Tuesday, November 9 - Leaving Havre de Grace

Talk about changes! My first thought on arising this morning was "How cold is it really?" This early in the season, there is no heat aboard yet, and the temperature down below is colder than on deck. On deck, the thermometer weather station read 36 degrees F. at 7:30 AM. From the tip of my nose to my pinky toe, I'm freezing! But the anticipation of motoring down the Bay warmed me up fast.

As we slowly motored away from our berth and out of the harbor using our twin diesel engines, we fired an 1812 cannon to salute the town. The channel is only 13 feet deep. Since Pride II draws 12 and a half feet of water; the crew took the ship away from shore very carefully. We will be motoring down to Oxford, 65 miles away, because the wind is from the wrong direction. It will take us all day to motor down the Bay.

Long ago, steamboats plied the length of the Chesapeake, running 195 miles from the Susquehanna in the north to the mouth of the Bay near Norfolk. The Bay has 2,000 miles of navigable waterways in its rivers, coves, and streams. The building of the two canals, the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in 1829 and the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal in 1840, brought increased commerce to Havre de Grace. Coal, lumber, gravel, and fish were transported through the city to places all over the world.

Today we passed only one or two barges in the upper reaches of the Bay. They were headed for the Chesapeake and Deleware Canal which is still in operation.

As we pulled out of the harbor, I saw many waterfowl. Long before Havre de Grace acquired its name, it was one of the most famous fishing and waterfowling spots in the United States. It is where one of the great rivers of the continent reached tidewater, and one of the most important spring and fall stopovers for geese and ducks migrating along the Atlantic flyway.

Today, Havre de Grace is very proud of its Decoy Museum which contains one of the finest collections of working decoys from Chesapeake Bay. The Museum's mission is to foster public awareness and support the preservation of waterfowl and their natural habitats.

As we are motoring along, each crew member is assigned to a watch team. My watch had duty from 12 noon to 4 PM. My first duty shift was bow watch. This is a very important job because the helmsman (person steering) has a hard time seeing from the stern (back) of the boat. My watch lasted about two hours and I saw one large barge and about three power boats pass by. I reported these to the helmsman so she could avoid hitting them. After I was relieved from bow watch, I was assigned to the First Mate, TomTom, who had a group sanding and scraping down an old painted portion of the deck.

Just as we passed the Patapsco River, I relieved the helmsman of his duty. My job was to keep the ship on a compass course of 208. The ship was a dream to steer. It held course with only minimal adjustments. The Captain can ask you at any time, "What course?" and you'd better be on course!

I was helmsman for an hour and was relieved from that duty just before we approached the Bay Bridge. Then I was relieved my watch after completing a boat check. However, I stayed on deck to relish the glow of the afternoon setting sun.

We dropped anchor for the night in Herring Bay on the western shore of Chesapeake. My watch team was assigned to look after the ship during the 12 midnight to 4 AM shift. My shift ran from 10:30 - 11:45 PM. The stars were awesome! I saw my very first shooting star (really a falling meteorite) in my life! I also got a celestial lesson from Dave, the gunner, who helped me see five of the moons of Jupiter and another galaxy. I didn't mind this midnight anchor watch at all.

Wednesday, November 10 - Herring Bay to Oxford

At breakfast this morning, the word was that we'd be sailing across Chesapeake Bay to Oxford, about 25 miles away. We mustered (gathered) on deck at 8:00 AM for the signal to raise the mainsail. However, the first order of business was to raise the anchor. This was just the beginning of my participation in a tremendous show of teamwork and cooperation as we raised 10 of the 11 sails.

As we left Herring Bay under full sail, I began to realize how powerful these Baltimore clippers really were. We outpaced everyone in sight even though the wind was light (only about 6 knots). We glided across the Bay, nearing Tilghman Island. Recently, an old wooden sailboat built in 1886, the Rebecca T. Ruark, sank to the bottom of Chesapeake Bay off Tilghman Island. This sailboat was a skipjack. She was designed to dredge oyster bars. Because the Ruark was the oldest skipjack in operation, she is an historical artifact. She was raised from where she sank and will be restored.

Wednesday, November 10 - Entering Oxford Harbor

As we entered the mouth of the Choptank River, the longest river on the Eastern Shore, we got ready to "come about" (turn) to enter the Tred Avon River. This river was once named Thread Haven, and somehow it became corrupted into Tred Avon. This town was once a bustling port city in Maryland, equal only to Annapolis. Today it is used mostly by boaters and fishermen. We slowly pass one lone boat with an oysterman tonging for oysters.

As we enter the harbor, we fire all four cannons. This is very exciting! Several people have come down to the dock to greet the ship. Several boaters called out, "We surrender!"

A family of swans became the town's official welcomers. We were honored.

The first landing at Oxford by Europeans occurred in 1635. As soon as it became a port, it was referred to as Thread Haven. People think it got that name because of the English vessels that came here loaded with hemp, ropes, and cordage used by the ship masters. Thread Haven degenerated into Third Haven and finally into Tred Avon. The village shared this name with the river until 1695 when it was rechristened Williamstadt. No one seems to know how Williamstadt became Oxford. In 1750, Oxford was the most commercial port in Maryland and enjoyed prominence as an international shipping center surrounded by wealthy tobacco plantations. The replica of the first Federal Custom House is a good reminder of Oxford's busy past.

The main street of Oxford is Morris Street, named for Robert Morris Sr., an agent for an English shipping firm who greatly influenced the town's growth. His son, and namesake, Robert Morris, became a famous financier in Philadelphia. Robert Morris helped finance the American Revolution and gave much aid to George Washington. Today the Robert Morris Inn includes part of the original home of Robert Morris, Sr.

The American Revolution marked the end of Oxford's shipping glory. The Oxford-Bellevue Ferry, was started in 1683 and is believed to be the oldest privately operated ferry in the country. It has been in continuous operation since 1836.

After the Civil War, Oxford began a new prosperity due to the completion of the railroad. Also improved methods of canning and packing oysters boosted the town's economy. Many boarding houses were built along the waterfront and tourists arrived in droves. But by the early part of the 20th century, the oyster beds played out, businesses went bankrupt, and the railway and steamships disappeared. Oxford became the sleepy little waterman's town it is today.

The main industry of boat building and maintenance is now based on the growth in leisure boating activities.

Mates, I hope you have enjoyed your virtual voyage from the Upper Bay to the Eastern Shore. I know I have. I will take home to my school a greater awareness of the incredible power of TEAM! We did it on Pride II - we can do it anywhere!

Your Teacher Aboard,
Carol Lady
West Annapolis Elementary School
Annapolis, MD

YOUR THOUGHTS

1. Compare the Native Americans who lived in Maryland at the time of Captain John Smith to the first English settlers who settled near Chesapeake Bay. Complete a Venn Diagram comparing elements such as clothing, homes, cooking and foods, travel, money, and trade.

2. Become an expert at Native American tribe names and cultural terms. Create a Native American word search using a blank one hundred count chart. Challenge your friends to find the words. As they find one, they need to try to pronounce it. Here are some suggested words: spearpoint, arrowhead, teepee, longhouse, wampum, canoe, Chesapeake, Nanticokes, Susquehannocks, Iroquis, Potomacs, Massawomeks, Algonquins, Piscataways.

3. Imagine you are Captain John Smith exploring Chesapeake Bay. Write a diary entry from a day that you first saw Native Americans. Be sure you write in your diary about the elements of culture for the Native Americans: clothing, shelter, food, jobs, and customs.

4. Imagine that you are William Claiborne, the Englishman who set up a post for trading with the Native Americans. Think about economic needs and wants. Create an advertisement for the goods you want to obtain from the Native Americans and the trading goods you will be exchanging. Make your advertisement convincing, as you must increase your sales.

5. Imagine that you are an important transportation expert in the early 1800's. One day the governor calls you into his office. He tells you that our state needs better transportation. He wants your advice. He will give you $500,000. Will you use it on roads, canals, or trains? He wants you to let him know by tomorrow. Write a persuasive letter to the governor convincing him of how you will improve the transportation for Maryland.