A letter from the captain of the LYNX

 

Hello All:I am happy to report that Lynx and her crew have once again proved their mettle in what was an incredibly challenging and hard fought victory over the HMCS Oriole in the Port Alberni to San Francisco Race. The ships traversed over 850 miles of ocean and finished only 14 minutes apart! Here are some particulars from the Lynx‘ log book:

The Cat and the Bird, the chase continues

Just like the passage into Port Alberni, the passage out was beautiful as well.  The channel was calm and we rode along at a comfortable pace with Lynx right behind us.  As this leg of the journey was a race, we were ever aware of Lynx‘s position as we jockeyed for first.  As we hit the starting line, it was all hands to set the sails and get underway.  Shortly after that, Captain James reminded us that this was a “wet boat” and that the condition of the straight of Juan de Fuca suggested that we don our foul weather gear…including our knee high rubber boots.   I have to say that I have never been on such a wet boat as this one.  With an ankle high rail and 15 foot swells, it was clear that the captain was right. 

 

 

A Game of Cat and Bird

 Lynx

 

Posted by Jo

 

The Tall Ships descent south to California has begun with a festival stop in San Francisco. Jesse and I had an unforgettable experience sailing down on the Canadian Navy vessel, HMCS Oriole. This ship was one of the two vessels that participated in the race from Port Alberni to the Golden Gate Bridge. Our competitor was Lynx, which made for some witty puns about the cat chasing the bird. However, don’t let me lead you to believe Lynx was behind us for the length of the journey. Our ships took very different approaches to sailing down the coast as our rigs are fairly different. We only crossed paths once for a brief moment when we were a few days into the voyage.

                                       Lynx off the Oriole bow                                             

As we neared the finish line early last Friday morning, the air became thick and foggy (it’s a rare morning that it isn’t foggy in San Fran). We were floating along at what felt like snail pace in comparison to some of the fierce winds we’d witnessed throughout the trip. The bridge came into sight when we were a mile away and at the same time so did Lynx about a mile behind us. They were gaining on us (“making trees” as they say at sea). The crew that was previously tired and withering became suddenly anxious and began flapping their arms like wings and yelling “fly birdie, fly!” We were doing everything we could to remain ahead, minus taking out our hairdryers and aiming them at the sails. Nonetheless, it made for a suspenseful finish and grand entrance into San Francisco Bay!  

A Whole New Ship

With the festival in Port Alberni comning to an end, I prepared myself for another exciting sail on an entirely new ship: and I wasn’t disappointed.  I must say however, that I was very sad to leave the small town feel and intimate atmosphere of Port Alberni.  Throughout the several days we were in port, the organizers welcomed us into their families and made every effort to make our stay there enjoyable from the plush hospitality tent or a ride into town.  But alas, as all festivals do, this one came to an end. On Sunday night, I transported my bags from Lady Washington to Oriole and settled in for a week long voyage. 

Saw Mills and Steam Trains in Port Alberni

Posted by Karen

 

Port Alberni, a quaint little mill town tucked away in the rugged wilderness of Vancouver Island, has all the heart and spirit of a city ten times its size. Beginning with the magnificent mountain panoramas at every angle, and ending with the unparalleled small town hospitality, Port Alberni encapsulates everything a Tall Ships port should.

When the ships arrived on Thursday, we attended a captain’s reception at an old saw mill, where we were welcomed by the mayor of Port Alberni himself. The town arranged for transportation to the event aboard a steam engine train, with an energetic engineer narrating along the way. As we crept slowly up the hills and deeper into the evergreens, the air smelled fresh and clean, and we reclined in our seats and enjoyed the incredible views. Every person we passed waved jubilantly at the little train making its way slowly along the tracks. The event itself was catered by neighbors and friends of Tall Ships liaisons, and we sipped on native British Columbian wine from a local vineyard while chatting with the elated inhabitants of the surrounding area.

After a brief meet and greet, the captains were each formally presented with a cedar plank for salmon cooking, and given the chance to speak to the crowd. All of the captains agreed that Port Alberni deserves the highest praise for hosting the Tall Ships, and thanked the local people for their generosity and warmth. We will be sad to see the Port Alberni event come to a close tomorrow, as we board the Canadian naval vessel HMCS Oriole for the long transit to San Francisco.

  HMCS ORIOLE, home for the next 10 days

 

Sailing with Elmo to Vancouver Island

Posted by Karen

Jesse and I clambered aboard the Lady Washington, or “Lady,” as she is so affectionately called in the Tall Ships circuit, and prepared ourselves for the transit back to Vancouver Island. We introduced ourselves to the captain and crew, who welcomed us very warmly with delicious dinner and lively conversation.

Safe Inside the Yellow Line, Part 4

POSTED BY JESSE

My first look at Port Alberni was from the top of the foremast, and it was quite a sight.  From the harbor I could tell that this was a small and intimate town.  Unfortunately for us, customs was delayed in clearing us and so we had to wait until the following morning to be allowed off our ship. 

Safe Inside the Yellow Rail, Part Three

POSTED BY JESSE

 

I heard that the channel into Port Alberni would be beautiful, but I wasn’t quite expecting such perfect conditions.  The channel snakes through gorgeous mountains covered with forests of diverse shades.  The sun was shining beautifully and there was a slight breeze.  However, the breeze was enough to encourage us to set our sails and sail before the wind.  In fact, this was the first time I had seen Lady shake out her sails since I had been onboard.  Unlike the previous days, all hands were on deck enjoying the sun and taking in the sights.  Shortly after lunch, I had the chance to go aloft into the rig; something that I had been looking forward to for a few days. 

Safe Inside the Yellow Rail, Part 2

 Posted by Jesse

 

 

When I awoke for my next watch, I put on my foulies and hurried up on deck.  The waves had become much more pronounced and we were bouncing around all over the place.  Fortunately, the brisk, lively air above decks was refreshing and chased away all thoughts of queasiness.  In fact, once I was above decks, I immediately began to appreciate the beauty of the coming sunset.  On both sides of the ship the mountains were beginning to lose their definition and turning blue in the evening light.  On deck, the shadows of the masts and rigging were scratching across the deck like fingers reaching for the wind. 

Safe Inside the Yellow Rail

 POSTED BY JESSE

 

Part of being an ASTA intern is that we must be very flexible.  Last Monday, we thought we would be sailing with HMCS Oriole to Port Alberni. Yet to our surprise, we found out that in five hours we would instead be sailing with Lady Washington.  However, I didn’t mind the switch since I have wanted to sail with Lady for a while now.  As we stepped aboard, the crew was winding down from an exhausting week of three battle sails a day and dockside tours in between.