Playing Pirate: Sailing on the Pride of Baltimore II
BOOM! A cannon blasts. You look up and see great, white sails stretched above. Two tall masts are tilted slightly toward the back of the boat. There are square sails on the very top. It looks just like a pirate ship from long ago.
But this isn’t the 1800s. You aren’t sitting in a museum. On the Pride of Baltimore II, you don’t just pretend to sail a ship like ones that pirates sailed long ago. You can be part of the crew!
Pride of Baltimore II
Helping people become interested in sailing and teaching people about sailing history are two of the Pride of Baltimore II’s main missions. As an ambassador for both its home city of Baltimore and its home state of Maryland, the ship helps people learn about both places as it sails. It makes trips up and down the Atlantic coast, into the Great Lakes, and even across the Atlantic Ocean.
It’s easy to see why people enjoy the Pride of Baltimore II — it doesn’t look like any other ship today!
The Pride of Baltimore II is a modern ship. It first set sail in 1988. But the plans for the ship were based off of a type of boat called a tea clipper. Tea clippers were fast ships. Sailors called privateers, a kind of legal pirate, loved to use tea clippers for their missions. They were often used to sneak up on larger ships and steal their cargo.
“Clipping refers to clipping the time off of a common voyage,” said Captain Jan Miles. He’s been one of the Pride’s captains since the 1980s. He explained that these types of ships were first designed for speed, like the racecars of their day. “These clippers were really, really fast!”
While the Pride of Baltimore II might look old, it has all of the safety features of a modern ship. GPS, weather reports, and radios all help make it a safe boat to sail.
Today, you can safely go aboard the Pride of Baltimore II and experience sailing like a pirate from long ago.
A Day in the Life of a Sailor
Life on a ship is divided into watches. These watches are like teams who take turns handling the ship. Duties while on watch can include steering the ship, taking care of the engine, keeping the deck clear, organizing the ropes used for sailing, and making sure the sails are helping the ship go as fast as possible. Most watches last about four hours.
Day and night, there are always people standing watch. You might find yourself sleeping at some very odd times and waking up in the middle of the night to help sail the ship!
When it isn’t your turn to be on watch, there are plenty of other things to do. Porpoises often swim alongside the ship. The captain or mates give lessons on navigation and steering. If you’re lucky — and daring — you might also get a chance to climb the rope ladders leading to the very tops of the sails.
“It’s just plain good sailing!” Captain Miles exclaimed.
Racing over the Waves
The tea clippers were the fastest ships of their time, and sailing with that speed is just as exciting today.
One of Captain Miles’ favorite memories is crossing the Atlantic Ocean with the Pride of Baltimore II. “When we have good conditions over a long period of time, we’re able to cover as much as 250 miles in 24 hours. It’s pretty breezy conditions! It’s pretty lively!” he said. “That can be a hugely wonderful experience.”
Sailing on a tall ship like the Pride of Baltimore II is an experience you’ll never forget. On the open ocean with sails stretched over your head, you’ll feel like a real pirate!