Doug Mills Maritime Editor
RCN America Network
Rockland, Maine - Like a star looking for a little time out of the spotlight, tall ship Pride of Baltimore II slipped into Rockland harbor Thursday afternoon. Pride II is tied up at Windjammer Wharf in Rockland. It is not open to the public but can be viewed from Tillson Ave. or Captain Richard Spear Drive. She will be in port till Saturday when she leaves for Boston.
Pride of Baltimore II
“Whether making harbor in a new port of call half way around the world or returning home to her berth in the Inner Harbor, Pride of Baltimore II grabs attention! Whether blasting off her shipboard cannons or skimming majestically over the waves with all sails aloft, Pride II makes a proud statement about her sponsors and her colorful maritime history. As the Goodwill Ambassador of the State of Maryland and the Port of Baltimore, Pride II represents the business, tourism, and educational interests of the state with unmistakable flair and panache.
Pride of Baltimore II was commissioned in 1988 as a sailing memorial to her immediate predecessor, the original Pride of Baltimore, which was tragically sunk by a white squall off Puerto Rico in 1986, taking her captain and three crew members down with her. Both ships were built in the Inner Harbor as reproductions of 1812-era topsail schooners, the type of vessels, called Baltimore Clippers, that helped America win the War of 1812 and finally secure its freedom.
Specifications of Pride of Baltimore II
Class of Ship: Baltimore
Rig: Topsail Schooner
Length of Hull: 109 ft.
Length on Deck: 96.5 ft.
Length @ Waterline: 91 ft.
Beam: 26 ft.
Draft: 12.5 Ft
Load @ Waterline: 185.5 long tons
Mainmast height above water: 107 ft.
Sail Area: 9,705 sq. ft.
Launched: April 30, 1988
Commissioned: October 23, 1988
Naval Architect: Thomas C. Gillmer
Master Builder: G. Peter Boudreau
Since her commissioning, Pride II has sailed nearly 200,000 miles, and visited over 200 ports in 40 countries in North, South, and Central America, Europe, and Asia. In 1998 she undertook her first voyage to Asia with port calls in China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. In 2000 she made her fourth trip to Europe capturing First Place in her Class in a Transatlantic Tall Ship race. With her sharply raked masts, her abundance of sail, and her sleek profile, Pride of Baltimore II captures the imagination and makes friends for Baltimore and Maryland wherever she goes. She is indeed a memorable Goodwill Ambassador.”
http://www.pride2.org
Story Sponsor
