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Lake Superior Magazine Exclusive
Dispatch from the Pride by Anne Lewis

Dispatch #1 - July 24, 2008

BALTIMORE, Md. (July 24, 2008) - The day I heard that the Pride of Baltimore II would sail to Duluth was the day that I decided to hitch that ride from my home of today into the harbor of my youth. I just had to be on board when the ship that I’ve watched maneuver romantically outside my current home high above the Patpsco River graced the familiar waters of Lake Superior where I grew up.

To my surprise, my inquiry received an affirmative response almost immediately. For a fee – not too outlandish – I could be one of six guest crew members to board in St. Ignace, Michigan, on July 27 to sail into Duluth on July 31. One glitch that I hadn’t anticipated: There will be no stops, at least no planned stops. Oh, and I’ll have to take my turn at the rotating four-hour watches. Even at night.

Okay, I hope I can still pull an all-nighter … sign us up!

The Pride is highly symbolic in Baltimore. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, Baltimore was an American shipbuilding powerhouse, and clipper ships were uniquely called Baltimore Clippers during that era. They were reputed for their speed rather than large cargo spaces. They made their reputation as maritime spoilers during the War of 1812, when they harassed the British Navy and its cargo ships. The current Pride of Baltimore has come to epitomize the feistiness both of the new America emerging when the British tried to retake the colonies in the early 1800s and of the city of Baltimore’s resolve in a postindustrial urban resurgence.

There’s also a phoenixlike aura to the Pride of Baltimore II. The first Pride, built in 1979, sank tragically in a squall in the Bahamas in 1986; four crew members were lost. That tragedy is marked by a characteristic raked mast of a Baltimore Clipper implanted in a large city park that we walk through every day. From time to time, memorial wreaths appear testifying to the loss the whole city felt.

This second Pride was built, like the first, out of a surge of civic pride and unanimity to persevere. In both cases, the ships were built in a highly public display area and their progress was chronicled daily by the news media. So when the officials at Visit Duluth say this is a Good Will Tour from the city of Baltimore and state of Maryland to Duluth and the state of Minnesota on the occasion of Minnesota’s 150th anniversary, they are exactly right. The Pride sails to represent Baltimore and the many individual citizens and public officials here who support it and treasure it for what it embodies.

My two home ports – Duluth of my youth and Baltimore today – share a number of things in common. Duluth-Superior and Baltimore have steel and shipbuilding histories. They support a working harbor and promote its recreational uses as well. While 1,100 vessels come to Duluth-Superior annually, about 50 ocean carriers make 1,800 calls in Baltimore in a year. The port here supports more than 33,000 jobs, making it a major employer. The Duluth-Superior harbor supports 2,000 jobs, making it a major area employer as well, compared with population size. While coal and grain make up 50 percent of Duluth’s cargoes, Baltimore cargoes include fuels, cars, fertilizer – in addition to coal and grain – and sugar. (You may remember the Domino Sugar sign in Hairspray. It’s still here and illuminates our view, as well as the harbor, every night.) The Baltimore port has become a major distribution point of imported wood pulp and paper that comes into this country in increasing amounts from many of the same paper manufacturers we have operating in the Northland.

The most striking similarity, though, is that Baltimore’s harbor feels as accessible as Duluth’s does. People flock to this harbor, both as tourists and residents. Its promenade, not unlike Duluth’s Lakewalk, stretches for miles. On early mornings and weekends, bikers, walkers, runners and casual visitors feel at home taking in the beauty of the waterfront, just as they do in Duluth.

In just a few days, I will be embarking on this water adventure westward to my roots. When we get close to Duluth,  I’ll be telling the Pride crew about sights along the Lake Superior shore that I know they’ll appreciate because these places along the unfamiliar coast will remind them of home, places like the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center right on the harbor where we’ll dock, the Lakewalk and Park Point. They’ll feel right at home, too, if there’s a welcoming entourage of sailors and power boaters because that’s the Baltimore environment.

I hope it’s a beautiful day because I’m anxious to show off my home port to those visiting from my adopted port. We’ll see you all at the rousing welcome!

-- Anne Lewis

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