Wind East Northeast Force 4, gusting 5, Occasional Rain.

Pride II is fresh back from a first for the vessel – an underway program with fourth grade age students from a Baltimore After-School Program. Sixteen extremely exuberant students, each with an accompanying adult, came sailing on this blustery and occasionally rainy evening.

We originally expected that the sail would just be a cruise out to the Key Bridge and back. But when the energy level of the students stayed pegged in the red even after setting Pride II’s 2,500 square foot mainsail, the crew were called to make a few adaptations to our dockside education program and present it underway. While we’ve had underway programming with students before, the focus has always been about the teamwork involved in sailing the boat, and not specific “stations” around the vessel where aspects of the history and nautical life are detailed. But with the strength of wind and the age of the students, we drew heavily on the rich educational background of Pride II’s 2009 crew and set up shop to teach them about Life as a Sailor, the War of 1812, and Navigating Baltimore Harbor.

Excellent work by the crew – simultaneously attending to the duties of handling sail as we raced through the harbor at 9 knots and bringing to life the history of Baltimore Clippers for an excitable group of young minds. All told, they set a terrific example of how to “Take care of your ship” in all aspects.

Signed,
Jamie Trost, Captain aboard Pride of Baltimore II