Memorial Day, 2010

Portsmouth, NH

Final Day of Festival and Pease Greeters Event

This Memorial Day, the Schooner Lynx was able to participate in a unique local tribute to all of our Nations Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen and Airwomen. The Pease Greeters, a group of New Hampshire Veterans who welcome home all the service men and women at Pease International Trade Port (the Airport in Portsmouth), have been taking a fifteen stripe, fifteen star US Ensign aboard historic and modern ships for the past several years. Their flag, displayed in the concourse at Pease, has been flown aboard the US Frigate Constitution, the Maersk Alabama, and the USS Bainbridge.

Today, during a small ceremony the schooner Lynx was added to that prestigious list of vessels to have had the privilege of flying the Pease Greeter’s flag. The ceremony took place at nine o’clock, the very hour Francis Scott Key witnessed the changing of the colors above Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore, the sight which inspired him to write the poetry for “The Star Spangled Banner.” With the replica War of 1812 era flag being hoisted aboard the replica War of 1812 era privateer, local vocalist Tenely Westbrook sang our National Anthem and another original composition entitled “Our Freedom Song” just before the vessel opened to the public.

In an interesting coincidence, the total number of visitors to tour Lynx today was 1814, to match the year “The Star Spangled Banner” was written.

Wishing you a Happy and Thankful Memorial Day,

The Captain and Crew of the Schooner Lynx

Read The Daily Portsmouth article here:

http://thedailyportsmouth.com/2010/05/28/tall-ships-arrive-in-portsmouth-2010

Read the article here:

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100528/GJNEWS_01/705289863/-1/fosnews

May 28, 2010

Portsmouth, NH

Grand Arrival/Parade of Sail

Portsmouth came out in droves for Lynx’s grand return to her homeport. The parade of sail featuring Lynx, Bounty and the local Piscataqua River Gundalow Edward H. Adams drew hundreds of small craft out on the harbor. At nearly every bend of the winding, fast flowing river there were salutes from the shore.

At the head of the Parade, the schooner Lynx was more than just a visiting ship. She was home, back to Portsmouth for the first time in eight and a half years. Such an absence is not uncommon in the commercial and industrial side of the maritime world – there are hundreds of ships that rarely see the ports listed on their transoms. In the Great Lakes, where Lynx is bound, there are 1000’ freighters that can’t even navigate out to the East Coast Ports they are listed as calling home.

But in the traditional world this is a rare thing, a stirring thing to be involved in. Portsmouth is a town much enamored with traditional vessels, and dozens have visited here over the years, only two can call this port home. And give even more poignancy to the event, one of our crew can call this home too. Alex Peacock left the neighboring town of New Market, New Hampshire last November to join Lynx in San Diego. Six months and sixty five hundred miles later, he’s home.

Sincerely,

Captain and Crew of the Schooner Lynx, along with local celebrity Alex Peacock.

May 27, 2010
Day 4
1200 Pos. 43 03.0’ N, 070 41. 7’ W,
12 NM Run since 1200 May 26.
Barometer at 1017Mb and rising
Wind South East Force 2
Seas 2-3 in Northeast Swell
Waiting for Portsmouth Pilot to board at Mouth of Piscataqua River

Wednesday 27 May, Day 4, Sag Harbor, NY to Portsmouth, NH

An impressive cold front cut short the crew’s run ashore on Appledore Island. As the breeze filled in from the North East, the watch aboard called for hands and everyone braved the aggressive, diving gulls getting back down to the dingy dock and out to the ship.

All best,

Captain Jamie Trost and the crew of Lynx

May 26, 2010

Day 3

1200 Pos. 42° 59.6’ N, 070° 40.2’ W

2.5 nm West of Appledore Island, ME

144 NM Run since 1200 May 25.

Barometer at 1015Mb and falling

Wind East Force 1

Seas < 1’

At Anchor off Appedore Island, ME, Shoals Research Facility

Wednesday 26 May, Day 3, Sag Harbor, NY to Portsmouth, NH

Weren’t able to clear the Cape Cod Canal at slack water yesterday. Canal Traffic informed us the railway bridge at the west entrance would be lowered from 1840-1900, “Or later.” All this as we were carrying all plain sail, the jib tops’l and the jack yard tops’l up Buzzard’s Bay at 7.5 knots. They invited us to heave to in the channel just before the bridge, but we elected to tack around in the North End of Buzzard’s Bay instead.

Once the bridge opened, we sailed into the Canal and in a very rare moment for a Baltimore Schooner, Lynx was wing on wing. Quite a hassle to do with the rake in her masts, and short lived. We ghosted along on starboard tack – quietly enough to hear the bells and applause of the people who live along the Canal – until the ebb overpowered us. Churning the engines for a short hour, we cleared the east entrance, wore around to port tack and flew along at 8.7 for most of the night in Cape Cod and Massachusetts Bay.

Portsmouth was in sight by dawn, but the breeze faded at 1000. So Lynx sits at anchor in the deep water off the Isles of Shoals. And they’ve even invited us ashore for dinner.

All best,

Captain Jamie Trost and the crew of Lynx

May 25, 2010

Day 2

1200 Pos. 41° 19.5’ N, 071° 29.3’ W

39 NM Run since 1200 May 24.

Barometer at 1023Mb and falling

Breeze at Force 4, SW

Seas: 1 -2’ swell out of the SW.

Sailing up Buzzard’s Bay at 7.0 kts on a Broad Starboard Reach under All Plain Sail, plus Jib Tops’l and Jack Yard Tops’l.

25 May, 2010, Day 2 Sag Harbor to Portsmouth.

Started day at Anchor in Point Judith Harbor of Refuge. As day heated up fog rolled in and we spent the morning reviewing emergency response to Fire, Man Overboard and Abandon Ship situations. Sailed off the anchor and out to Rhode Island Sound, setting all plain sail plus two of Lynx’s “kites.”

Favorable breezes make this a beautiful day for a sail. We approach the Cape Cod Canal hoping to get the last bit of the flood into Cape Cod Bay and not fight the 4.8 knot ebb — should be through and into Northern New England waters by sunset.

All best,

Captain Jamie Trost and the crew of Lynx.

May 24, 2010
Day 1
1200 Pos. 31 08.5’ N, 072 15.5’ W.
Wind Force 1 ENE, 2/8 Cumulus
Seas: 3-5’ swell out of the SE.
Lynx at Anchor

25 May, 2010 – Day 1, Sag Harbor to Portsmouth

Departed from Sag Harbor quietly as fog lifted at 1030. Alan Rice came down to the dock to see us off in a last bit of fan fare. After two full days of greatly attended dockside tours and excitingly full day sails in Sag Harbor Bay, the crew were treated like kings at an event hosted by Ted Conklin and other sailing enthusiasts at the American Hotel.

We motored toward Orient Harbor to sign aboard our new Bosun Ryan Whitehead, fresh from the Brigantine One and All out of Australia. In very sailorly fashion, Mr. Whitehead came across from New London, CT on the cross sound ferry, and we launched the rescue boat and fetched him from the docks there.

As I write, the crew, now ten strong, and two guest crew are taking their ease between anchor watches as Lynx lays to her port bower in Point Judith Harbor of Refuge, an interesting man-made harbor composed in of a few breakwalls off the coast and resting up.

Captain Trost

Photos Courtesy: Audrey Wigley