2013 Spring Cruise

   This year Captain Pulver, the Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Barque Eagle gave 18 members of Tall Ships America the chance to sail on Eagle. Our group of 18 (9 men, 9 women) would join Officer Candidates for the Coast Guard and NOAA Corps, as we sailed from New London, Connecticut to Charleston, South Carolina.  This  Coast Guard opportunity is truly unique, as no other country allows civilians to sail onboard their military sail training vessels.

   Our Eagle trip started with an early reville at 0530. After a quick breakfast we went outside to receive stores for the voyage. To our surprise we walked out to a snowstorm and several inches of snow on the deck, which made for some interesting walking conditions. As we stood outside passing boxes of “meals to be” I looked out to the ocean wondering if we were actually going to leave the protection of our dock in the New London Harbor that day. Apparently the Captain had the same thoughts. After provisioning, we mustered to hear the plan for the day. The weather at that time was a snowstorm with visibility of around two miles. These conditions didn’t make for great sailing weather. The original plan was to motor an hour out of the harbor to Fishers Island and anchor there for the night. The following morning we would start our voyage South. However, with the weather the way it was, the possibility of leaving that day looked bleak. The Coast Guard has a motto Semper Paratus,  Latin for “Always Ready”. Well that motto slowly turned into Semper Gumbi amongst the crew and trainees, as we had really no idea when we were leaving. 

   This waiting time gave us an opportunity to go over the voyage schedule. Which group you were in and what time you had watch became a larger question than our departure time.    All of a sudden a call came for sailing stations. That only meant one thing; we were leaving. As we made our way up through the companionways I could sense that my shipmates all had the same feelings I did. We all seemed excited to be disembarking, however, everybody was a little nervous about sailing into a snowstorm. As we walked out on to the deck we were all delighted to see that the fog had cleared and the seas looked a little more inviting. After a lot of work in the wet, cold snow we left the dock and made our way to Fishers Island just an hour away. There we would anchor and prepare to start our voyage south the next day. 

   The next morning, we were graced with the presence of the sun. We still sitting in the midst of a bitter New England winter, but at least we were dry. Regardless, it was something new for a guy that had grown up sailing in Southern California, where the worst sailing conditions can be overcast with 6 foot swells. All of the guests joked that this weather was just another form of character building. 

   After breakfast and a muster we hoisted anchor and pointed south. Finally we were underway and soon we were called to sailing stations to set the sails, and we set a lot of sail. It was really kind of a break for the guests, as for a day now we have been trying to assimilate ourselves into this life on a military vessel. We were finally doing something we knew, sailing. For a day now we felt a little out of place because we were civilian guest on a military ship so there wasn’t an immediate sense of belonging that we usually had on other tall ships. However, that all changed as we hoisted sail. It was a little funny to watch the tall ship sailors fall into their usual position as a deckhand, while the Officer Candidates seemed lost. We quickly realized that this was the first time on a sailing vessel for most, if not all, of the OCS trainees. I overheard a few OCS say, “Follow the Tall Ships America guys. They know what they’re doing.” It was then when we started to feel accepted by everybody on board. 

   We spent the rest of the day sailing parallel with Long Island to catch the Easterly winds. The day continued with watch drills. These were the usual man overboard, fire, and abandon ship drills that were necessary for everybody to know as we were getting underway on the open ocean.    We finally moved on to something we had all been waiting for, the Up And Over drill. This was a test to make sure we were fit and competent to climb aloft. You could see that all of the tall ship guests were so excited to finally get the chance to go a loft.   

For the next few days we fell into a pattern of setting sail, taking classes, standing watch, and usually dousing sail in the afternoon. By this time we all had clearer understanding of the schedule and we realized the method to the madness. We also got to know the OC’s that were in our watches and we were beginning to really feel part of the crew. 

     By day five we were about 70 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras, and you could feel it. It was storming all day with swells up to 16 feet. Over the course of that day, we would come across two squalls that would limit our visibility to less than two miles.  That day my watch had scullery and galley duty so we were preoccupied by washing dishes. We all agreed that this was actually a good day to have scullery duty since it was raining constantly and the steady stream of dirty dishes helped us stave off the impending seasickness that was plaguing many of the other shipmates. We were lucky enough to pick up a country channel on the radio, which was surprising considering we were 70 miles off shore. After this experience I now feel that country is the only music you should listen to when sailing into a squall. 

   By day six we were off the southern coast of North Carolina with a cool, steady wind. We utilized this wind do to some good sailing for the day. By now we had fallen into routine and setting sails went smoothly.  As the sun started to set we were called to sailing stations again to bring in sail. At this point in the voyage, a rapport had been established between the permanent crew of Eagle and the guests. Safety and seamanship were obviously strong suits for the Coast Guard. However, the tall ship sailors were able to add some insight into the education side of sail training. For days now we had a permanent crewmember stand at the end of the yard organizing the furling. If you were on the opposite end of the yard it was very hard to hear the other person giving orders. This created for less than perfect furls. This afternoon we were going to try something different. I was going to lead the furl on the main course. Instead of being at the end I was going to stay in the middle so both sides could hear orders and I could keep track of how far along everybody was. I felt this change worked well and apparently the crew did too. This was when I realized what our purpose was onboard the Eagle. This was a time for sail trainers from both the Coast Guard and civilian sail trainers to get together to better our skills as a whole. It was an exchange of knowledge that both sides benefitted from it. As I climbed back down to the deck I received a few complements. I told them that I usually do that with kids that have no idea what they’re doing. Having people that could follow orders made my job a lot easier. 

   We motored into the night and as I stood lookout on the bow I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a shooting star soaring across the night sky. I had to laugh to myself because I haven’t seen a shooting star for a long time and of course I had to see it on a tall ship. The scene was very appropriate to the life of a sailor. 

   We had arrived at Charleston a day early so we spent our time drifting in the extremely calm seas. There was a sense of anxiety amongst the crew and more importantly the OC’s. The Officer Candidates have not had leave for a very long time. The use of free time became the topic of the day. Around noon we received some guests. We would be receiving a number of students from a military school in Charleston. Throughout the day we slowly integrated them into our ship board duties and I felt right at home teaching the students about sail training.

    By this time all the watches had bonded with one another and a question I began asking many of the Officer Candidates was where they wanted to be stationed when they got out of OCS. All of the OC’s lit up and seemed excited when I asked. It was a time for them to reflect on the past and express what they hoped would be the future, and I enjoyed listening. As I sat down with one Candidate she expressed how sad she felt about all of the guests leaving and it was then when I really felt part of the crew. We may not have gone through all of hardships of life in the academy, but we shared this one experience that will always last a lifetime.

    The end of our voyage came and, as we fired a single cannon salute while passing by Fort Sumter, I knew that this was another sailing experience that I would never forget. There was the feeling of joy to get off the boat that was quickly followed by sadness when I realized that I may never see those shipmates again. It was then that I realized what it was like for my trainees back in California as they bond as a crew and become a part of the ship. For nine days the Eagle had been our home. It’s always sad to leave your home when it’s a ship. 

We know it is Spring around Tall Ships America HQ when the invites to our annual “DC Reception” in the US Capitol Building go out in the mail. Every year, we host a gathering of politicians, naval attaches, board members, port partners, and supporters to talk about sail training, tall ships and the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE®.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)

Last Tuesday, honorary host Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) spoke to attendees in the Lyndon B. Johnson Room, along with Congressman Rick Nolan (MN), Mike Kelly (PA), and Congresswoman Janice Hahn (CA). We had a great showing of Rhode Island representatives with both Congressmen David Cicilline (former mayor of Providence, heyoo) and Jim Langevin making an appearance.

Congressman Rick Nolan (MN)

Meanwhile, we had a nice turnout of naval attaches with representatives from Ecuador, Russia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Argentina, Spain and Mexico. It is always great to talk to them about their tall ships and how much fun those vessels are to have in the fleet (I’m looking at you Dewaruci!). Since we’ve had these receptions for the past few years and many of the attache’s stay in DC for about three years, we get to see some familiar faces. They are always so delightful and charming with such obvious pride in their tall ships.  

With the Indonesian Attache and his wife

The day after the reception, we had scheduled meetings with other naval attaches and spent the day going from embassy to embassy talking about TSC future events and drinking lots of coffee. It is always so interesting to see the different embassies. Romania is just off Dupont Circle and is an old, historic home with elaborately carved woodwork, while France is located by Georgetown University and has very 1960s architecture.  Meanwhile, Portugal was a blend of the two, it in a gorgeous mansion but the inside was super modern.

DC, you are so pretty even during construction

Washington, DC is one of my favorite cities and this year we timed our trip perfectly to take advantage of the balmy spring weather and do some cherry blossom petal peeping. 

Peeping the petals

While the reception is a quick two hours, the relationships we cultivate, especially among the international fleet, are what help us make the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® a success on every coast.

Erin, Mike Rauworth, Naval Attaches from Ecuador and Argentina

Sorlandet

We have a great (as always) fleet of vessels coming into the Great Lakes this summer. Familiar faces will be joining some new ships and we couldn’t be more excited. Here is the list and for more information on who is going where and how to contact them, visit our Participating Vessels page.

Appledore IV
Challenge
Denis Sullivan
Empire Sandy
Fair Jeanne
Friends Good Will
Hindu
Kajama
La Revenante
Lynx
Madeline
Niagara
Pathfinder
Peacemaker
Playfair
Pride of Baltimore II
Red Witch
Sorlandet
St. Lawrence II
Unicorn
Windy

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.

Yikes, it’s been oh so quiet over on this blog. While we ease into 2013 over here, all the action has been  happening on the conference blog .  We are less than a month out from our annual conference in Erie (weeee!) and there is a ton of information going up over there on a daily basis.  Roommate help, speaker bios (with photos!) and sessions are all being updated as fast I can get them up.  Soon, the agenda on the Tall Ships America website will link up to the blog to make perusing all of our awesome sessions even easier.

Crew grants, generously sponsored by Maritime Simulation Institute, are still available.  If you haven’t already applied, you still have time and it is super easy.

 Meanwhile, in non-conference related news, we have a very exciting announcement to make about a unique upcoming sailing opportunity. So stay tuned and be sure to check back here later this week…

Photo courtesy SnorgTees.com

We made it! Wee! As you rush out to do the holiday shopping you thought you’d gotten out of this year, why not take the time to donate to Tall Ships America? It’s quick and easy. Through our scholarships, grants, programs, and conferences we help young trainees connect with life-changing experiences, and our members achieve greater success. 

Tall Ships America has been given a generous $50,000 challenge to raise an equal amount by December 31^st.  We are halfway there, and we need your participation to reach our goal. 

Your past support of Tall Ships America’s  was put to immediate use to fund scholarships, the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE(r), vessel resources and so much more.   Make a generous donation today and help us meet the challenge by December 31^st. 

Tall Ships America supports education under sail in ways that no other organization can ever do.  We thank you for your past support, and ask you to help us sustain sail training in America for the future.

Nineteenth Edition

In February of 2013, we will be releasing the 20th edition of Sail Tall Ships! A Directory of Sail Training and Adventure at Sea, a comprehensive guide featuring hundreds of Tall Ships America member tall ships, shore-based programs, and business partners offering a diverse range of sail training opportunities throughout North America and around the globe.  This 432-page soft-cover book includes photographs, specifications, program descriptions, and contact info.  A must for those planning their own adventure and for tall ship enthusiasts alike!

This directory is the 40th Anniversary Commemorative Limited Edition and, for the first time ever, will be in full color. To be included in the latest directory, the deadline for member dues in December 31st.

By now, our member organizations should have heard from Lori. If you are a current member organization and have not heard from Lori, please contact her asta@tallshipsamerica.org. If you would like to become a member of Tall Ships America and would like to be included in this special anniversary edition of Sail Tall Ships!, you can become a member online or call our office (401.846.1775).

This calming photograph taken by Matt Maples

First there is Black Friday. Then Small Business Saturday. Sunday is a day of rest. Then Cyber Monday works your internet skillz. As your credit card sizzles quietly and you swear if you see one more boldly aggressive advertisement telling you to ACT NOW! you miiiight just freak out, why not do something that feeds the soul and puts you on the good list. Today is #GivingTuesday™ and, according to the mission statement,

#GivingTuesday™ is a campaign to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. It celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations.

In that case, welcome to the season of giving…back! Our annual appeal is ongoing (until December 31st).  Use your generosity to give back to the sail training community. With your support, we are changing lives and opening new horizons through adventure and education under sail. It is a work we are proud and privileged to undertake.  Help us find the leaders of tomorrow. Sign aboard and support the work of Tall Ships America today.