Tall ship diaries: Part three
by Heather Holbrook

This beautiful ship – mere pieces of wood and cloth forged together to ride the sea, the bits of Earth we cling to - we trust to preserve us amidst a watery world of uncertainty. Unscientifically, the sea is equal parts water, heart and uncertainty. Although drawn to the mystery of the oceans, man is not of the sea. Made of dust, our origin may be land but my four days on the schooner Virginia made me forget all that.

Wednesday, May 21, 19:00 After a storm like yesterday’s, packing 50 knot winds and heavy seas, anything after is pretty tame. As we sail closer to the Chesapeake Bay I find myself thinking No no not yet, I want more! Only 12 hours remain and now that I am getting the hang of this, I have to go home? The toughest fun I’ve had to date, my stint as a guest crewman working alongside real sailors to set more than 6000 square feet of sail, steering a 126 ft traditional schooner and navigating many of the same techniques used at the beginning of the twentieth century is coming to a close. The sun is setting and the moon is making her appearance in the sky. On my watch, helmsman Steve steers her North by Northwest glancing only briefly at the compass. I relieve him of duty but he stands nearby. He observes I fixate on the compass and try too hard to keep the needle in place, so he covers it with his hat and instructs me to focus on a star near the horizon instead. Virginia’s enormous wheel under my hand, I look behind me hoping not to see giant ‘S’ turns illuminated in the water. I have heard Captain Andy remark, “What, is a giant sea snake chasing us?”

Keeping her steady as she goes, on course and on time, I find the assistance of stars even more fun. Sailing at night, as the stars come out one by one, there is competition between their beauty and the risen moon at hand. The stars are on my side and they make me think of the first part of a poem by John Masefield entitled Sea Fever.

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.

Thursday, May 23, 07:00 Coffee coffee coffee. Coffee tastes best at sea. I’m drinking my third cup of the morning as we approach Norfolk. Makes me think of the permanent crook of a finger on a Navy man’s left hand, hardened into place by years of holding a coffee cup. I put down my mug to get to work and later am chided for tossing overboard the 3 tablespoons of icy dregs at the bottom. Wasting is not the sailor’s way. We sail politely into the bustle of the Bay with flags flying, all but one.

At our final muster, Captain Andy solemnly presents the tattered Schooner Virginia flag which the entire crew signs with a Sharpie. It now hangs as a tribute to the ship’s newest speed record in the esteemed halls of the Maritime Heritage Foundation. I thank the Foundation and its mission to enrich lives and build character (mine surely) by using the adventure of sailing a tall ship to domestic and international ports of call. They train their crew, students, teachers and guests to serve as goodwill ambassadors aboard this maritime icon while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and safety and by honoring the traditions of seafaring life. Thanks are also in order to such a fine captain and crew. It was an honor.

Once docked, the physical adjustment proves a battle. My first steps on land are even worse than I expect. Aye, once you get your sea legs it’s not so easy to ditch them. They follow me to the airport, back home to my little cottage and my regular life on land. They serve as a reminder of the vast watery world out there that has beckoned sailors forever. And as I stand at the water’s edge on my island and sip my first cup of coffee of a new day, the sun orange and low in the East, these memories rise with the tide.

Heather Boggs Holbrook, avid adventure collector, is the editor of The Island Eye News and The Island Connection. She lives on Sullivan’s Island, SC, with her husband and two young sons and looks forward to sailing again on the Virginia, maybe with her father Bruce A. Boggs. To learn more about the schooner Virginia and the Virginia Maritime Heritage Foundation, go to www.SchoonerVirginia.org.