The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race - Believe in Tomorrow

Recently my family had the opportunity to be a guest on one of the ships in the Parade of Sail, a public display of many of the vessels involved in The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. One of our favorite foundations, Believe in Tomorrow, provided this opportunity for us.

Unfortunately, my youngest daughter who has leukemia, and thus our involvement in Believe in Tomorrow, was not feeling, so she stayed at home with the mother and I took the older two children.

We arrived in Canton at the stated time and checked in to the Baltimore Marine Center. They guided us to a boat named the Mystic Whaler of New London, Connecticut. It was a gallant ship, rigged in the turn of the century sailing style with a nice pot of coffee.

We sailed around the Baltimore Inner Harbor for about 2 hours, talked with some wonderful people, some of whom we learned we know through mutual friends (it's a small world, isn't it?) and saw the sights of Baltimore from the water. It really was fun, though it did rain. Here is a montage of the photos I took.


This is the Sultana out of Chestertown, Maryland:


I don't remember which ship this is. (Sorry!)


The Navy has some really big ships tied up around the Baltimore Harbor. Check out these two in the background, which absolutely dwarf the ships in the foreground.


Here are a couple more on the other side of Fort McHenry. These ships were used to take military vehicles and weapons to the Middle East.



This is the SS John W. Brown. It is a Liberty ship left over from World War II. The United States would send dozens (sometimes hundreds) of these ships together in a convoy across the Atlantic to Europe with the hope that most of them would get past the German U-Boats.


This is the Liberty Belle, a Mississippi River paddle boat. Kind of interesting. I haven't seen it around the Harbor before, but then again I don't go to the Harbor too often. I have an aversion to be being robbed and shot.


This ship named the Scan Bulker was next to the Domino's Sugar Plant on Locust Point. It's a pretty darn big ship.



These are a couple of gantry cranes owned by the Maryland Port Authority. Because the government should own the ports, right? Note the difference in size in the more modern crane and the older crane, probably from the 1940's\1950's.


This ginormous ship is the Star Hidra from Norway, I think. This has to be the biggest ship that I have ever seen. Keep in mind, that I live in Carroll County and usually see canoes, kayaks, and flat-bottom boats.


After the boat ride we were treated to dinner buffet at Bo Brooks. I took this photo in the pitch-black darkness setting my shutter at a slow speed. That's Silo Point in the background.


Here are some of the boats docked at the marina. I like the effects of the water - again from over-exposure using the slower shutter speed.


This one is probably my favorite. A large private yacht is docked here with some over-priced waterfront housing.


Thank you, Believe in Tomorrow for the wonderful opportunity to be a part of the Parade of Sail in the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race in Baltimore!!!