Ahoy mates!

Well, shiver me timbers! It's September 26, 1999, the day I am to start living my adventure aboard Pride of Baltimore II.

Instead of being Fran Rallo, mild mannered teacher at Timonium Elementary School, I will be a guest crew member (otherwise known as Teacher Aboard) for this leg of Pride II's journey. We will sail from Annapolis City Dock to Baltimore's Inner Harbor. You and I will both be students this week. We'll be learning about Pride II and the places she visits.

Rules of the Ship

The first thing all guest crew members have to do after reporting in is get a list of rules to follow aboard the ship. You probably have rules at your home too. Some of the rules might be the same. For instance, all doors have to be closed or latched at all times. The trash goes into one container by the galley (kitchen) to be logged (recorded in an official journal) later. The Coast Guard can come aboard and check your "trash log" at any time. Can you think of why they would want to do that?

Here are some rules that might sound familiar. Store all your gear (stuff) in your space and don't leave it around the ship. Don't make loud noises after 2300 (11 PM.) They tell time on the ship in hundreds. It's called military time or nautical time. One o'clock in the morning is 0100 hours. One o'clock in the afternoon is 1300 hours. Can you figure what time it is in nautical time when you're reading this log?

There is a rule about meals, too. You have to sign out so that Erin, our cook, will know how many people will be there for each meal. Sometimes she cooks for as many as forty people or more. What would the cook at your house say if he or she knew they were cooking for forty people? I wonder if they would be as calm as Erin. She's a great cook. She makes tuna casserole, shrimp and pasta salad, and delicious yummy breads. She told me she likes to bake the most. I better get on with the rules so I won't make you too hungry.

Some other rules have to do with the conservation of water and energy. Have you ever heard an adult say, "Don't forget to turn out the lights when you leave." That's a good rule whether you're on a ship or anywhere. Water has to be conserved too, because it is very precious on a ship. During the recent drought, everyone learned to use water wisely. What were some of the things you had to do at your house? On the ship, you can only take a shower every other day. If they do run out of water, there's a special system on board that separates the salt from the sea water so that it can be used. The crew calls the machine the "water maker." It is located in the engine room.

This would be a good place to tell you about the head (bathroom). It works a little differently from the one I have at home. When you flush the toilet, you have to push a button located under the sink. It sends the water into the toilet. It makes a loud noise like a charging elephant. It makes such a racket it can wake you up at night if you are not used to it. That's what happened to me my first night. After you use the sink or shower, you have to pump the water out by pulling on the pump handle on the wall.

Now that I have the rules down, I'm shipshape and ready to put my gear in my cabin. It is a luxury cabin by ship standards, but it's a lot smaller than my bedroom at home. I can't complain. I get to have the cabin to myself. Seven of the crew have to seep in one space in the forecastle (sounds like "folksall"). Do you have to share a room with anyone? The forecastle is located in the front of the ship (called the fore). Can you see how it might have gotten its name? My cabin is on the right side of the ship (starboard side) and directly across from the head (bathroom). The galley is between my cabin and the forecastle.

Annapolis

It's a beautiful Sunday in Annapolis. I have time to do some investigating around town before Pride II's Open House at noon. My husband is going to drive me around to save some time, but you can walk to most of the places you would like to see. You can't miss the Maryland State House. It has a beautiful white dome and sits high on a hill. Annapolis is the oldest state capitol still in use. It is also the only state capitol to be the capitol of the United States. (Can you find out when it was the capitol of the US?) Annapolis had some flooding during Floyd. Do you think there was flood damage to the State House?

Annapolis is the home of two famous colleges, St. John's College and the United States Naval Academy. On the grounds of St. John's is a four hundred year old popular tulip tree. It is called the Liberty Tree because the Sons of Liberty met there to talk about their plans for independence before the American Revolution. Unfortunately, the Liberty Tree had to be cut down because of damage from Hurricane Floyd.

School children from Anne Arundel county saved their pennies to buy a replica (copy) of the Liberty Bell which you can see as you walk along the street in front of the college. Later you may want to go back to last week's log and compare the two Liberty Bells.

There is a beautiful chapel at the US Naval Academy that is famous for two very different reasons. Since it is so beautiful, many midshipman (students at the naval academy) like to get married there. They usually have to get on a waiting list. Sometimes it might take two or three years to get a day that's open to get married. You'd know you were marrying a patient woman if she agreed to get married there! If you go to the side of the chapel and walk down a flight of stairs, it becomes very quiet and dark, very different from the brightness and beauty of the stained glass windows in the chapel. This is the crypt (tomb or grave) of John Paul Jones, a naval hero of the Revolutionary War. He is often called the "The Father of the Navy." Once in a battle when he was losing badly, his enemy asked him to surrender (quit). He said, "I have not yet begun to fight!" We still use that expression today. Have you ever heard it before? You can use it when you're not ready to give up on something.

My husband and I had the hardest time finding the Carroll House. It was the home of three generations of Carrolls. They were wealthy landowners. The Carroll family came to Maryland to practice their Catholic religion. Do you remember that at this time in England, everyone had to belong to the Church of England? The last Carroll left the mansion to the Catholic church which later built a chapel in its front yard. The Carroll House makes a beautiful scene across Spa Creek, one of the many rivers and streams in Annapolis. Charles Carroll lived the longest of all the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He is call the "last surviving Signer."

Just around the corner from the house is the Banneker-Douglass Museum. It has many artifacts (things that were used) and rare books about the part African-Americans played in building our country. Slavery was an important part of Maryland's history. Many slaves were captured in Africa and brought to Colonial America in slave ships. Some were auctioned off (a form of sale) at the Annapolis City Dock. A few years ago, a writer named Alex Haley wrote a book called Roots. This story told about his ancestors starting with Kunte Kinte (say Koon-ta Kin-tey), his very first ancestor in America, who was auctioned off right here in Annapolis. The city placed a plaque at the foot of City Dock to honor Kunte Kinte and all the men and women who were brought to America as slaves. I ended my Annapolis tour back here at the dock.

Meanwhile, back at the ship, there was a party going on (otherwise known as an Open House). Over 2,000 people talked to the crew, toured the ship, and even bought a souvenir or two. My husband thought I wouldn't be able to shop for a few days. Little did he know Pride II can even turn itself into a store! (They only do this for special occasions, so don't get the idea that we are a floating gift shop.)

Go to Part 2 of the October 4, 1999 Log