ASTA Great Lakes United Tallship Challenge 2010

[pyrate]

Privateer Royaliste is seeking volunteer crew for ASTA's Tallship Challenge 2010 on the Great Lakes. Traditional Tallship sailing; some wenches, no winches.... New York to Chicago...Always an adventure!...prefer sailing experience, but quick learners are welcome. Volunteer position; room, board, and good tips in port. A little different experience that most; crew in period attire during festivals, mock sea battles, strong interaction with the public ( deck tours, temporary tattoo's for young and old, any theatrical skills a plus.) Also in need of dockside help while in ports. For more information check http://www.TheRoyaliste.com or http://www.PrivateerInc.org email is preferred over personal messages. [email protected] Possibly seeking a relief capt. If you think you measure up, sign the articles and become a true scallywag,mateys.........

 

[MiamuhWhat]

Does one have to have already killed a man to apply?

 

[dacapo]

NY to Chi via which waterways?? East Coast to St. Lawrence or Hudson/Erie Canal??

 

[pyrate]

We travel both options mentioned depending on the ports participating. This time around, we'll be once again a canal boat for a stretch. In prior events, we've taken advantage of the canal to rest up if we've arrived by ocean from the south by way of the Hudson, or if not, to detail out the deck, cannons, spars, etc..good leisure time before it turns hectic..The drawback is that the masts,spars,sails,several miles of line, and canvas take up every inch of room, and you have to be a contortionist to get around or dock. I'm contemplating a 40' trailer to load said masts etc. and try to enjoy it for once..Also, since Chicago is almost a month later this time around, we may get adventurous and take the Illinois waterway to the Mississippi, and down the Tenn-Tom waterway to Mobile Bay...The trailer would again be handy since you cannot re-step the rig until Kentucky Lake.. Another option is the Chambly canal to the St. Lawrence, but Montreal has backed out, and Toronto has burned us before, so those two Canadian ports are off list for Royaliste. As for the long way around, we're fond of Halifax and Prince Edward Is., but that hard push up the river just plain sucks. We weigh 35+ton, so the 85 ponies pushin' her really get a workout. And if the weather turns dirty, well...We got damn near beat into matchsticks during a 70 knot NE'ster in Rimouski, Quebec..Those concrete and steel gov't wharfs are very unfriendly. I'll still be replacing a frame futtock and a knee in the galley from that one two years back...

...No, you haven't had to have killed anyone, but it does help with your street creds,eh?...

 

[CharlesFCook]

I think most of the Tall Ship sailors watch the ASTA Billet Bank.

http://www.sailtraining.org/billet/billet.php

I don't know what the requirments are to post there also.

Charlie

 

[pyrate]

Thanks, Charlie. We've used the billet bank many times. Unfortunately, the results haven't been worth the trouble. And aside from that, we aren't paid up for this year yet (yep, hard times on Tallships), so they frown on using any of their functions. This isn't the time or place for me to start a discourse on what's good or bad over at ASTA...Suffice to say that we change officials and directors more often than sailors make sail changes....

 

[7.9 sailor]

have you considered a press? I'm sure some landlubbers could be found.

 

[pyrate]

Once again, thank you and we've sent the press gang out before, but taht type of conduct is more 'Royal Navy',not privateers...( only the best) we would rather leave total 'landlubber' status to the steel hulled training vessels...this old ship has been doing this type of work for almost 40 years, so we now prefer a few good sailors looking for adventure over 'non experienced help'....but thanks again...in the last 48 hours, my usual bosun and also my chief engineer have weighed in, so now it's down to a few good souls looking for the Challenge 2010, and my steady eddy's to show 'em the ropes...literally....If you haven't sailed on a traditionally rigged ship, it's kinda hard to explain.....like knowing when to belay as we go to weather, 'cuz there be no winches to compensate for your judgement....You know the cliches; 'Wooden Ships, Men of Steel'.....Listen to her groan when you wear ship with a bone in her teeth......plastic doesn't even compare to the amount of adraline...trust me on this one, as I've owned, skippered and raced plastic boats.....no offense intended anywhere (I still own one or two)...

 

[Wcyr07]

what are the dates? and do you want members to be on board all trip

 

[pyrate]

Ahoy and hello, There's the proposed schedule. Finalization of ports of call will be the end of this month, and then we'll know our first festival stop. As for the whole picture, We'll launch late May/ early June, and I'll transit the Erie Canal for the bulk of the time before the events start, tweaking the show look of the ship, and of course, re-stepping and all the associated up rigging.....Absolutely not doing Toronto, as they along with Montreal have cancelled or stiffed us in the past. Once bitten, twice shy applies....We prefer crew that complete the voyage, but we can sometimes coordinate shorter legs...That said, it's pretty much at least a week sailing time between ports. I travel a few knots slower than the big boys who were built to motor port to port, therefore we sport as much canvas as often as safely possible, with a ton of motorsailing just to keep up,so sometimes aligning pit stops for crew changes can get hectic to say the least. A knot or two may not seem like much, but in a three to six hundred mile leg, it is EVERYTHING....

 

[pyrate]

There's been a change in the wind,mates......It's not quite official, but rumours are tha ASTA, with their infinite wisdom on what the public wants or likes, has cancelled all of the smaller vessels such as ours in favor of some visiting foreign,state sponsored vessels.....To those who have contacted us for crew positions on the Great Lakes, sorry,mates....If you are looking to sail on a traditionally rigged,wooden vessel, we are still leaving this spring, but it now appears as tho' it'll be down the Hudson, to where we aren't sure yet. Many thanks to all of those who took an interest, but it's not OUR doing, believe me...Gary Bergman, Captain, owner, and chief scallywag, Privateer Royaliste.....

 

[pyrate]

An edit to my above post..There now is a chance for a greatly reduced port schedule on the Great Lakes for Royaliste.. The powers that be should have answers by next week, at which time I will put up the new plan, or shut up, for lack of a better phrase at the moment....I'm not very optimistic, but it could happen.....

 

[pyrate]

Avast, ye scurvey scallywags!....I have now confirmed Royaliste for the revised Great Lakes Challenge 2010...So far (confirmed) Chicago aug 24-29, South Haven MI Aug 20-22, Green Bay,WI Aug 12-15..More to follow, and we will be in company of several like minded gunboats; LaRevenante, from Canada, as well as many stops with our West Coast cohorts aboard Privateer Lynx....If square sails and wafting smoke from cannonfire are your thing, give a shout......

 

[pyrate]

Time is moving on, so I figured I'd reeve this back up topside..We're still looking for crew on this Tallships Challenge...Thanks

 

[duluthyachtclubNM36]

Time is moving on, so I figured I'd reeve this back up topside..We're still looking for crew on this Tallships Challenge...Thanks

I see you'll be heading to Duluth, MN in July/August. I'd really love to help you out with anything I can while you're in town. If you want some help for the delivery from sioux st. marie, I might even be able to make it up for that. I'm very active in the sailing community in Duluth, I'm a helmsman on a 36 foot sloop with the DYC, and I'm also a sailing instructor with the duluth superior sailing association. If you need any extra hands on deck while you're on lake superior, or you'd just like to come play with some bermuda rigged boats while you're in town don't hesitate to let me know. I'd really enjoy working on a tall ship. (unfortunately I've only ever worked with bermuda and gaff rigs, but I'm a quick study!)

cheers!

Mike.

p.s. I also love theater and acting so if you just need someone to play pirate while you're in D-town, I'd be more than happy to wear a hook and some striped trousers for a couple days! I was even a pirate in Peter Pan a few years ago!

 

[pyrate]

Great offer, and we appreciate it; unfortunately, we aren't one of the ships doing Duluth....So far it just looks like Lake Michigan stops, with one or two back on Lake Ontario....Just a few of the big guys headed to Duluth....

 

[DRIFTW00D]

This same Piratee shippee was a signing crews on in Port of Huron for a run SE years ago. One dat da swabs says is a .... WET. On MY Close Inspection of the wench on board shes was biggie ones. DA boat small ,Trim, close to the wet.and no Pride of Baltimore .

​

 

[pyrate]

Aye, we were hunting a few good souls back there in '06 and again in '08....In '06, it was the time that all the college kids go back to school, so we generally lose a few around then..Most likely the same this year.. We've just added the Michigan Schooner Festival in Traverse City, September 12-15...Then it looks like south to Mobile by way of the Mississippi and Ohio etc....Aye, She's not 'Pride', although we've done events with her since '06..There are some advantages to being smaller; our draft allows us to do the ICW, canals, and rivers that the bigger boys will never see....I predict 'Pride' will lose the race legs this year to our old amigo's aboard Lynx........Time will tell,eh?

 

[ClimbnSail]

If you wind up going the ill-miss-oh-tennesee-tombigbee route, give me a shout.

I have done the southern part between KY lake and mobile several times. I have also done the ohio many times.

I have some contacts in the KY lake area, and i am sure that the locals would love to help out. Sadly, i don't have time to do the long trip.

Give me a shout if you need any insights planning a river trip

Former Mate on ASTA registered S/V Calypso Gypsy.