Tall ship diaries: Part one
by Heather Holbrook

Downtown the harbor was awash with activity May 16-18, when Charleston Harbor Fest took place. From pirates on parade at Ansonborough Field to the ongoing action on both sides of the harbor, there was something for everyone. And their press release said Harbor Fest wasn’t just for viewers. Anyone so inclined could join in.

My husband and I took our sons ages 3 and 7 on the water taxi from Patriot’s Point to downtown for a full slate of viewer or doer-friendly activities and exhibitions in and around the Charleston Maritime Center. Down on the docks, we could choose from treasure hunts, pirate parades, or watch the building of a traditional 12-foot Charleston bateau. We decided to tour the traditional tall ships- the Spirit of South Carolina, Schooner Virginia, the Corwith Cramer and Amistad, all very striking against the bustle of the crowds.

But my favorite was Virginia. A replica of the original pilot schooner that sailed the Chesapeake Bay in 1917, she was the 5th ocean-keeping vessel owned by the Virginia Pilot Association.  She was also the 4th wooden schooner and the 3rd and last pilot ship built expressly for the pilots. This was only the 2nd tall ship I had ever stepped foot on and I learned that in 2007 she placed 1st in The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race with a time of 11 hours, 18 minutes and 53 seconds.

A tall ship is not a strictly defined type of sailing vessel. Most of the time the term is used to mean a large traditionally rigged sailing vessel, whether or not it is technically a “ship”. A tall ship can be a schooner, barque, brigantine, barquentine, brig, ketch, sloop, or a full-rigged ship depending on the number of masts and the cut of her sails. But this particular foot wooden beauty is the world’s only example in existence of the last pilot schooner that sailed on the Chesapeake Bay more than 80 years ago. The original Virginia was used on the Chesapeake to provide navigation services to ship traffic entering and leaving the Bay. This service was vital to the safe transit of shipping. The tall ship was the last sailing pilot schooner on the Chesapeake Bay and serviced the Virginia Pilot Association from 1917 until 1926 as a station vessel off the Virginia Capes. Quite a history.

It’s Saturday and strolling along her deck I see a little placard that reads Reserve Your Bunk Now. Guest Crew opportunity available. Remember, this is not a cruise vessel! This opportunity is offered by the non-profit Virginia Maritime Heritage Foundation to work alongside the crew of the Virginia, the Common-wealth’s Goodwill Ambassador. She depends on contributions from corporations and individuals as well as honorary crew memberships, souvenir sales, charter and guest fees to continue her mission around the globe.

Suddenly it is Sunday at 2:00pm and I have decided to take Schooner Virginia up on her offer and become a Guest Crewman. The fee of $600 gets me room and board and three meals a day with an adventure of a lifetime thrown in for free.

My little family waved goodbye Sunday evening as I boarded Virginia moored at the docks at the Maritime Center. She looked different now in the fading light, with the crowds gone. I was met first by a deckhand named Tracy, a wiry and very tan young man who showed me the highlights of the ship like what not to touch, how to flush the head and that we were to sail at first light.

I was shown to my bunk and immediately pored over the provided guidelines to help me learn about the routines aboard the schooner and the different parts of the ship. My upper bunk was a snug space with a curtain and a porthole. On it I was to stow my duffel and keep my curtain drawn so as to maintain the main saloon’s tidy appearance. I learned that other Guest Crew would be sailing, too: Rosie Brooks, Samantha Main and Shane Kersting, all from South Carolina.

Under the benches in the main saloon, there was a library of nautical books and I thumbed through the nearest one to me. The Young Sea Officer’s Sheet Anchor by Darcy Lever. Page 68 caught my attention as it was all about anchors. I like the shape of true anchors, the kind you see on tattooed arms. They are heavy and beautiful and essential to any boat. The curious terminology gave me pause and made me a little hungry: “Puddening the Rings: The rings of the anchors are well parceled with tarred canvas, and then wrapped round with twice-laid stuff, which is called Puddening the Anchors…”

As the sun set, a crew member on neighboring ship Amistad put her violin to her chin and played scales and a few quiet tunes. I went above as the sky over Charleston was well past sunset but not yet dark to have a look at Virginia’s anchor. Lashed near the bow I see two 500 lb anchors and photograph them. Standing on deck with the gentle rock of the boat, I think about the things that anchor us in life- our identities, families, responsibilities. Maybe our faith, our fears, our faults. Back in my bunk it occurs to me as I turn out the light and gaze out my porthole and try to imagine my journey ahead under the promise of a full moon. I am instantly at home with her creaks and her swells. Falling asleep, I embark upon an adventure of a lifetime.

Part two: The Storm