Teacher Aboard

So far we've had two really good mornings! Sometimes at night, the wind goes light, but around dawn it freshens to a pleasant breeze. Once again today we are sailing smoothly along at 1000 hours. The off watch is sleeping (which is what I am supposed to be doing), while Andy begins early preparations for lunch. It seems to be cooling down a bit as we get further out, which makes it much more pleasant to sit here at the main salon dining table to write.

TUNA AND FLYING FISH

Yesterday a three foot yellow fin tuna swam along side the ship for most of the day with seemingly little effort. It has amazed us how both the dolphins and tuna keep pace with the ship with only the slightest movement of their tails. Today we plan to trail a line off the stern (back) of the ship to try our hand at a little more fishing. It might be tough to eat this fellow should he take the line. The watch on duty said that on one occasion the tuna leaped out of the water to chase some flying fish which are about 5 inches long.

CHANNEL 13 MORNING SHOW

This morning Captain Parrott talked to Marty Bass and Don Scott via satellite phone during the WJZ-TV Morning Show. Captain Miles was on the set in Baltimore since he is home now preparing to meet us in Hawaii. After some discussion about our location, the real interest was in our big fish story - the nine foot sailfish we caught. Just think. Here we are sailing an 1812-era tall ship as it was done almost two hundred years ago while we talk on TV to folks in Baltimore thousands of miles away with the newest technology.

It reminded me of one of those science fiction movies where the past and future cross paths -- sort of a twist on the movie "Back to the Future." Imagine yourself being plucked out of your place in time and finding yourself signed on as crew aboard a tall ship to Asia in the 19th century. As we learn more about the duties of the crew, you may want to write a story describing a day at sea in 1812.

SLEEPING ABOARD

For those of you who are light sleepers, this is not the place to be. Your scheduled sleep is during the four hours following each of your two watches. As a crew member, your quarters would be forward in the bow called the fo'c'sle (forecastle) where there are upper and lower bunks for seven people. (And you guys probably complain about sharing your room with your brother or sister!) Each bunk has a light on the headboard, sheets, a wool blanket, a wooden sideboard (to keep you from falling out) and a curtain that you can pull across for privacy.

You also share half of a wooden foot locker and half of the space beneath the lower bunk to stow your gear. If you were to travel on board for six months knowing it would rain and the temperatures would range from freezing to tropical, what would you bring that would fit in these spaces?

My cabin is designed for guest crew and is located in the main salon near the center of the ship. There are two bunks in the guest crew cabins, an upper and a lower, and they are much like the bunks in the fo'c'le. My cabin is seven feet long by seven feet wide, with a small dresser and a door. In place of windows, a deck prism, which is a thick pointed piece of glass mounted in the deck above, gathers light and brightens the cabin. We also have a small fan. Compared to the crew, I have tons of space. On this trip I use the top bunk to store my camera, computer and scientific equipment.

The captain and the two mates sleep in the aft cabin which is at the back of the ship. Each of them has a small room next to a larger common area which is furnished with a cushioned bench, a small table, and the chart table where the ship's navigation and computer gear are set up. The captain also has a small desk for working on ship's business.

Sleeping is serious business on a ship. It is important for safety and ship handling for everyone to be well rested. To set or strike (take down) a sail, sometimes you need to climb high into the rig at any time of day or night. If you were standing on a slender line ninety five feet above the deck, I think you'd agree that rest would be a good thing! With all that said, sleeping isn't the easiest thing to come by. Consider that you must sleep during daylight hours or with the lights on in the main cabin. The boat usually rolls slightly side to side, and in strong winds it will heel (lean) making it difficult to stay in your bunk. If you are a crew member sleeping in the bow, it could be tough sleeping if Pride II is plowing up and down through large waves.

Then, too, a boat is a noisy place with the sounds of lines and feet on deck above you, voices of crew members who are up and about (although they try to keep their voices low), and the rattling of pots and pans in the galley for cooking or clean up, or just shifting in their hideaways. On the way to Bermuda, it was cold as the only source of heat was the stove. Of course, lately the temperatures have been in the eighties below deck at night. When you awaken for your watch, you have twenty minutes to be on deck. There is ONE wake up call and you are expected to be on time. Sleeping on a boat is a different world. All of our crew have sailed many times before and find all this to be quite routine. And you? It would be interesting if you made a list of all the sleep distractions I just listed. Then poll the class. All hands in the air, please. Drop your hand as something is read that would keep you awake. The last hands up are the champion sleepers! Do we have any qualified sleepers for crew?

JOHN SHELLENBERGER

To say John Shellenberger is our engineer does little justice to the wide variety of tasks he performs. In simplest terms, he is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the ship's two engines, the generator which charges the batteries, and the desalinator which makes fresh water. In Panama these duties required him to change the oil, replace the filters, and take apart the water cooling system to check the valves. When Pride II is underway (motoring or sailing), John keeps a watchful eye on the instruments to note any problems as they develop. The generator is run twice daily even while sailing to charge the batteries and make water. The engine room is noisy which means John must wear muffs for ear protection. It can also reach 120 degrees after a day of motoring. Interestingly enough, all this engine knowledge was self taught. It was his years working on farm tractors and driving tractor trailer trucks that taught him the basics for maintaining Pride II's diesel engines. He seemed so comfortable with his duties that it was a surprise to learn that this is his first time to serve as an engineer on a tall ship.

If this was all that John was asked to do, it would seem to be a large enough contribution. In truth, he is our "all around handyman." Since leaving Baltimore, he has repaired the compass light, the VHS radio cord, the radar, the heads ( toilets), and the gangway (walkway onto the ship at dock). When something non-sailing related breaks, the first question is always, "Where's John?" John credits his dad's "take it apart and fix it" approach for teaching him to tackle any task at hand. He also serves as deckhand which means he climbs the rig to set the sails, helms the ship and helps with the ship's general maintenance. Need I say John puts in some long days.

To explore John's background only adds to his list of unique talents. He has degrees in film and English literature from the University of Miami. For a period of time, he used his film degree in the making of television commercials for a studio in Baltimore. On one occasion, he served as part of a production crew filming a visit by the Pope. While in college, he invested six months of his time using his carpentry skills to build homes following the destruction of Hurricane Andrew in South Florida. His carpentry skills were also employed to repair a Chesapeake shipjack which sails the Bay to harvest oysters. Of all this talents, John gets the greatest pleasure from carpentry, and is presently working on carving a handle for a knife.

A memorable sailing moment for John was during one of the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Races. A storm with 50 to 60 knot winds developed which tore the anchor off the deck and ripped the jib (front sail). As for this trip, John is enthused about having the opportunity to sail on the Pride of Baltimore II, and is looking forward to seeing China.

The time is 1530 hours and my watch is fast approaching. It has been a pleasant day of sailing on the Pacific. Andy is planning to prepare the last of our sailfish tonight for dinner - it'll be baked with salsa. We pulled in another seven foot sailfish today, but it got away before we could land it in the boat! (For real! Hey, would I kid you guys?)

Hawaii Bound - 1,000 miles traveled so far.

Sleep tight,
Leslie Bridgett

YOUR THOUGHTS

1. List the ways that fish are adapted (designed) for life in water.
2. Imagine you are a sailor in 1812 stepping off a ship after a year at sea. Pretend there is a "time warp" and you land on shore in the year 1998. Describe your reaction to the "modern technology" in this port, and the reactions of people to your landing.
3. Pretend you are the host of a morning show. You are planning an interview with the Captain of Pride II as he crosses the Pacific Ocean. Make a list of questions you would ask him. (This could be written as a dialogue/conversation or role played between two students.)
4. Make a list of what you would take on a ship for six months at sea. Consider days that will be hot, cold, or rainy. Remember that space is limited. Include items for free time activities.
5. Make a list of all the distractions (activities) that might keep the crew from sleeping soundly or from being well rested. Check the ones that would keep you awake.
6. John Shellenberger has a diverse (many different) background. List his "experiences" and check the ones that taught him skills he might need to use as Pride II's engineer.