By Katie Moore
Though I’ve only been on PRIDE for five days, it feels as though I’ve spent at least a month here. New experiences have stretched my days into what feels like weeks, from meeting new people to learning all there is about the ship — & goodness knows there’s a lot to learn. From knots to types of sails to which line does what (and there are dozens of lines), I’m submerged in a sea of information, desperately trying to learn on the job & off, following by example when I’m above deck & studying diagrams & practicing knots when I’m below. The only thing that keeps me from drowning in it is the crew. Everyone on PRIDE has been beyond welcoming, kind, funny, & patient, teaching me all there is to know & answering all of my questions, no matter how stupid they are or how many times I ask them. I find myself saying “thank you” more often than any other phrase on the ship as I attempt to feebly repay them for the immense help they’ve given me.
Beyond what there is to learn, just simply existing on board of PRIDE has given me a plethora of memories & experiences that I never want to forget. Tacking in the middle of the night with wind ripping at our hair & lightning striking far in the distance, laughing around the stunning wooden dinner table, & even hauling lines until my body aches & my hands are rubbed raw is absolutely exhilarating, both enlivening & grounding me in a way I’ve never felt before. Furthermore, doing this within a crew — a crew full of clever, interesting people with so many stories to tell that I could fill a whole book of them — creates a true community that’s bound together by bonds as strong as our halyards. I’m already dreading leaving.
But for now, I try to push away the thought of leaving & enjoy what there is now — exploring a small Michigan town with my crewmates, exchanging stories with other tall ships, trading inside jokes & bad puns with my watch at three in the morning, drinking tea & tying knots around my mug over & over again until it’s right, & watching the most stunning sunsets I’ve ever seen as we sail across the Great Lakes in sails hoisted & lowered by some of the most incredible people I’ve ever met.
Be sure to follow @prideofbaltimoreII and @tallshipsamerica for more updates from Katie!