Teacher Aboard

Once on the open ocean after leaving Jacksonville, Florida, you might say the crew was "back in the saddle again." But this time, Pride II was on the final stretch home. The crew was disappointed that they had to spend so much time under power during this leg of the journey. Unfortunately, the pressure of the homecoming deadline did not allow the luxury (freedom of choice) to sail. As it was, Pride II had some engine trouble and was reduced to using one engine to make the run from Cape Hatteras, NC, to Baltimore. As with any sailing ship, you are at the mercy of the wind, water, and technology (engines). As good fortune would have it, Pride II made her deadline with a day or so to spare, so she did not leave folks standing on the docks of the Inner Harbor gazing at an empty horizon.

Who can say to what we owe the good fortune--the blessings and prayers of well wishers, the Daruma-Doll from Kawasaki, Japan and our visits to the fisherman's Matsu Temples in the Penghu Islands of Taiwan. To of all them, we give our special thanks for their blessings for Pride II's safe return.

CELESTIAL NAVIGATION (using the stars to find location)

Looking out over the vast empty horizon of the ocean, your first impression of finding your way almost seems like magic. Of course, today we have modern technology, such as the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS), that provides a digital (numbered) readout of the ship's coordinates (latitude and longitude).

Just to refresh your memory, latitude (lines of parallels) on a globe run side to side like the steps of a ladder. Longitude lines run up and down from the North Pole to the South Pole. By knowing where you are on these lines, you can determine your location on the globe.

Longitude is determined by keeping an accurate record of time. All time is measured against the Prime Meridian that runs through Greenwich, England. Since the Earth is round, the sun cannot shine on all places at the same time. To find your longitude, you note when it is noon (when the sun is directly over head), compare it to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and it will tell you how far around the globe (east or west) you are from England.

To find your latitude, you can use the position of the sun and stars. Imagine you are standing on the North Pole. If you looked up, the North Star (Polaris) would be directly over your head (90 degrees North Latitude). If you began walking toward the Equator, the North Star would appear to be seen lower and lower in the sky. At the Equator, it would appear on the horizon (O degrees).

This distance above the horizon can be determined using a sextant along with a published table and some math calculations. In Maryland, the North Star would appear at 39 degrees north of the horizon. This places Maryland on the 39th North Latitude line. I remember sailing out of Panama and noting how low Polaris was on the horizon. We were only 15 degrees north of the Equator placing us on the 15th line of North Latitude. Some of the bright stars in the sky can also be used to get a "fix" on a ship's location. Many of the crew, such as Samantha, Amy, Wes, and Jennifer, spent some of their free time taking "sights" of stars and attempting to use them to determine Pride II's location on the ocean.

CHESAPEAKE BAY

One of the best parts of traveling is seeing your home through "new eyes." By comparison to the skyscrapers of China and the rocky green coast of Korea, the quiet, protected waters of Chesapeake Bay offered a feeling of tranquillity (peace) as Pride II became surrounded by her gentle landscape.

The Bay is actually an estuary - a place where salt and fresh water mix to provide a habitat that is suitable (good) for a wide range of creatures from crabs to rockfish to sharks.

Many Marylanders make their living harvesting (catching) and processing crabs, fish, and oysters from the Bay. Pride II's home port lies near the northern reaches of the Bay and serves as a busy port for exports and imports all over the globe. This deep water port has served Maryland for hundreds of years. The area has a rich history ranging from the days of Indians and pirates to major battles with foreign warships.

It was here at the entrance to Baltimore harbor in the dawn following the bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814 that our national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, was written.

Today Baltimore lures tourists to its harbor with new sports centers, like Camden Yards, and fascinating museums, such as the National Aquarium. To learn more about Maryland and Chesapeake Bay, follow Pride II in the upcoming year as she travels the waters of the Bay.

Continue with the second part of the November 28, 1998 log.

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