Erin cooks a meal, she needs to know how many will be attending so she is sure to make enough without making too much and having waste. Find a favorite recipe. Figure out the ingredient amounts you would need for four, six, and twelve people.
5. Sailors use nautical charts to plan a trip from port-to-port. Use a road map to plan a trip from your school to Norfolk, Virginia. List the directions you planned. See if a friend can get to Norfolk using your directions. Do you need to make changes to make your directions more clear?
6. The mission of the Great Chesapeake Schooner Race is to raise funds for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation which is working to clean up our Bay environment. With your class, brainstorm ways you can help clean up and preserve your environment at home and at school.

Return to Part 1 of the Oct. 18, 1999 Log