Hello All:
At long last, more information about our Friendship Sails! this summer - 2008
( I'm told my message's are too long, so I'll TRY to be brief)
We have a few NPS initiative's coming down from the mount that will provide us ways to afford increasing our trips this year. If all goes well, we may be able to increase the fund source for next year, and find ports further away to visit! We will once again be partnering with the Essex National Heritage Area on all aspects of our travels this summer with some of it including dockside assistance. Once again we are asking all of you to do what you are all so good at - enthusiastically spreading the good word about our maritime history and our wonderful ship, Friendship.
We are dutifully whittling away at the items required for certification and continue to strive to get that piece of paper. No date to give, but we are looking at something soon.
Here goes:
First trip of the year is to Duxbury Ma., to help celebrate the annual opening of the Duxbury Bay Maritime School.
This program is in it's eleventh year and includes much in the way of community outreach for kids from underprivileged areas as well as for students with disabilities - to learn to sail. Friendship and crew will be featured during an evening fund raiser and then open to the public for one day.
Dates: Depart Salem on Thursday May 22 - we have a high tide of 2 PM - Jeremy will most likely want all hands at least 3 hours prior to departure. Sail overnight and arrive in Duxbury 5/23 on THEIR high tide or roughly noon. Set up gangway etc., and prepare for the evening event starting at 5:00 PM. Saturday the ship will be open to the public from 10AM to 5PM and will be free. We would like to know how many crew are available for tours and special programs on Saturday night, there is a volunteer/special crew get together for members of the Duxbury Bay Maritime Center AND Friendship crew. We need to know how many are interested.
Depart Duxbury on Sunday afternoon at approx. 3 pm (will confirm), sail overnight and arrive in Salem very early on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, ± 4:00 AM.
What I need to know:
Who is interested in the sail down and sail back, May 22 and May 26 and who can stay and be part of the open ship events on Saturday, May 25. This will be the busiest day.
Whoever stays for Saturday will most likely be welcome to the dinner after a hard day - and I need a head count.
Who would consider or like to have a ride back to Salem after we get there and who would like a ride down to Duxbury on Sunday morning.
The second trip we are making this year is to Boothbay Harbor, Maine – to attend the annual Windjammer Festival. With the help of Captain Jim, we are getting all the particulars of the event worked out.
Dates: Depart Salem on Sunday, June 22, again the high tide is in the afternoon after 2 PM - Again all hands should plan to arrive at least 3 hours ahead of departure. We will arrive in Boothbay, Maine late on Monday the 23 of June. The event with public boarding will begin on Tuesday June 24 and run through the 25th. We anticipate operating as we have in past with as many hands available to do what you all do so well - Engage the visitor's in the magnificence of your ship! We will depart Boothbay Harbor Maine on Thursday the 26th and arrive back at the dock in Salem on the 27th at roughly 6PM. There is a big lobster bake on Cabbage Island the evening of the 25th, for all the crewmembers of the various windjammers. The cost per person is $ 18.00 - The host community will cover the costs of a certain number (unknown at this time - 10-15 maybe) of folks from each vessel - we're kinda big, so we will figure out a way to cover the costs for the potential numbers of folks who may wish to go to this event over and above what they are willing to comp. The Captain says it will be great! We'll hold him to it - More on this later.
What I need to know:
Who is interested to be part of the sail up to Boothbay and the sail back to Salem, June 22 and June 26.
Who might wish to find a way back to Salem once we arrive and who may need a ride to Boothbay for the sail back. There may also be a need to transport either way folks throughout the time in port, so please let me know.
Whom can we count on for the public boarding over the two days.
Who wants to attend the Lobster Bake at XXX Island on the
25th after the event closes.
Also, prior to our departure for Maine, on the morning of the 22 we will have a group from the Navy on board filming the ship for a training film they are doing. They plan to start at 8 AM and will be off ship by noon. We are working out the scenes to be out of the way once work begins on board for the sail. At this point in time Mark Hilliard, Zach Woods and Aaron Gralnik will be involved in some of the filming activity prior to departure. There will be other actor's involved brought by the Navy.The film crew plans to follow us for a bit to shoot us under sail There will be no filming of crew in costume from another vessel once we get underway. IF anyone has an interest in participating in the filming, please let me know. The NPS will receive a small fee for this filming activity.
Trip Number 3& 4: Portsmouth New Hampshire/ Portland Maine
For those you that joined us back in 2004, this is a repeat trip to Portsmouth at the request of the Piscataqua Maritime Commission, PMC - This year we will leave Salem on the 14 of August and sail through the night to join the parade of ships, Roseway and another vessel ( unknown) on Friday, August 15 @ 9:30 AM. Sail into Portsmouth and once again dock at the State Pier. The ship will be open for public tours on Friday afternoon, all day Saturday the 16th and Sunday the 17th. There is an evening event on Saturday that we will be invited to. There may be another crew event on Sunday after the ship closes. This event is for all the volunteers of Friendship and PMC - We will leave Portsmouth on Monday the 18th and head east out to Portland, Maine. Our mission to Portland is in partnership with Essex National Heritage Area. Right now we are working on finalizing the logistics of where we are docking. We plan to be in Portland for the 19th with an evening event on the 19th and depart Portland on Wednesday the 20th.* (* subject to change if we are able to work out public boarding - then we would leave on the 21st) to return to Salem.
What I need to know:
Who is interested to be part of the sail up to Portsmouth on August 14.
Who might wish to find a way back to Salem once we arrive. There will no doubt be a need to transport to and from throughout the time in port, so please let me know when you are planning to come and go and if you need NPS ride assistance.
Who is available for the open ship times to work with visitors.
Who will wish to stay on board and be part of the sail up to Portland on Monday, August 18th.
Who will need transport to Portsmouth late Sunday the 17th for the sail up to Portland.*
(* there may be time to arrive in the AM on the 18th)
Would anyone need to get back to Salem from Portland not the 19th or 20th via car, etc.
At this point we are not planning to travel to Gloucester for the Schooner Fest this year. We have looked at the POSSIBILITY of one more trip to Boston but nothing has been finalized.
The two biggest challenges we have experienced in the last few years = transportation needs and food.
Food - We are working on a food plan, and most likely a way for NPS to pay for the meals underway and while at port working with visitors. For the two or three social events that are open to the crew, we can, either do a lottery and pick a reasonable number of folks to attend, or find a way to pay for the additional folks who may want to go. The three ports all have different things going on and I'm sure we will find a solution - but it's important for us to let all these ports know what our crew numbers will be. The only port where nothing official is being planned for the ship crew is Portland -
Holly, our chef extraordinaire may or may not be with us every trip this year - we hope she can be but........and there will be lots of work to be assigned in the galley. If Holly is able, she may assist with prep work on the trips she isn't available to join us, again there will be a need for much to be done in galley.
Transportation - As we have in the past, if there is a big demand to get folks home and/or switch crew out, we will hire busses to do so. This is tougher than food - I either have too many folks and not enough room or a giant bus with 5 people on it. As we get closer to all of these trips, everyone has to sit and ponder what they want to do – there will always be room for unexpected needs, or a change in plans, but we really have to pin down the numbers. To avoid last minute scrambling, if folks show up expecting a ride and they are not on a list, or haven't called me, or whomever is the keeper of the list - they will be on a stand by basis. Sorry - it's a coronary in the making otherwise.....
LOTS of questions ! Lots of big trips - hope that it equals a quality adventure for all !!! John P., John Beirne and Don Woods along with Bill Bradbury and the other fine Wednesday shipwright crew have been busy creating additional bunks for all. The bunk system will also be a means to store those heavy watertight covers for the hatches. Always thinking !
We have many new faces over this year and more to come. Any of the newer arrivals please feel free to call me or talk to Jeremy or either John P., or John Newman to get more insight into how these sails and the trips work.
Recap:
Duxbury - May 22 - 26
Boothbay - June 22 - 27
Portsmouth - August 14 - 18
Portland - August 18 - 21 *
Any questions, please give me a call or drop me a note.
Thanks !
( not brief enough )
Colleen Bruce
Wharfinger
Salem Maritime NHS
160 Derby St.
Salem, MA 01970
978-740-1694
978-360-2080 (c)