PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II is currently sailing northeasterly from Charleston with a favorable southwest breeze in temperatures of 85 F and 80% humidity. It is good to be out of Charleston but lonely not being with the fleet. The weather in Charleston is hotter and more muggy with heat warnings posted for combined heat and humidity values to 105 F expected Monday.

Saturday evening was the beginning of this weather by the arrival in Charleston of several heavy thunder shower and wind squalls, along with the posted warning of a possible tornado. All TSAC 2009 evening activities were cancelled. But that did not bother PRIDE. She was at anchor along with SPIRIT OF SOUTH CAROLINA because there was not enough dock space for all of the visiting vessels…and since both vessels were interested in making some money by running paying passenger day-sails, both vessels were relegated to anchorage. Tornado watch while at anchor? Events cancelled due to tornado warnings? What should we do out here at anchor? Well…basically hope for the best. Fortunately no tornado actually occurred.

PRIDE did indeed receive 1st in Class B and 1st in Fleet based on handicap. So she is sailing away from Charleston today with two sculptured glass forms on board depicting her honors. Meanwhile the fleet is getting ready to depart Charleston tomorrow and race on to Boston as PRIDE makes her way to Norfolk to help celebrate their July 4th weekend. After the Norfolk celebrations, PRIDE will hurry along to Boston to rejoin the fleet.

I am sorry that PRIDE cannot race to Boston with her friends. They are a greatly competitive group of friends and we shall miss them as well their at sea company when all are sailing together. PRIDE’s crew look forward to sharing the ports of Boston and Halifax with the visiting fleet before the European vessels head off to Northern Ireland. However, we do have one of JOLIE BRISE’s Atlantic Crossing crew aboard PRIDE for the rest of the summer! So we shall be having a bit of international flavor aboard PRIDE even as the fleet heads east across the Atlantic and on home.

Cheers,
Jan C. Miles, Captain aboard Pride of Baltimore II

Handicaps are amazing things when it comes to the effort of making very different vessel types all “equal” under sail. It has been over 36 hours since PRIDE crossed the finish line. Behind her are two of her Class B “mates” TECLA and JOLIE BRISE with large handicaps. So large in fact that if TECLA is able to cross the finish line less than 52 hours after PRIDE did, or sometime around noon local time tomorrow (if I have done my sums correctly), TECLA will likely hold onto her 1^st in Class and 1^stin Fleet…hence my reference to “sitting in limbo”. JOLIE BRISE passed her chance to gobble up PRIDE’s lead sometime around 1700 local time today.

KRUZENSHTERN at dock in Charleston with broken upper foremast.

Limbo time is really not accurate. PRIDE’s crew have been getting after maintenance. On the day of arrival we were docked at 1000 local time and it took till 1600 to clean the ship. Today started at 8 am on maintenance and went to 5:30 pm. Tomorrow will be the same thing. Down river from us is KRUZENSHTERN with a crane next to her holding the broken upper half of the foremast and its associated yards in place with sail still billowing while the crew very carefully and methodically disconnect her rigging, both running and standing, before lowering all to the dock where it will be further disassembled and loaded on deck to be brought home…or so the rumor on the street has it. Makes sense to me. Keep everything you can…do not cut anything you do not have to…no telling how important it all will be as the repairs begin.

Don’t think I spend all of my time looking over my shoulder at the rest of the fleet. While PRIDE’s crew have been hard at work on caring for PRIDE, I have been steadily at email after email dealing with schedule details for the foreseeable future of this summer’s itinerary. On three separate occasions I have had official business meetings with local authorities and organizers. For the emails I must sit below in a very warm vessel sitting in very warm water with very little flowing breeze going through down below. It is much more comfortable on deck…so the meetings that have interrupted my email progress are somewhat welcome so I can be up for bit of fresh air. But the best part has been being the messenger boy connecting those still out sailing with those here in Charleston that might be able to provide special services such as carpentry and sail repair.  

Jan C. Miles, Captain aboard Pride of Baltimore II