Thanks for the memories, New York!

The Lady Maryland is underway once more!  Yesterday we left New York Harbor and sailed up the East River (under the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge) toward Long Island Sound.  Before all of this, the students were able to go on an adventure like none other.  Our gracious captain pulled some strings and landed our group a tour of the Peking, a steel hulled barque originally built in 1911.  She was made famous by the sail training pioneer Irving Johnson, who made a video documentary about the Peking’s rough passage around Cape Horn in the 1920s.  The Peking participated mainly in the nitrate trade. Her current owners are the South Street Seaport Museum.  Sadly, the museum does not have the funds to restore her, and the Peking is destined to go back to Germany, where she was originally built, to undergo renovation.  Here in New York, the Peking is closed to the public, but Michael was able to get us an invitation.  This CTY class will probably be one of the last people stateside to visit her before she is shipped to Germany and restored.  It was a truly special adventure! 

After visiting the Peking, we pulled off the dock and prepared for the next leg of our voyage.  We headed through downtown New York City via tall ship, sailing up the East River toward Long Island Sound.  Along the way we passed the Brooklyn Bridge, which the Peking is docked in front of.  We also passed the island on which many American revolutionaries were tortured by the British for information, situated close to New York since it was a hot-bed of revolution.  All in all, the trip to New York City was an educational, cultural, and historical success!  The students are tired but happy.  They are having such a great time, and are sad to see our journey coming to a close.  Yet there is much to do in the next few days, and so little time to do it!  Who knows what will happen next?

If you are interested in learning more about the Peking, check out Irving Johnson’s documentary entitled, “Around Cape Horn.” 

The deck of the Peking…she is a really big barque!  Our students looked like ants running around. 

The living conditions on the Peking.  On the left hand side and along the back are bunks - things were crammed! 

And old photo of the Peking with full sail set.  The ship could reach speeds of twenty knots! 

The helm of the Peking is quite massive!

“The Band” aboard the Peking.  The Band is an assortment of finger puppets that have collected aboard the Lady Maryland.  When the students go out on adventures, the band comes with them, and then during anchor watch or dock watch the students write stories about them. 

Brooklyn Bridge