Two Hundred Ten is a crowd

 

ASTA Interns Jesse, Karen and Jo

Written by Jo

If you’ve been tracking our adventure as ASTA interns this summer you know that we’ve experienced ships of every shape and structure. The USCG Barque EAGLE is no exception. The maximum number of crew and passengers I’d had on a tall ship up until this week was 26. The Eagle had 210. Measuring 295 feet in length and weighing 18,000 tons, it was more than evident that we weren’t on the schooner HMCS Oriole anymore.

A funny thing happened on my way to San Pedro

Written by Karen

 

Early Monday morning, Jesse and I departed Channel Islands Harbor aboard Lynx, sailing in tandem with Bounty, Seaward, and Californian on our way to safe anchorage at Santa Cruz Island. Soon after getting underway, however, Bounty’s crew found the wind unfavorable for square-rigging, so they furled her sails and motored off into the distance, leaving Californian, Seaward, and Lynx to coast side-by-side under moderate wind for most of the afternoon.

Five Down…Just Two to Go

 

 

Written by Jo 

The Spirit of Dana Point, a schooner owned by the Ocean Institute in Dana Point, became my new home for the trek to San Pedro. I had the opportunity to sail with her to her homeport of Dana Point and I must say the Ocean Institute is quite a magnificent organization. Along with having two tall ships they have a plethora of other boats as well as a facility that incorporates tons of hands on learning. I witnessed everything from second graders dissecting squid eyeballs to a saltwater tank of plate sized, multicolored starfish. It was great to see the children get involved  and be truly enjoying it. During our time at the dock, I got to help out with boat repairs and preparation for the festival in L.A. This took about three days as we had damaged two sails quite badly and had to have them taken down and sewn. However, an expert, Jim, stitched them up in a hurry and before we knew it we were on our way to San Pedro harbor. 

SoCal and loving it

  Jo and the KAISEI under sail coming into Oxnard

Posted by Karen

 

Welcome to Southern California! We’re all working on our farmer’s tans down here in Oxnard, where the afternoon sun is hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk. Luckily, Jesse, Jo and I got the opportunity yesterday to escape the heat and enjoy the open water when we joined Lynx for an educational day sail. Twenty children swarmed the decks, excited to hoist the sails, get a glimpse of the ships’ guns, and spot dolphins and sea lions as we pulled out of the harbor.

Live Free or Die!

     Posted by Jesse

 

One of the most complex and exciting aspects of these festivals is the battle sail.  During these sails, several ships leave the harbor and test their skills as they maneuver to fire upon one another.  While there are no actual projectiles fired from the ship’s guns, each gunner carefully takes aim just as in the age of fighting sail.  In fact, what most people don’t realize is the amount of work that goes into one of these spectacular sails.  Not only is the gunner constantly moving from one side to another, swabbing, reloading, and firing, but the rest of the crew is also scurrying about handling the sails for maneuvering.  With all ships tacking and jibing around, each captain has to strategize how to get his guns to bear on the other ships.

 

A little bit of Venice in Oxnard

Posted by Jesse

 

 

 

  Before we arrived in Oxnard, California, there was a lot of mystery surrounding the city.  We were not quite sure what to expect since none of us had ever been here before.  I have found this city to be quite pleasant and welcoming.  It has the feel of a small town, much like Port Alberni, that welcomes travelers of all types. 

Bounty-ful memories of California

     Written by Jovanna

 

San Francisco’s Festival of Sail came and went in the blink of an eye. The regular hustle and bustle of the bay waterfront was amplified by the various events going on in conjunction with the festival. Ships were scattered along the length of the water at the various piers amounting to a six-mile long venue with three different festival villages: Green, Education, and International. Having a taste of a big city festival was great and much different than the rest of the ports we’ve been to, which were mostly smaller towns.

Cable cars, tall ships and a golden gate

Posted by Karen

 

While Jo and Jesse made their way down the coast on Oriole, I headed to San Francisco early to help organize and set up for the upcoming Festival of Sail. I worked long hours each day, managing volunteers and arranging ticket distribution for the sprawling and extensive event. Each night before bed, I checked up on the conditions at sea where the girls were racing, wondering how my fellow interns fared on the sleek and brisk Canadian Naval vessel. When we finally reunited in San Francisco, I sat captivated and listened to their many tales from the high seas, and reveled in their exhilarating accounts of the race. I must say, though I’m thrilled that the girls had such an exciting time on Oriole, I’m quite pleased that my friends on Lynx have done so well in the race series! Such a hard-working crew deserves all the merit they can get!

What’s in a name? BLARNEY PILGRIM

And sometimes, you just find a phrase that you like and hope no one else has the same one.  Capt. Paddy had high hopes but someone beat him to the name he originally wanted. Watch the video to see how he ended up with the name Blarney Pilgrim.

What’s in a name? The NINA

One of the most frequent questions I get when asked about the Nina is, “Is that really how big she was?!” Granted she was the smallest of the three ships that sailed the ocean blue, but at 92 feet sparred length, loaded with men, livestock and provisions for points unknown (next stop, the end of the Earth), it makes the epic journey that much more impressive.

But who was Nina? Watch the video below and learn a little something about Columbus’ favorite ship that you probably didn’t learn in fourth grade history class…