Oh man, Now I’ve got my Senior Year to Finish!

Woah, Talk about the best summer of my life! I can’t believe I’m here at Earlham College after all the sailing adventures. I’m trying to get used to school but the change is so weird. Everyone keeps asking me, “hey alex, why do you keep wearing that same Red shirt everyday that says Offical Race Team? Everything you wear says ASTA on it, why?” I respond in, “well, I just got off a boat…”

Foam Cheese, REO and the Windy City or, How I spent my summer vacation

It wasn’t really a vacation but because of a fabulous race team it was pretty close. The enthusiasm of the ports, ships, visitors and my interns was inspiring and energizing. I am sitting in our Newport, RI office looking out at the pouring rain and wishing I was back in the booth talking to all the passers-by again. Even though the heat was oppressive at times, most of the people that I saw, either waiting in line or watching the Parades of Sail in, looked thrilled to be participating in such a unique event.

My first port was Cleveland, and it set the precendent for the rest of the summer.

2006 TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE Series – Bon Voyage!

Yesterday marked the final festival day of the 2006 TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE Series. The tall ships left Chicago today for ports unknown and the ASTA Race Team is piloting the land schooner back to Newport.

It was a great summer in the Great Lakes!

Millions of fond memories were created by the tall ships and the crews and trainees had wonderful experiences in each city.

Starting in Cleveland as part the Huntington Cleveland Harborfest, the fleet enjoyed one of the tour’s most picturesque settings at the foot of Ninth Street and next to the wonderful facilities provided by our port organizing partners Great Lakes Science Center and The William G. Mather Steamship Museum. There were more Captain Jack Sparrows per capita than any other city in America that weekend! Hmmm, I wonder why?

TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE tv – Episode 2 – Sailing on the US Brig Niagara (July 21-23,2006)

This video was shot by ASTA Summer Intern Alexandra Hagerty during the transit between Bay City, MI and Green Bay, WI during the 2006 TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE Series.

BAY CITY RECAP

Our time in Bay City passed quickly, although it was wonderful. The city held at least one function for the crew almost everyday the ships were in port, and the crew never stopped raving about how welcoming the city had been and what a good time they were having. Some highlights of the week were: a crew party the night of arrival in Bay City, a symphony concert, a concert by, yes one of my all time favorite 80’s bands, REO SPEEDWAGON, and finally to wrap the festivities up a pancake breakfast and a mariners ball on the final day of the festival.

Personally I loved Bay City, and it is my belief that Bay City loved us. Everyone was so welcoming. Storefronts put out special displays in anticipation of our arrival, free laundry services were offered by a local businessman to the crew, and on arrival each crewmember was given a welcome bag filled with all sorts of goodies from hats, to postcards and stamps created by local artists. The tall ships event made the papers every day for the duration of our stay, and local residents all inquired  when we would be back next and stated their intentions that they wanted us back again. All in all the Bay City experience was fantastic, the ASTA tent had many visitors and we even ran out of our brochure “What is Sail Training?”.

Swim Calls and Galley Duty on NIAGARA

It was to be our last full day at sea when I awoke on Wednesday,  the 19th. The sun was out and shining, I had just eaten a lovely breakfast of unleavened pancakes, (the cook ran out of baking soda) and I was out on deck playing in the suds of the washbasins (on account of my galley duty for the day). After we had scrubbed down and put away the dishes, the entire crew mustered for a lecture given by the Captain and the third mate on “sail theory”, and “rules of the road”, lights and shapes.

US Brig Niagara

These past two weeks have been like being stuck in a time warp, where at one moment you are working ashore with all of this world’s modern commodities and, in the blink of an eye, you are living aboard a majestic tall ship where a shower consists of jimmy rigging a Tarzan rope and jumping into Lake Huron.