5am, Baltimore Harbor
postcard from the road
Inner Harbor
postcard from the road
Raining On Our Parade
Wet sails, but big spirits.
postcard from the road
Live Race Tracking
In addition to the live SPOT tracking page for Quintessence, which will show her position throughout the week, there is another tracking page dedicated to the race itself.
The Baltimore Marine Center has donated gear and tech to put tracking devices on all the schooners. This will show the relative positions of all the ships during the race, so you can see who is in the lead. You get to it here:
Baltimore Marine Centers > Home
You’ll see a Live Race Results link to access the page. They’ll ask for you email address, then you can open the tracking page.
You’ll also see an optional version that uses Google Earth. Funny thing is, when I open it now, 36 hours before the start, all the schooners are crowded into a tiny parking lot outside Colchester, Connecticut. I suppose that’s where the transponders are being programmed. They’ll be assigned to the schooner captains tomorrow.
Quintessence of Serendipity
The schooner “Quintessence” in the foreground during
the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race in 2007
Winds are fluky. No wind. Some wind. Takes you one direction, then another. Never know where you’ll end up. Sometimes it can be a very pleasant surprise.
A few weeks ago an email landed in my inbox from a Traditional Small Craft group I belong to. Someone needed a few more hands to help crew a schooner down from New Jersey and back. Sounded interesting, and it appears I have some free time on my hands at the moment. Hmmm.
Chickahominy Sunset Sail
Beautiful early autumn days here now, four in a row. We’ve spent them preparing for Winter. One day it was masks and hazmat suits, adding another 8 inch blanket of insulation in the attic. Nasty, dirty, miserable work. The next day, also beautiful, was loading, hauling, unloading, then stacking just over 3 tons of firewood under the porch roof next to the house. We’ll get at least one more ton before we’re done, and the dry wood will be all gone. Sore this morning.
MASCF ~ Raucous Morning Sail
Kevin Brennan sailing his Navigator “Slip Jig”
Kevin Brennan built his Navigator Slip Jig in 2007, and I’ve been trying to get a sail on her for years. Kevin has built five boats now, including a beautiful traditional Chesapeake Crabbing Skiff I’ve always admired. He sold that boat to build the Navigator, and the new owner always brings her to the festival. I’ve photographed this boat many times over the years, but only recently learned that Kevin built her, too. Continue reading “MASCF ~ Raucous Morning Sail”