Crew's Views from
Andrew Jackson

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July 17, 2000

The crew of Pride of Baltimore II began work this season on February 28, 2000, and we're scheduled to get off around the end of November. That's nine months, allowing for the vagaries of downrigging at the end. That means we're just about exactly at midpoint.

Another thing that's different is that we are, at long last, out of sight of land. On all sides nothing but gray heaving seas, with a few petrels and shearwaters skimming the waves. Yesterday morning, we found ourselves in a pod of eight fin back whales. John Shellenberger (a.k.a. Coconuthead) said they were close enough to the port bow to harpoon, if we'd been of a mind to. And if we had a harpoon. And over the past two days, we've had porpoises playing around the boat. It's fun to watch them surface in pairs or triples, like synchronized swimmers.

Another difference is that, during the first half of our tour, we confined our wanderings to Chesapeake Bay. And rarely spent more than two days underway. Our focus then was on touching lives, infecting the poor oblivious denizens of Delmarva with our own contagious love of the sea. If possible, to sell a couple of sweatshirts. And if I say so myself, we were pretty good at it. We clicked off between 5,000-6,000 visitors onboard in Boston alone. But, naturally, it takes time to touch lives. Up till now, our routine has been to sail a day and dock somewhere, put out the teepee and sandwich board, and lay out the brochures for the next four or five days. But henceforward, we'll be sailing four or five days and only docking for two. That includes two ocean crossings which are projected to last about three weeks each. And since one crossing is a race, where we can't use our motor, our arrival in Europe is entirely dependant on the weather. So we're indulging that luxury of giving up control.

Personally speaking, a cook has a different perspective on shipboard life than the deckhands. The first half of my tour has been filled with preparation - brooding over grocery lists, arguing with wholesalers, cadging rides to food warehouses, jamming every bilge, settee locker, and pantry shelf with provisions. And now, during the second half, I'll be concentrating on using all this stuff up - coordinating leftovers, coming up with tasty recipes for that last can of artichoke hearts and white beans and pineapple. This is where new recipes come from. The idea is to sail into Baltimore next Thanksgiving with a nice empty boat.

Well my "few minutes" are up. Take care!

Andy Jackson, Ship's Cook

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