Pride ofBaltimore UNITED STATE Coast Guard Photo

By Michael Carr– We all valued Jan Miles, captain of the schooner Pride ofBaltimore His vessel was quicker, sleeker, larger, and also much better moneyed than the remainder people that cruised schooners. He probably had the very best coffee as well.

He and also “Pride” won every schooner race and also Pride was the celebrity tourist attraction at “Schooner Fests”, along with various other high ship occasions. We were the opening bands to his centerpiece. Jan understood he had the queen of the fleet, and also though he attempted to be simple, when Pride cruised right into a harbor everybody bore in mind.

“Hey skipper, Robert just made a fresh pot of coffee if you want to top off your mug” came the telephone call up with the galley hatch. I was remaining on schooner Ocean Star’s deck, a 90 feet steel schooner, inSt George Harbor Bermuda Another stunning day in Bermuda, modest southwest wind, gives off exotic blossoms, salt air, and also the audios of watercraft and also waterside task at the beginning of a day.

I was appreciating our early morning at support, alcohol consumption coffee and also obtaining my head in the ready the day in advance. We were leaving mid-morning en-route Portland ME, a great 5-7-day sail relying on winds. We were all really feeling kicked back concerning the upcoming trip. Our weatherfax had actually been publishing out graphes revealing a big and also secure high-pressure system resting over the westernAtlantic We were anticipating southwest winds and also a wide reach completely toMaine Perfect schooner weather condition.

I handed my steel coffee cup with the galley hatch for a refill and afterwards listened to Virginia, our Chief Mate, scream to me from the pilothouse. “Holy Shit Skipper, you gotta come here and listen to this.”

Virginia hardly ever screamed. She was thoughtful and also systematic. Her toughest declaration was her trademark expression “I don’t think so…” whenever she existed with a half-baked strategy.

I comprehended my coffee and also headed back to the pilothouse. “What’s up?”

“Pride of Baltimore is arriving later this morning, I just heard them call Harbor Control on the radio. Their ETA is about the same time we are planning on departing.”

We took a look at each various other and also put away some coffee. If we left prior to they showed up in St George, we can fulfill them outdoors sea. They would certainly get on a close reach, and also we would certainly get on a wide reach, our finest factor of sail.

“We could use our salute cannon and give them a one-gun broadside” I recommended. I was having visions of “Master and Commander”.

“We could charge our fire hose and give them a water cannon broadside” Virginia supplied.

“OK, we will refine our plan once we get underway,” I claimed, “Let’s get underway as soon as possible so we can meet them in the open ocean, and let’s set every sail we have!”

With a scamper of task, we elevated our support, dived in, and also were underway. We removed St George cut and also gradually assembled to an NW heading, establishing all our sails. Flying jib, internal jib, staysail, foresail, major and also angler. Over 3,000 square feet of sail location. Our rate gradually enhanced as we relocated north, of under Bermuda’s lee, relocating from 6 knots to 8 to 10 knots. We were raking water and also billing with the seas. We stabilized the sails and also fine-tuned the trim. We were looking for excellence.

“Can you see Pride yet?” I asked our bow hunt.

“No, nothing on the horizon” they yelled back.

“Keep a sharp eye, they will be coming fast, and once they pop up, we will have very little time to maneuver and close.”

I was doing mathematics in my head. We were making 10 knots, Pride was conveniently doing 15 knots, that makes a closing rate of 25 knots. Every min we were half a mile more detailed to every various other. A thousand backyards ever before minute closing rate.

“I SEE PRIDE!” came a yell from the bow, 2 factors off our port bow.

I ordered our field glasses, checked the perspective. There she was, her topsails revealing over the perspective, hull down, yet plainly satisfaction. Damn you Jan, plan for a broadside, underwent my head. Where was my saber?

I transformed our huge wood wheel small to port, showing up a couple of levels and also headed straight for her. We were currently 10 miles apart and also with a closing rate of 25 knots, that range would certainly be covered in 24 mins, otherwise quicker.

“Prepare the cannon, prepare the fire hose,” I informed Virginia.

“Aye Aye Captain!” she reacted in a genuinely British Royal Navy method.

We roared along, raking with the waves and also swells. We had our cannon all set; we had our 1.5-inch 150 psi fire tube billed and also presented amidships. When we passed each various other, with us making 10 knots, and also Pride making 15 knots, there would certainly be much less than 2 secs when we were really broadside. The timing required to be best. We require to open up the fire nozzle and also light the cannon equally as our bowsprits were abeam. We required to strike Pride amidships.

Pride currently impended huge before us. Her hull was over the perspective, we can see her large bow spray and also all her sails were up. She was a racehorse, there was no rejecting that.
She was one quick damn watercraft.

I understood Pride saw us too, yet there were no radio interactions and also no evident adjustment in her instructions. We were billing in the direction of each various other with emphasis and also intent. Now we can see her staff on deck, they were scooting about. Maybe we were a mile apart. One mile was 2.5 mins at our shutting rate of 25 knots.

Virginia had actually oriented our staff. Listen for our Klaxon air horn to seem. When she pushed the horn switch, we would certainly terminate our cannon and also spray our fire tube. I wished to be 100 feet off Pride’s portside. I concentrated on her element, going for her strict, permitting me to see her beam of light.

On she came, I can currently see Jan on Pride’s strict deck, guiding and also certainly entertained by our strategy. He was a stable hand, we would certainly pass close and also he would absolutely roll his eyes at us, “So nice,” he could state later on.

Those last couple of secs prior to we passed were a blur. We can listen to Pride’s bow clean, the wind in her sails, her lines shaking in the tight 20-knot wind. Then came the deafening horn, the boom of the cannon, the wall surface of water from our fire tube. We were dead on with our timing, the fire tube swept their deck and also I believe we saturatedJan I am not exactly sure, yet I based on our fantail after we passed and also provided him a jaunty salute!

And after that we both vanished over the perspective, 2 ships passing mixed-up, bound for ports and also experiences yet unidentified.