SAILING ON THE LETTIE G. HOWARD - MAY 1998
The Lettie G. Howard is a 125.4 foot oa Gloucester Fishing Schooner originally built in 1893 and recently rebuilt. It currently sails from the South Street Seaport Museum and is designated by the Coast Guard as a training vessel. This picture is imported from the South Street Seaport Museum web page. Click on it to learn more about the Lettie and the sailing program at the South Street Seaport Museum.
I sailed on the Lettie in May 1998 in an ElderHostel group of 9 student/crew members with 7 regular crew.
At the South Street Seaport Museum We boarded on Sunday afternoon, while the South Street Seaport Museum area was crowded with tourists. After orientation and bunk assignments, we were serenaded with some sea chanties and then bunked down for an early sailing on Monday morning. My bunk was in the cabin 'midships which was originally a fish hold and still was so named. Thankfully, the rebuilt fishhold had never held any fish so the only odor came from the heads. (Thankfully??) There were eight bunks in the fishhold, along with the two heads, a little library, a closet for foul weather gear and a table, under which a sail was stowed: "the fisherman". I shared the co-ed fishhold with two other men and five women. My upper bunk was a stretch to get into and out of but once nestled into it with my knapsack and bag, it was very snug. (Photos: D. F. Jensen)
East River Bridges, Monday Morning
We rose early to cloudy skies and the promise of rain. All the tourists were gone, replaced by a handful of tai-chi devotees. Looking north, we could see three East River bridges: the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge and the Williamsburg Bridge. (Photo: D. F. Jensen)
Battery Park
After breakfast we motored across New York Harbor to New Jersey to pump out the tanks. Rounding the southern tip of Manhattan Island we passed Battery Park. This view shows the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the World Trade Center's "Twin Towers". (Photo: D. F. Jensen)
Tall Ships at the South Street Seaport Museum
Then we headed up the East River, passing the steel-hulled Wavertree and Peking at the South Street Museum. Just north of the 59th Street Bridge (Queensboro Bridge) we ran into rain. Then lightning forced us ElderHostelers into the cabins for a while so the real crew could grapple with the foul weather. (Photo: D. F. Jensen)
Windhover Out of Stamford
Monday evening the Windhover came out of Stamford and met the Lettie G. Captain Zack took the zodiac and went over in the evening fog to have a gam. Light and visibility were not good for photography. (Photo: D. F. Jensen)
Rounding Orient Point Light
Tuesday morning we rounded Orient Point.This is an eastbound sloop we passed as we headed west for Greenport. We tied up at Greenport about 1 PM and had a beer in Claudio's Restaurant, used the spacious (compared to the heads on the LGH) public facility with great pleasure and browsed through the shops. At about 3 PM we headed for our night's anchorage in Smith's Cove on the east side of Shelter Island. I stood an anchor watch from 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM. (Photo: D. F. Jensen)
Port Jefferson, Thursday Morning
We made Port Jefferson on Wednesday afternoon and enjoyed hot showers in the rooms behind Danforth's Restaurant. Thursday morning we woke up refreshed and went ashore for donuts and coffee, which we enjoyed, not because they tasted better than the food on the Lettie, which was very good, but because it was on dry, solid land. That's me in the shorts. (Photo: Mac McMullen)
Flying the Fisherman
Generally we had light air and had to motorsail to log some miles but a few times the wind freshened and we could turn off the engines and still make good progress. One afternoon we hoisted out of the fishhold the sail, the fisherman, that had been stowed under the table there. Then we all set to work hauling it up to its place above the foresail and foreward of the main topsail. (Photo: D. F. Jensen)
Heeling in a Fresh Wind
With six sails spread and a 10 knot wind we began to move pretty fast, westbound. Against the level horizon the mast angle shows a pronounced heel. Crew here are both wearing red with Captain Zack taking the sun on the leeward deck. That's an Elderhosteler at the helm. (Photo: D. F. Jensen)
To the Top of the Mainmast
That's me taking my turn climbing the ratlines up to the crossbars where the maintopmast joins the main mast. Once up we each sat awhile and enjoyed the view. It was rather challenging for us Elderhostelers, even though we were securely fastened to a safety rope, but we were all glad we did it. (Photo: F. Masterman with D. F. Jensen's camera.)
Middle Ground Light at Sunset
Thursday evening we returned to the west end of the Sound and anchored for the night near City Island. This is Middle Ground Light lined up with the setting sun through the shrouds. (Photo: D. F. Jensen)
Middle Ground Light, Friday Morning.
"And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking."
On Friday morning Middle Ground Light showed its red and white bricks through the usual New York haze, which was burned off quickly by a strong sun. After breakfast we started a quick run down the East River toward the South Street Seaport Museum and the end of our adventure. (Photo: D. F. Jensen)
Hellgate Bridge and Triborough Bridge
This red railroad bridge is the Hellgate Bridge, so named because it spans Hellgate, the narrow passage through which flow very strong currents powered by the northward pressure of the incoming tide from New York Harbor and the southward pressure of the outgoing tide from Long Island Sound. The Triborough Bridge is behind it. (Photo: D. F. Jensen)
Chrysler Building with Three Monoliths
Here the Chrysler Building is framed by some interesting modern towers and one of the ubiquitous construction cranes. (Photo: D. F. Jensen)
United Nations, Friday Morning
As we motored with the current down the East River the views of Manhattan were magnificent. Here's the north side of the United Nations Building. (Photo: D. F. Jensen)
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