Pride of Baltimore

The Pride of Baltimore ( for Pride of Baltimore English; short and Pride ) was an American topsail schooner, a largely authentic replica of a historic Baltimoreklippers 1812 She ran from 1977 until its demise in 1986 on behalf of the city of Baltimore. . Since its completion in 1988 sailing as her successor, the new Baltimoreklipper replica Pride of Baltimore II

Pride of Baltimore

Construction and characteristics of Baltimoreklippers

1975 decided the city of Baltimore, State of Maryland, as an attraction for their city harbor ( Inner Harbor ) to be reconstructed a sail capable Baltimoreklipper. There were no Baltimoreklipper and get little information on the ship plans or dimensions, the details of the design from written sources, maritime art were (eg paintings ) and in particular reports of British naval researched on the actions they captured ships.

From April 1976 to 1977, the Pride of Baltimore was in the city port of Baltimore, visible to all interested parties built. As required by the City Materials and methods according to the time of Baltimoreklipper should be used, but ultimately woods were used, which are not native to Maryland, but promised greater durability (especially tropical hardwood ). Approximately halfway through the construction period, it was decided to use the previously planned only for smaller ship routes for long distance and ocean voyages. Then, an electric generator and batteries for electric lighting, an auxiliary motor, a shortwave radio and navigation agents have been incorporated; later the brick oven was replaced by a modern diesel-powered oven. Otherwise, the greatest emphasis was placed on authenticity in the construction and equipment continue. On 27 February 1977, the Pride of Baltimore was launched on 1 May of the year it was put into service.

Many of the typical Baltimoreklipper characteristics of the Pride of Baltimore were rare on other large traditional sailing ships or uncommon: The schooner sail was run without tree and overlapped the mainmast; especially turning maneuvers were very labor intensive. Two of the headsail were using a anknüpfbaren canvas strip ( bonnet ) reefed, a method no longer used since the 19th century. The studding sails on topsail and a similar construction to the mainsail allowed an " extension " of additional sail area. The topsail above the mainsail was hoisted from the deck with a jack ( jack yard), which extended the mainmast. The mainmast was with two forestays stiffened forward, the alternately loosen and dichtzuholen were - like running backstays, which had the ship as well. And finally, the Pride of Baltimore with a seven- foot ( 2.1 meters ) long tiller was controlled instead of a steering wheel. The first crew of the ship that had experience on other traditional sailing ships, had to then again only acquire that knowledge that was needed specifically for Baltimoreklipper and had been self-evident for their crews in the early 19th century.

Trips and Fall

The Pride of Baltimore was used as Ambassador of Baltimore along the U.S. coasts. In 1983 she sailed through the Panama Canal to the west coast of the USA. 1985-1986 visited the schooner Europe. The return was via Madeira and the West Indies to the Virgin Islands. On May 11, he left St. John with destination Baltimore. On the morning of 14 May 1986, the Pride of Baltimore ran after reducing the sail area under mainsail and jib at wind force 7-8 (about 50-74 km / h) about 250 nautical miles ( 463 kilometers ) north of Puerto Rico.

Around 11:30 clock the ship to the approximate position 23 ° 0 ' 0 "N, 67 ° 0' 0" W23 67Koordinaten was: 23 ° 0 ' 0 "N, 67 ° 0 ' 0 " W hit by a white squall which reached, according to the first officer 70 knots ( 130 km / h) and more. Despite casting of lots the mainsail, the Pride of Baltimore increasingly to port ( "left" ) was pressed onto the water surface. A crew member was still trying to solve the jib, but the sheet was already under water. The ship was fully through the only open hatch, the aft hatch, in the shortest time; According to Parrott (2003) could also be penetrated by a smaller opening on the port side water. Only the Smut was at this time under the deck. However, he was able to come on deck against the inflowing water. Within a minute after the onset of the white squall capsized the Pride of Baltimore and sank.

The schooner was equipped with two inflatable life rafts for every six persons that were automatically released by the water contact. One of the rafts, however, caught in the rigging of the ship and tore. The other first blew on automatically, but lost due to a malfunction of the valves back on air. In the stormy sea, where the visibility was less than 15 meters, reached three persons ( including the captain and the flight engineer ) is not the raft. The storm lasted about 15 to 30 minutes until it died down again to wind force 7-8. During the Smut the raft inflated again with lung power, the rest of the crew clung to it. Barry Duckworth, the ship's carpenter died, however, before the raft was inflated makeshift. The remaining eight survivors were finally able to board the raft after about four hours.

Four days and seven hours considered the survivors with 0,059 liters of water and half a biscuit per day alive. During this time, they tried in vain to make six passing ships (the first of them in less than two nautical miles ) and a plane with distress signals and later by pivoting of yellow oilskins and with flashlight signals attention. Because of the rapidity with which the Pride of Baltimore had sunk, no more emergency could be stopped; In addition, the Pride of Baltimore had entertained no regular radio communication. It was therefore not missing and no search initiated. Finally discovered on May 19 by 2 clock in the morning the guard of the Norwegian tanker Toro Flashlight SOS signals and rescued the survivors of their raft.

The accident was later investigated by both the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board ( NTSB ). Viewed as problematic today on the one hand for Baltimoreklipper typical but fateful low freeboard, on the other hand, the open hatch, which was also not used in the shipping center but slightly to the port side, viewed for the downfall as the cause. In addition, the stability characteristics of the vessel is ( its ability to resist capsize ) criticized general. Parrott (2003) also pointed out that the misfortune is probably still considered relatively unscathed, because almost all the crew members were just on deck. Because the hatches of the ship were, as usual for Baltimoreklipper as cargo ships, so closed that they were not to be opened from the inside; Pride of Baltimore had been struck on the night of a white squall, when two thirds of the crew were asleep below deck, the death toll would have been even more significant.

Pride of Baltimore II

1988 was the slightly larger Pride of Baltimore II from the stack, which on its website the " citizens of Maryland " is one, according to and operated by the company Pride, Inc.. Unlike its predecessor, it places less emphasis on authenticity and more on function and safety, for example by an increased freeboard, watertight bulkheads, external ballast and simplified sails (eg waiver of the Jack, the special Reffmethode the headsail ); However, her hull and rig are a total turn a replica of the Baltimoreklipper

Comparison of ship data of both ships

The dimensions of the ship Pride of Baltimore Pride of Baltimore II and are: