In an exciting and unique approach to fundraising for public education, the  P.T.A  of the Hamilton Avenue Elementary School of Greenwich, CT is producing HARBORFEST,  April 23rd – 25th, 2010 in Greenwich Harbor.   All net proceeds will go to support the school. 

ASTA is proud to support this event.  Our TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® team has met with event organizers, toured the port, and are providing support along the way.  Greenwich Harbor is a pretty little port, with facilities appropriate to mid- to small-sized ASTA member vessels.  Constraining draft alongside is reported to be 8 feet.   This will be a good business opportunity for the right vessels, which will be warmly welcomed by the community for this intimately scaled event.

P.T.A. Vice President and Event Organizer Bob Macintyre says, “Greenwich has never hosted a Tall Ships® event before. I can’t begin to describe how extremely proud and honored we are to be the first organization to do so.”  We expect all visiting ships will benefit from his great enthusiasm!

ASTA vessels that have committed to the event so far are Argia, Quinnipiack, Pioneer, Lettie G. Howard and Soundwaters and several other are still considering it.  There is room for a few more, so please review your schedule, and think about being part of this fun festival.  Contact Bert Rogers bert@sailtraining.org at ASTA for more info.

Now that the post-conference flurry has subsided somewhat, the ASTA team is back in the office and racing full steam ahead, planning regional meetings on the coasts and Great Lakes, a board retreat in the spring, and a naval attache reception in DC thrown in for good measure, all while working on next summer’s Great Lakes United TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE^®. Once again, we are left with the warm and fuzzies after spending a week conferencing with our fellow sail trainers and tall shippies, discussing what the future holds and how we can improve the sail training experience.

This year in Cleveland, we decided to maintain the  schedule that we picked up last year in Halifax working on our joint conference with Sail Training International. There were fewer sessions this time around but the speakers were knowledgable and engaging, and the sessions informative and relevant. There was also more time to network, Lori having scheduled in morning and afternoon coffee breaks that allowed time to gather one’s thoughts or continue a discussion.

Over the course of two days, the 137 attendees were welcomed to Cleveland by the head of the Conventions and Visitors Bureau, regaled with sea stories from a documentary filmmaker, learned how to ask for money effectively, heard about exciting and promising new programs within the industry, thought long and hard about the three-hour daysail, learned how to put on a good tall ship event, and even how to prepare for a medical emergency at sea.

But it was not all Powerpoints and coffee, attendees were able to leave the hotel and headed to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for a reception sponsored by Allen Agency. If you listen to music, then the Rock Hall is the place for you. It was an awesome time and we even had the place to ourselves to oggle, exclaim, watch and listen. The music theme continued to Friday night with a live Beatles tribute band, The Backbeats, who got people on the dance floor and singing along to the classics. No conference would be complete without a late night tea party and we raised our glasses high to Captain Lane Briggs.

For other presentations, PowerPoints and video, go to the conference blog at www.tallships.wordpress.com. And, just to remind us where our hearts really lie, which is not in a windowless hotel ballroom but out at sea, there was some good old fashioned shanty singing courtesy of Hank Kramer from Grays Harbor Historical Seaport- see video below…

Huntington Cleveland Harborfest 2006

The conference will kick-off on Wednesday, November 4, with an evening Welcome Reception sponsored by Positively Cleveland and the host ports of the 2010 Great Lakes United TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Race Series.  

These are challenging times and many of us can use some fresh ideas to help our organizations thrive in this economy.  The conference will offer a powerful agenda aimed at presenting some new ideas, as well as some new ways of looking at old ideas, designed to help your organizations, programs, and vessels function more effectively.

Cleveland, Ohio, four-time host port to the American Sail Training Association’s TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Race Series (2001/2003/2006/2010), is home to the Rock-And-Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Browns and Indians, the Drew Carey Show, Great Lakes Science Center  and much more!  

The conference will follow a schedule established at last year’s joint STI/ASTA Conference in Halifax offering longer break periods through out the day to facilitate opportunities for networking.  ASTA’s endorsed insurance provider, Allen Agency Insurance, will host a dinner reception at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Thursday evening, including free passes for all delegates to tour the museum.  The Annual Sail Training Awards Banquet will take place on Friday evening followed with live music and dancing. We will be getting down and singing along to the Backbeats, a Beatles tribute band. Click here to read more about them and see them perform live.

For more information on the American Sail Training Association’s 37th Annual Conference on Sail Training and Tall Ships click here

To read about the focus session, speakers biographies and keynote speakers, go to the ASTA Conference blog at www.tallships.wordpress.com.

Conference Sponsors

Mike from Alliance's tattoo of Hiwa.

While spending time in Vancouver around 1995, Mike aboard Alliance choose this nautical tattoo for his right arm.  According to Mike, it is a tattoo of the dolphin Hiwa, a messenger from the gods in Northwest Indian tales as well as stylized around their totems.

Sam’s cormorant tattoo was only 10 days old when we caught up with her on the Roseway back in May.  She picked the cormorant because she spent the last two years as a sailing instructor with Thompson Island Outward Bound where they would see the birds all the time.   Since the birds can swim and fly, she saw it as a metaphor for her life right now with motifs of water, flight and freedom.  The bird is pictured holding its wings out as it dries them after swimming because they do not have oil on their feathers and Sam liked how this made them look a little like dragons.

The cliche of the sailor – weathered skin, salt encrusted hair, and gravely voiced with a faded tattoo. The cliche may hold true (sometimes) but there is a deeper meaning behind that ink.  It could be a souvenir of a journey or a deeply held belief, but the tattoo represents something that warrants permanence and display. This summer, Nelly and Amelia interviewed sailors at the tall ships events to find out the meaning behind their body art and came upon some fascinating glimpses into the sailor mind.

Gina, of the Spirit of  Massachusetts, got her tattoo design from the book Once is Enough, written by couple Miles and Beryl Smeeton, who were daring adventurers in the 1930’s.  They lived in India during World War II, walked across Burma during monsoon season, and tried to circumnavigate the globe.  Gina has been inspired by their adventurous spirit, picking the design of the seagull in the compass because it is congruent with her life as a sailor.

Also, if you are interested in seeing a more in-depth display of tattoos, the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphis has the exhibit Skin and Bones until February 7th.

Skin & Bones traces the origins, functions, and significance of tattoos in American sailors’ lives from the late 18th century onward and how merchant and naval seamen have kept this tradition unbroken and alive. It also connects current trends with historic tradition to enlighten tattooed and un-tattooed visitors alike about this often still misunderstood art form.

Skin and Bones exhibit at the Independence Seaport Museum, Philadelphia

The Crew in Belfast_Chris Speller

       It has been over a week since I waved goodbye to the HMS Bounty in Belfast. As she sailed off the dock and joined the Parade of Sail, I couldn’t help but wish I was on deck too, watching the city recede behind us as we sail off to the next port of call. Instead I wandered aimlessly through the streets of Belfast, missing my new friends and feeling out of touch with the people rushing about the city. I found I was eager to get back to work. At least then, ensconced in the planning for the Great Lakes United 2010 TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Race Series, I would be able to talk to people who understood what it was like to be at sea for 22 days and how scary it is the first time you climb up to the royal yard while underway.

            My tall ship experience began on July 20^th, the day of the Parade of Sail out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was a stunningly gorgeous, windy day and a welcome change from the rainy, foggy weather that had settled over the city for the past few days. Not that the weather did anything to deter the crowds from coming down to the waterfront – if you live in Halifax, you learn to live with the fog.

            It was thrilling to finally be a part of a Parade of Sail and to know that I wouldn’t be getting off the ship and hopping on a plane home that night. There was nervous anticipation all over the deck. I looked around, not knowing the first thing about what I should or shouldn’t be doing, and thought to myself, “Can I live with these people that I just met this morning for the next three weeks? Is the weather going to be rough? And, most importantly, will I get seasick?”

             As we headed out to the ocean, Rebecca, second mate and my watch leader, offered to take us “newbies” aloft. No problem, I thought, I’ve been rock combing before. A few white knuckled moments later, after I forced my trembling legs up the shrouds, I realized that climbing up a moving ship is a whole lot different than clambering around on solid rock and I didn’t like it one bit. Rebecca could see that we were nervous so we just sat at the course (the lowest yard) and took in the view. And what a view it was, the sunlight sparkled off the blue ocean, tall ships and square sails were all around us, and you could see for miles.  Later that day, after I came back down to deck, I resolved that before I got to Ireland, I would make it all the way to the royal yard, 115 feet above the deck.

            That first week was a time of adjustment. I had the 12-4 watch and found myself going to bed at 6:30pm so that I could get a few hours of sleep in before I was to be woken up again at 11:20pm to take the deck at 11:45pm.  Bow watch on those nights was a solitary affair, just you, the slapping of the water against the hull and the sound of the sails straining against their lines.  Looking up, the inky black of the sky was filled with a million pinpricks of light that stretched horizon to horizon. One night, we even saw phosphorescence in our wake, underwater fireflies that blinked and flickered as Bounty plowed along.   During the day, when not sleeping or eating, we worked on the ship. There is always something on board a wooden tall ship that needs to be replaced or repaired. It was fascinating to learn hands on all the parts of the ship and how these parts are replaced while underway, from the topmast to the deck and everything in between. Sails needed repairing, lines needed to be spliced or patch served, decks washed, floors mopped, galley cleaned… the list is never ending on these traditionally rigged vessels. 

Work Party splicing lines

            By the second week, I was much more confident going aloft, mainly due to the fact that once you are up there you are too busy to think about how high you are off the deck. The crew and passengers had slipped into an easy camaraderie bound together by fog, rain, wind and the relentless foghorn.  Once we were out of sight of land, the wind picked up and the weather moved in. Bounty was enveloped by fog.  Since there isn’t anything you can do about the weather, you learn to live with it and drink lots of hot chocolate to ward off the damp and chill. On the rare occasion it was sunny, it was brilliant and you could find the crew back aft by the helm, laughing and enjoying the warmth.  For that week, cribbage became the game of choice in the evening and several of us would gather in the galley trying to outmaneuver each other.

            The third week arrived too quickly and there was a change all over the ship as we realized that this trip was rapidly coming to an end.  However, Mother Nature wasn’t going to let us escape that easy and decided to show us some North Atlantic weather by sending in a low pressure system which brought 15ft waves that loomed behind the stern, high winds up to 25 knots and lots of rain.  Bounty cruised along at a brisk (for her) 9.5 knots, at one point reaching 13.1 knots. With a hull speed of 11 knots, that was an invigorating speed. Unfortunately, all the rocking and rolling made it tough to sleep so the we all had to get creative with our sleeping areas. Since my cabin was athwart ship (head to the starboard side, feet to the port) every time Bounty rolled, I’d slide first one way and then slam into the other end. I lined my suitcases along the bottom of my bunk and wedged myself in to prevent all the slipping and sliding.  You had to be careful walking around above and below decks since you were constantly being thrown off balance. Eating was an adventure, too, as your plate would suddenly slide away and, as you went to catch it, your cup would race across the table. It was extreme eating and you learned to eat fast.

Heeled over on a sunny day

     Going aloft in that weather was exhilarating and, despite my trepidation on that first day, it was an awesome experience to be part of the crew in those instances, fighting to furl the wet, heavy sail, the wind and rain lashing at your face, the ship rocking beneath you as the yard arm you are attached to dips towards the ocean – it was exciting and sobering at the same time.

            Eighteen days after we left Halifax, land was sighted. That morning, at 4:00 am, several of us climbed aloft to the royal to watch the sun rise over Ireland. It was my first time being that high the entire voyage and it was an incredible way to celebrate the end of this trans-Atlantic journey.  For the next few days, we sailed up the Irish Sea and prepared the ship for the TALL SHIPS ALTANTIC CHALLENGE^® event in Belfast.  Those days were bittersweet, excitement to finally be on land again and to see friends, but sad because the adventure was over. 

            Sitting at my desk in Newport, RI, I can’t help but look back with envy on those days at sea, when my biggest concern was what was for dinner. The world shrinks down to 120 feet, friends are never more than a few feet away, and there is always the promise of someplace new over the horizon.  Sail training changed me in ways that I can see, calluses on my hands, remnants of pine tar on my nails, and the smug knowledge that I didn’t get seasick. But sail training changed me in a more subtle way- rising to the challenge of being out of my comfort zone, realizing that being disconnected from my normal life is a wonderful way to reconnect with the world around me, and finally, knowing that I will always be bound to these people because of our shared experience on a wooden tall ship.

Dutch Naval Vessel URANIA wins the Friendship Trophy

The following are the prizes for the fifth and final race that took the fleet across the Atlantic from Halifax to Belfast. The prizes awarded were as follows:

Class A:
1st: Cisne Branco (Brazil)
2nd: Europa (Netherlands)
3rd: Capitan Miranda (Uruguay)

Class B:
1st: Tecla (Netherlands)
2nd: Jolie Brise (UK)
3rd: Etoile (France)

Class D:
1st: Rona II (UK)
2nd: Urania (Netherlands)
3rd: Peter von Danzig (Germany)

Other prizes awarded were:

The prize for the first vessel overall across all classes was awarded to Tecla (Netherlands).

Line Honours, for the first vessel to cross the finish line, was awarded to Cisne Branco (Brazil).

The TSAC prize to the vessel that contributed most to the communications schedule, was awarded to Capitan Miranda (Uruguay) with special mention to Valeria Sorrenti.

The TSAC prize for cook longest at sea, was awarded to Sanne Lever from Xsaar (Belgium).

The Crowther Memorial Shield, for the skipper, mate and crew who demonstrated outstanding seamanship during the final few hundred miles of the race after being hit by a freak wave and losing their topmast and sustaining other damage, was awarded to Jolie Brise (UK).

The Honourable Company of Master Mariners’ Trophy, for a display of exceptional ship-handling and seamanship during the parade of sail in Halifax, was awarded to Sagres (Portugal).

An award was donated by the city of Belfast to the youngest male trainee to sail on the race: Spencer Ash from Canada who sailed on Europa.
An award, donated by the city of Belfast to the youngest female trainee to sail on the race: Marina Schaeffer from Ireland who also sailed on Europa.
An award, donated by the city of Belfast, to the ship that travelled furthest from home to take part in the event, was given to Capitan Miranda from Uruguay.
The award for the vessel with the youngest average aged trainees, donated by Belfast, was given to Jolie Brise from the UK, with an average age of 17 years.
The award for the vessel making the best display in the crew parade, donated by Belfast, was given to Europa (Netherlands).

There were also a number of prizes awarded for the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge series overall, an event that started in Vigo, Spain, at the end of April. The Hans Reith Plate, for an outstanding feat of seamanship and endurance in successfully completing the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge in one of the smallest vessels ever to enter a Trans-Atlantic Tall Ships Race and under some of the heaviest weather during Race Five, was awarded Xsaar from Belgium who is just 12.93m.
The prize for the vessel to have the fastest elapsed time for the race series was awarded to Peter von Danzig from Germany.

Prizes were awarded to one vessel in each class who had the best results over the entire race series:
Class A: Europa (Netherlands) Class B: Tecla (Netherlands) Class D: Rona II (UK)

There were just three vessels that completed all five races of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge and Sail Training International awarded each with a special commemorative certificate. These vessels were Urania, Rona II and Tecla. In addition there were just nine people who sailed in every single race of the race series, these were also presented with a special commemorative certificate. They were: Vincent Roos, Diederik Romswinckel, Renee Heeringa and Mark Balm from Urania and Jan Bouwman, Jannette Sluik, Jet Sluik, Gejs Sluik and trainee Nele Steinbeck from Tecla.

 The final prize to be awarded was the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge Friendship Trophy, an award that epitomises the objective of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge and presented to the vessel which, in the opinion of the entire race fleet through a secret ballot, has done most to help further international understanding and friendship during the races. Race Director said that all the vessels that had taken part in the Challenge could be worthy winners of the Friendship Trophy, but the one ship that had received the most votes from the others was Urania.

     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.

   Being in Halifax and part of the TALL SHIPS Nova Scotia has been a great way to get into the spirit of this final leg of the series. Halifax is a city rich in maritime history and you can’t help but become swept up in the sea fever of it all. Despite the rain and pea-soup fog yesterday, the waterfront was crowded and the bands played on. Today started out a bit foggy and damp but has cleared up into a gorgeous day in Halifax and the tall ships festival is seething with people, all clamoring for the ships.  As I walk the docks, crews are resupplying the vessels. Rona II had food left over after resupplying and, realizing there wasn’t any room left on board, they called the local Salvation Army and donated thier overstock to them. International goodwill is alive and well in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

   This blog will be a bit quiet for the next three weeks as I will  be experiencing  first hand what sail training is truly about. Matt Maples will continue blogging from Europa, since he was able to get a crew berth for this last race. Needless to say, he has been walking on air these past few days in Halifax. 

  Tomorrow will begin what promises to be an amazing, life-changing experience and I can’t wait. Finally, a tall ship to call my own!  Be sure to follow the fleet on the Fleet Tracker and Bounty  through www.tallshipbounty.org .   Fair Winds!

The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge is organised by Sail Training International with the American Sail Training Association.