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DATE:	Tuesday, May 4, 1999
POSITION:	Steaming up the Potomac River, past Kettle Bottom Shoals
ENTERED BY:	Captain Dan Parrott

Spring firmed its hold on Baltimore and the Chesapeake last week. In the early weeks of April, two successive waves of blossoms assaulted and briefly held Federal Hill. Never intending to stay, they have dispersed and given way to the more solid corp of greenery that will stay with us till autumn. The Potomac River, which divides Maryland from Virginia, is now also fringed with lush, green woodland. Along the embankment, patches of marsh alternate with high sandy bluffs. Every so often, a grand old home appears, perched above the river. It makes sense that the older farms abut the river. Tobacco was grown in these parts and the river must have been the easiest way to export it. A light haze lingers over the river and shorelands, telling us that summer is not far behind.

The Pride OF BALTIMORE II is under way again. Our extensive winter maintenance program was followed by a month of frantic re-assembly of all that had been taken apart over the winter.

In terms of the rig, this was just about everything. Every block, line, fairlead, and piece of leather chafe gear had to return to its original place. But the rig was by no means the only aspect of the vessel that received attention this past winter. A variety of choice words come to mind that would aptly describe the intense activity of recent weeks that brought the ship to her present state of readiness. Suffice it to say that the crew went non-stop from Easter Monday to the last weekend of April, often working till seven or eight at night.

It was a Herculean effort on everyone's part, which has paid off in more ways than one. Not only have we met our schedule, but through this effort, the crew has become fully invested in the ship much more quickly, and they have a more intimate knowledge of how things are put together here than might otherwise have been the case. In the months to come, this will be good for them and good for Pride II. The ship looks great. The gleam of her newly refinished spars is visible from across the harbor.

Over the past weekend, Pride II participated in the Baltimore Waterfront Festival, our first event of the season. The ship berthed at the Finger Piers in the company of various other local vessels of interest. Among these was the steam tug Baltimore from the Museum of Industry and the Kathryn M. Lee, the only working, commercial fishing schooner in the United States. The schooner Lady Maryland and a number of skipjacks were busy about the harbor. In the course of three Open Houses, over 3,500 people visited Pride II. With her lofty, rakish rig back in place, one might almost say that Pride II appeared stately, if it weren't for the fact she looks so fierce. One woman expressed it well when she said, "I wanted to go on this ship because it looks like it's here to kick some butt!" If she only knew.

We sailed from Baltimore on a Monday morning and carried on through the night. A fair nor'easterly breeze, blowing Force 4 to 5, sent us all the way down to the mouth of the Potomac on only three jibes. With just the fores'l, foretops'l and stays'l, we were able to make between five and eight knots, steering way off the wind, and with no weather helm to hamper steering. This fairly manageable sail plan not only sped us along at a timely pace, it allowed the crew and officers to focus on re-establishing shipboard routines such as boat checks, engine room checks, meal schedules, watch rotations, not to mention navigation. The sky maintained a stormy appearance and occasionally spat down on us but, all in all, it was a pleasant passage.

We reached the mouth of the Potomac at about 0100 this morning. The wind was dying as the moon forced its way through the clouds. We struck sail and the crew had their first experience with furling the topsail while under way at night. Rest assured, it won't be their last.

I should point out that, along with the many hands who are new to the PRIDE, there are five veterans among us. The officers (First Mate Stephanie Reynolds and Second Mate Tim Frush), the Bosun (Samantha Heyman), the Engineer (Dan Weaver) and the Cook (Theresa Tiedman) have all sailed aboard Pride II before. Stephanie and Sam participated in last year's Asia voyage. All of our deckhands are new to PRIDE, but they all bring experience on other vessels with them. This is the normal process - some new, some old. The veterans teach the new ones the techniques and traditions of the sailing the Pride Of Baltimore II, while the vessel gains exposure to the ingenuity and ideas of others.

Pride II is once again a vibrant community, brimming with personalities and with running jokes that the captain doesn't get. In the short time we have been together, this crew has shown a lot of heart and willingness to get the job done. They have much to learn, as even our Pride veterans find themselves in positions of new responsibility. But as with most things, you get out what you put in. As long as we keep putting in, it is going to be a great season.

The river is lovely, and it is a grand, fine day to be upon it. The sun is shining down as we chug past the green embankment. Last night's oilskins and woolens are cast aside.

Watch Below,
Captain Dan Parrott