BOUNTY bound for Belfast

     After three years, four TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Race Series, and 18 events, I finally have the opportunity to be a participant on board a tall ship. Not just any tall ship, but perhaps the most famous of all, the HMS Bounty. A berth is waiting for me and I board tonight.  Next stop- Belfast, Northern Ireland for the last event in the TALL SHIPS ATLANTIC CHALLENGE® Race Series.

     Since May, vessels have been racing their way around the Atlantic Ocean. Starting in Vigo, Spain the vessels have been to Tenerife, Las Canarias; Hamilton, Bermuda; Charleston, South Carolina; Boston, Massachusetts; Halifax, Nova Scotia, and finally Belfast. I have been following the ships since Vigo and working with them personally since Charleston. It has been an awesome experience and one that is not nearly over. Twenty one days from now, I will be in Belfast, proudly wearing a crew shirt and most likely a bit more swarthy after sailing 2324nm across the Northern Atlantic Ocean. Nelly and Amelia will also be on board as crew and the three of us are all eager for the transit.

A night to remember at ASTA’s Annual Fundraiser

Amelia N. Smith – July 14th

 

Sunday was our big day, the ASTA Annual Fundraiser on tall ship Concordia to raise money for sail training and education.  I started off the evening directing guests to the reception by greeting them at the beginning of the pier.  They were easy to spot—the well-heeled guests and spotless crew and cadets. 

A homecoming in Norfolk

By Amelia N. Smith

     Norfolk Harborfest for the 4th of July was phenomenal but, before delving into the event itself, I should start with the morning which was lively as well.  At 5 a.m. I had a confused wake-up for anchor watch– I’d been off-watch and asleep during the midnight anchoring.    It was a brisk morning, and I watched the sun rise, helped the students to complete the hourly boat check and took bearings recorded in the log with students Zach and Lauren.  As locals to the area, they were excited to recognize the coastline and explain where we were anchored.

“Are you Nelly?”

    “Are you Nelly?,” the voice asked as I woke up and to be quite honest, I wasn’t sure. “It’s time for your anchor watch,” she said.

      ”My what?” I thought. I had no idea where I was, I put together that I was on a boat because the red light from the chart room was glowing into my bunk and I have been living on one ship or another for the last month.

      When I remembered that I was on the Schooner Virginia anchored out in Charleston Harbor, I realized I had fallen asleep in all my clothes so all I had to do was fetch my shoes and my glasses as I headed up on deck. I was still a bit dazed as I whacked my knee on the ladder, loudly announcing my presence on deck where I met Nate, the deckhand, and three students. Nate had them show me the landmarks we were taking bearings to and brief me a bit on an anchor watch. This is when I realized that I had slept through the crew muster that night but anchor watch was a breeze. We checked our position and bearings to makes sure the ship stayed in place and was safe before we were relieved after an hour.

      It’s been interesting being an intern deckhand onboard as I find myself both learning alongside the students as well as teaching them. Early the next morning, we hauled the anchor and set sail out of Charleston and it was all hands as each watch completed their chore for the day, cleaning the ship from top to bottom. After lunch, C watch, my watch, took the deck. As the day went on, the students held up very well. The first day is always daunting because your whole world is turned upside down as you now share a space the size of a three bedroom house with 23 other people. Even in off watch, students were learning knots and lines, many doing so to obtain their aloft clearance. After a short class on sail theory, Casey, our educator, led charades (with flip flops and a giant ladle as props). Before we started we took a tally to see who had booted the most that day and Melanie outshone her fellow competitors with twelve times. The best part is she is also the student with the biggest smile on her face.

      In my continuing schooner education, I went aloft to help sea stow the main gaff topsail – a sail that still feels very new to me. There’s not much space up there for two people to stow it and the Virginia definitely has a narrower ladder than I am used to so it was a touch scary. But going aloft never disappoints. The sun was setting and even in the rolling seas I was very glad to have gone up.

      Today, Amory had been sick all morning and was immovable from the leeward side. I brought him some crackers and was able to convince him to help me with the rough log, where we record our position, and sea and weather conditions. Most of it we could do on deck, so I let him stay on deck as I went to record what we had collected. When I came up the ladder, he was resting his head on his arm right outside the opening. “Amory?” I asked.  “Eighty seven,” he responded. He is the youngest on board and had revisited everything he had eaten in the last twelve hours and still remembered to get the temperature, even when I had forgotten. That made my day.

 -Nelly

At sea on Schooner VIRGINIA

Nelly and Amelia are both on board Schooner Virginia for this leg, the first time they have sailed together this series. Keep reading for Amelia’s update from the ship.

A little rain never hurt anyone…especially a sailor

It was a wet and wooley race start out there on the ocean tonight. I am still swaying from all the bumping and tossing our 30ft Dory took.  The race participants are on their way to Boston along with Jennifer, our Operations Coordinator on Spirit of Bermuda, Nelly and Amelia on Virginia, and Matt on Europa.

Acrobats, Drums and Air Shows

Jolie Brise_Amelia Smith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was great to come into Charleston aboard Schooner Virginia on Thursday, sailing in with an amazing harbor view of the tall ships that had already arrived.  We arrived in the late afternoon, and after dropping sail, tied up near Tecla.  After a long voyage at sea, Virginia celebrated with a crew dinner in town.  We spent the evening walking around the quaint and historical city of Charleston, and though it is hot and humid, nights sleeping on deck have been cool and comfortable.

An international soiree in Charleston

Nelly

                Amelia and I went to the International Soiree last night.  The set up was perfect, they had food, refreshment and music set up along the dock with all the Class A ships open and festively lit.  The Capitan Miranda was one of the ships hosting the public and was having a private reception on the aft lower deck.  The crew was gathered on the bow playing music and dancing. They had drums, whistles and were occasionally accompanied by the ship’s horn.  There wasn’t enough of a breeze to match the heat even at ten at night.  As the crew danced with their drums, people watching from the dock danced and clapped along.  With all the cleats and eyes on the deck, the dance floor was a bit small but the crew made it work without tripping on the gear. 

The chocolate pancake dance

From Nelly…

Nelly up in rigging putting Penetrol on the foremast to prevent chafing

As we sailed out of Hamilton and around the island to the start of Race Three,  we were joined by hundreds of yachts, dinghies and even jet skis.  It felt like a royal escort.  

 I hate to admit it, but I couldn’t tell you when we crossed the starting line.  I had never set foot on a schooner before and I was often concentrating so much on what I was doing, mostly hauling and trying not to fall over, that I wasn’t always sure exactly what my hauling was achieving up in the rigging and by the time I was done I needed to move to another line.

 The last I was aware, we were waiting for the other race committee boat to get into position.  Then we were setting more sails and tacking, which involved a lot of hurry and hauling while trying not to slip on the deck. 

On A Roll…

Now underway aboard Schooner Virginia– here’s Amelia’s story on the end of the Bermuda’s festival and the past week aboard the Virginia:

As the festival in Bermuda drew to a close, crew celebrated with a spirited parade to Victoria Park.  Awards were announced and given for the race and parade.  Rona II was victorious in the crew parade category, dressed as festive and colorful “indians.”  Everyone I talked with had an amazing time in Bermuda, and appreciated all the thoughtful amenities given to crew such as free internet, calling cards and soft drinks!

 The parade of sail out of Hamilton on Monday morning was a great end to the festival.  Led by Cisne Branco and Kruzenshtern, Schooner Virginia followed Concordia with tall ships Europa and Pride of Baltimore II behind us in line.  Last was Spirit of Bermuda, who shined as the local vessel as she was escorted by a fleet of surrounding recreational boats.

 Though a hazy morning, most ships in the parade set sail as we neared Dockyard.  Europa looked especially magnificent in full sail against the morning light.  Heading out to the start, the wind picked up and seas began to rise.  To my amusement, Pride II broke the line and passed Virginia, joined by Europa.  Schooner Virginia isn’t participating in the race, instead using the offshore crossing as an opportunity for a celestial navigation course.  But before heading to anchor in St. George Harbor for the night, we sped through wind and rain to catch Pride II at the start and then turned back.

 Tuesday we took the day off to visit Bermuda’s natural beauty; caves, beaches and snorkeling.  Now we are underway, averaging about four to six knots in steady winds and scattered squalls accompanied by heavy rain.  I’ve been a bit of a sickling since I was unaccustomed to her rolling, but am starting to recover and become a fully functioning member of “C” watch.

 I just finished a sunny midday watch, and last night featured beautiful skies with bright starts and strong winds.  During the day and night, celestial navigation courses are taught by Professor Clark to the crew and two guest crew.  “Things are progressing nicely, although the sun has been elusive,” says Professor Clark.

 On watch it is easy to notice that Schooner Virginia is very much a teaching ship.  Trainees focus on four important areas when first orientated to the boat; safety, helm, boat checks and line handling.  During watch, my watch leader has instructed me on the compass points because the ship’s compass doesn’t have numbers, only letters to steer by.  I’m beginning to pick up on this pattern and system while at the helm and looking forward to learning more by the end of the voyage!