Put a bird on it

What a day for a sail

Twice a year, in the spring and fall, USCG Barque EAGLE has their Officer Cadidate School(OCS) participants sail aboard the ship as part of a training voyage. This past fall, Tall Ships America was able to extend an invitation to sail aboard with the OCS class to it’s members. We are pleased to announce that this spring, CAPT Pulver has extended this invitation to include experienced deckhands from the sail training industry.

This is an incredible opportunity (read about my own experience sailing with the OCS class to Philadelphia in 2011) and I can’t recommend enough that you take the time to apply for this voyage. Not only will you be sailing towards warm weather but Savannah hosts the largest St. Patricks Day parade in the country. Based on our own time in Savannah this past summer as part of the TSC with EAGLE, you are guaranteed to have great time both at sea and on land.

Here are the details from the announcement:

EAGLE will sail on a training voyage, departing New London CT on 8 March and arriving Savannah GA on 16 March 2013.  CAPT Pulver has graciously offered to include a small number of Tall Ships America experienced deckhands from the sail training fleet.  Junior officers are also welcome (be advised, berthing is in the trainee accommodations, not officer quarters). Experienced trainees are also welcome, if accompanied by an experienced professional. This experience will be a great resume-enhancer and tonnage-time booster! 

Time is short, so act now if you are interested in this great opportunity to train in USCG Barque EAGLE.  APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 22 FEBRUARY 2013, 1700h EST.

Program Details: 

1.)  You must be at least 18 years old.
2.)  There is no age maximum, but you must be fit, willing and able to work aloft.
3.)  You must be a U.S. Citizen.
4.)  You will be full a participant, along with the USCG trainees, in the operation of the
ship:  standing watch, helm, lookout, bridge, maintenance, working aloft, galley and all other regular trainee duties.
5.)  You are welcome and STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to attend training classes with
the USCG  trainees.
6.)  The ideal candidate is an experienced, rising sail training practitioner.  This
            program is not for “Old Salts”, and it is not for first-timers.
7.) Upon successful completion of the program, EAGLE will issue to you (if you request
it) a letter of Sea Service or other formal documentation of your sea service in
EAGLE. 
8.) Participants must pay $12/day for food and expenses, etc.  Total cost for 10
days = $120. 

Application Process: 
1.)  All applications must be submitted electronically to Tall Ships America at
            erin@tallshipsamerica.org
2.)  You must be a Tall Ships America member in good standing to apply – Become a member!3.)  Applications must include the following:
            a.) Resume of your traditional ship experience, as crew or as trainee
            b.) Letter of recommendation from your current (or most recent) Captain or First
                        Mate
c.) Completed Waiver of Liability and Indemnity Agreement (see the EAGLE “Welcome Aboard” packet).
            d.) Completed Medical Questionnaire (see the EAGLE “Welcome Aboard”packet).  NOTE:  This requires a consultation with a medical doctor.

For those of you that giggled over the title, here is the (incredibly accurate) Portlandia sketch for your Friday viewing.

And like that, they were gone

L to R – Larinda,HMS Bounty,Pride of Baltimore II

Walking the Halifax waterfront after the ships had left Monday, there was something different (besides the obvious). Dar was the first to figure it out, it was quiet. For the past five days, we had been surrounded by music – buskers with their guitars, little old ladies with their spoons, raucously loud bands playing rock and roll, Irish music in the bars, and bagpipers on every corner.  Now, with the crowds dispersing and the ships headed to the outports, it was another quiet Monday afternoon along the waterfront.

Monday morning was spent packing up our office and saying goodbye to friends. Most of the ships we will see next year in the Great Lakes and there will be many familiar faces among the crew. Others, we see throughout the year, at our various meetings and our annual conference (details to be announced soon!). But still, the end of our summer series always seems so final.

And one last video from Savannah…

Tomorrow, the ships begin arriving in Greenport, New York and the second TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE(r) port festival will kick off on Saturday with ship tours and continue over Memorial Day Weekend (May 26-28).

It was a long three weeks that we had to wait for our friends to join us up here on the North Fork of Long Island, but it is worth the wait since we have a great fleet – Lynx, Pride of Baltimore II, Picton Castle, HMS Bounty, Roseway, and two new additions,  Summerwind and Unicorn.

But before the ships arrive, here is one last video reminding us of how good a time we had in Savannah, and how much we are looking forward to the rest of our summer events in Greenport, Newport (RI) and Halifax (NS).

Thank you, Cosmos Mariner Productions!

Feeding and Caring of the Ships

ALLIANCE

One of the many aspects that goes into a successful tall ship event is the ship liaison program. A ship liaison is kind of like a local handler for a tall ship, someone who knows where to find anything a ship might need, or at least knows who to call. A ship is an out of town guest and the liaison is there to show the best their city has to offer. It’s a tough job but immensely fulfilling since the liaison becomes a part of the crew for the ships stay in port. They arrive for breakfast and they remain on board until dinner, ensuring that everything from the event side runs smoothly.  It is a lot of work but the relationships that are formed can last for years.

This year in Savannah, we had a wonderfully talented and diverse group of local liaisons. I immediately bonded with the hilarious Janet McCrary, co-owner of Wiley’s Championship BBQ, who was assigned to lucky Alliance. Feeding and caring of tall ships is a tall order and, based on the smile on Janet’s face throughout the festival, one that was thoroughly enjoyed. In fact, Janet had such a great time, she made a slideshow about her experience.

Meanwhile, becalmed just short of the finish line of the first race,  Pride of Baltimore II wrote about their stellar liaisons on their blog.

Next week, the ships arrive in Greenport, NY and there is a fresh batch of eager, enthusiastic liaisons just waiting for their ships to arrive.

Beatles and Spears

One of the perks of having a foreign naval vessel as part of the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE(r)  fleet is the invite to a reception. While in Savannah, the Tall Ships America team was graciously invited to a small reception on the Indonesian  naval vessel Dewaruci. Local Indonesians, friends, and family, had been cooking all day so, with an ice-cold Bintang beer in hand, Jennifer and I ventured over to sample the offerings. I had never eaten Indonesian food before and decided that I would try everything, even the brown hardboiled eggs. Needless to say, everything was delicious (the brown eggs had actually been marinated in nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar and various FDA approved spices). As we chatted with the officers and very earnest cadets, it was shaping up to be a low key evening. And then, this happened –

One Down, Three to Go

The coolest shot of the day. That’s a ray leaping with one of the French ships in the background

As the  TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE(r) team readjusts to life in the cold North (rainy and in the 50′s for the past week. Re-entry was harsh), the vessels are heading up the coast and will meet us in Greenport for their Memorial Day Weekend event (24-28 May). The race from Savannah to Cape Fear has concluded and the ever-vigilant Captain Trost is speedily working out the results. Because all of these ships have different rigs and are different sizes, we have special handicap ratings for each vessel to make it a bit more fair. It was a tough race with the wind coming out of the northeast as the ships tried to make their way north. Two ships had to retire from the race early, while others never made it past the start line in the time limit allotted. Regardless, we race on! Fingers crossed for more favorable conditions for our race out of Greenport.

Guest Blogger: Slow Racing Day after a Night of Thrashing to Windward

Tall Ships Challenge Race #1 – Savannah to Cape Fear.

PRIDE got off to a Weatherly advantage at the start of the first Tall Ships Challenge race for 2012. But that does not mean it was a comfortable experience. 15-20 knot conditions on the bow after such winds have been blowing for 24 hours is not a lot of fun. Heavy weight to setting and trimming sails. Significant sea swell of 6 odd feet to bash against. Significant angle of heel for everyone to stumble over with a leaping PRIDE along with spray on deck and some down below because a hatch was carefully left open for ventilation…forgetting that water could also go down it. Some bunks got wet. Still good for sleeping in though after a very physical time of it on deck.

Keep reading about the race from the decks of the Pride of Baltimore II

Note: The Race Team has arrived back home today so stay tuned this week for updates on the last day of the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE (R) Savannah festival and the very rainy Parade of Sail , with photos and vide0s!

Rocking the River Street

The first day of the Savannah TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE(r) is officially over (as of five minutes ago) and we have hit our stride. The first day we shake out any issues and by the second day, it’s smoooooth sailing. Here are a few photos from the event today-

New recruits

We had a group of Montessori kids tour the vessels and they were very impressed with the rigging and mast on Bounty.

And so it begins

It’s been a wild day here at the Savannah TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE(r) that started with Jennifer and I blearily making our way to the two French naval vessels La Belle Poule and Etoile at 5:45am. We had been tasked with catching their lines and as we made our way over to the dock, we were greated by a hive of activity. The ships had arrived ahead of schedule and the crew was busily getting the ships ready for visitors. The ships had come in cruising up the river at about 10 knots on the incoming tide, so they had made some pretty good time. Undeterred, we snapped a few photos of the ships as the sun rose -

Next up, we delivered TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE(r) ship banners, flags, pins and crew badges to the vessels. Lynx really liked theirs -

Then Dewaruci thought they’d bring out the band –

It’s been a pretty full day and the festival officially opens tomorrow at 10am. Whew!! Stay tuned for more updates….

Waitin’ on some ships in Savannah

While we are waiting for the ships to arrive here in Savannah, Captain Trost gave a lesson on how to handle the lines of tall ships to some lucky volunteers and Ship Liaison Officers.

These are big ships and the lines are large and heavy too. But you don’t just toss a line over to the dock. Instead, the crew ties a smaller, lighter line (which has a monkey’s fist knot at the end for weight) to the big, heavy one and tosses it over to the waiting line handler. It’s all pretty straightforward but it’s always good to practice. I’ve seen a lot of people just freeze and hold the line instead of putting it on a bollard or cleat. When the ship needs to get secured quick, it’s nice to have someone there who knows what to do. In Savannah, we have Captain Trost to impart his wisdom to the eager volunteers. And I had a camera.

Captain Trost gives a little background

Learning “the dip” on the trashcan/bollard

So far, we have Peacemaker, Alliance, Roseway, Theodore Too, and Lynx are here with Appledore IV arriving later tonight. We still have Pride of Baltimore 2, Picton Castle, Dewaruci, Eagle, La Belle Poule and Etoile, and Bounty arriving tomorrow and Friday, respectively.  Downtown Savannah is looking good and the line handlers are ready!