The adventure began Sunday evening with a ‘meet & greet’ wine & cheese social held in the wardroom. Each trainee was assigned to a watch (red or green) and a berth. A welcome package was also provided that included a Fair Jeanne shirt, shackle knife, note pad, knot rope and several other souvenir items. For two of our trainees, the voyage aboard a tall ship was a special birthday gift from their family.
Our first evening was so warm and muggy that the Chief Cook and Assistant elected to sleep on deck under the afterdeck awning. That was a great idea - until a weather front blew through around 0200 hrs. The high winds and rain sent the cooks scurrying below and the crew scrambling to the deck to secure the awning and any other loose items on the weather deck.
Monday morning brought a change in weather. Stiff westerly winds and cloudy conditions greeted us for our first full day aboard the Fair Jeanne. We slipped our lines in Brockville and crossed the Saint Lawrence to the first port of call, Alexandria Bay, New York. Throughout the day, under the watchful eye of the First Mate, the PO’s set to work training their new shipmates in the tasks of setting sails, responding to shipboard commands and hauling lines together as a team. Around dusk we made port and after clearing U.S. customs in ‘Alex Bay’, the new crew settled down to a fine supper and a well-deserved rest.
Tuesday was an early start as the Fair Jeanne had an appointment to keep in Clayton, N.Y. Arrangements had been made to tour the Antique Boat Museum at 10:00 hrs. A sleepy but eager crew managed to get us away on time to make the next leg of the voyage. As we docked, our tour guides were there to great us. The next couple of hours were spent learning a great deal about the history of boating on the Saint Lawrence Seaway and of the many influential people who saw the thousand islands as a unique fishing and boating paradise.
We had the opportunity to freshen up a bit before slipping our lines on Wednesday morning to sail back across the river to Gananoque. Today’s leg of the voyage took us past many beautiful islands and spectacular homes that were built by the rich and famous over the years. The day showed great improvement in the ability of the trainees to set sails and steer a straight course. The trainees were also learning how to make log entries, tie basic knots and discovering that ‘Happy Hour’ meant housekeeping chores. For those who wished to climb aloft or to work out on the headgear, the PO’s took them through the safety and climbing procedures. This was the type of activity several trainees had longed for. Under expert guidance, they climbed to new great heights. Our pier at Gananoque was situated within a short walking distance of many of its historic features. We also enjoyed a Movie night aboard the Fair Jeanne – The Bucket List.
Thursday was a full days sailing as we left Gananoque for the historic port of Kingston. The fall colours along the shoreline and islands were just beginning to show as we made our way up river past a variety of busy tour boats, ferries, lakers and many pleasure boaters. Our dock was next to the Holiday Inn at the foot of Princess Street.
Friday morning gave us brisk winds and it was time to start making our way Eastward back to our homeport. The Captain set our course down river towards a small anchorage for the night. Tonight is the ships’ concert and, during the week, the two watches were preparing for the Captains dinner and an evening of skits, stories and games. Everyone turned out in his or her best for the Captains dinner. The evening took on a splendid, semi-formal atmosphere. The cooks put together a special menu that made for an unforgettable evening. The trainees took turns standing anchor watch that night thereby fulfilling just about all the duties a seaman would be expected to undertake onboard ship.
The week aboard the Fair Jeanne came to an end as we made our landing in Brockville around 11:00hrs. Saturday morning. The trainees were now proud members of a crew, quite capable of handling lines and responding quickly to sailing orders from their watch officers. A week ago, they came aboard as trainees with individual life experiences and left this morning as seamen, with a common connection to a very special tall ship, the Fair Jeanne.
Captain: Scott Shank
First Mate: Sam Drinnan
Petty Officer: Evan Hall
Petty Officer: Bradley Grant
Chief Cook: Colette Sabourin
Assistant: Sue Drolet
Coordinator: Peter Dalton
Trainees :
Alex Moroz*
Dene Hansez
Don Ferguson
Mel Moyer*
Mike McCormick
Liz Weeks
Dan DeMille
* indicates returnees
--Report by Peter Dalton.
