Gazing upward at the sharply raked masts of the Pride of Baltimore II on Sunday, Leslie Solitario said the topsail schooner is more to her than just another boat docked at Inner Harbor.
Her friend, Nina Schack, was one of four crew members who perished at sea 20 years ago when the first Pride of Baltimore capsized in 80 mph winds off the coast of Puerto Rico.
“It?s very moving,” Solitario said as she looked at the clipper, which returned home Saturday after extensive repairs in France delayed its Baltimore homecoming by four months.
“It?s majestic and so different from the sailboats [in the Volvo Ocean race] even though both are ocean-going vessels.”
Along with her family, Solitario traveled from her home in Leesburg, Va., to visit a cousin and take in the sight of the second Pride, launched in 1988 after the demise of its predecessor.
Solitario attended Cornell University with Schack, who came onboard as a seaman for the first Pride through a semester-at-sea program, she said.
Schack, 23, along with the captain and two other crew members, died in the violent squall in 1986.
Like the original, Pride II was modeled after the 19th-century Baltimore clippers from the War of 1812 and has faced its share of destructive winds.
Alan Morse, third mate and professional sailor, has been aboard Pride II since it launched from Baltimore a year ago on a voyage to destinations throughout Europe.
As he shone the ship?s brass Sunday, Morse expressed his relief at being able to return the Pride home in a shape “similar” to when she left.
“It?s really nice to be back,” said Morse.
“We were supposed to return in December, but we were dismasted in a squall [100 miles off the coast of France] and had to replace it. So we have a whole new rig.”
A native of Chevy Chase, Morse said he does it for the love of sailing and not for the paycheck. He will be aboard when the Pride II embarks on a trip to the Great Lakes in June.
But the Pride II will remain docked at Inner Harbor until Thursday. “This is where she belongs.”
Pride of Baltimore II itinerary
» Thursday: Volvo Boats Parade of Sail to Annapolis
» Thursday to Sunday: Maritime Heritage Festival in Annapolis
» May 12-22: Portsmouth, Va.
» May 29 to June 9: Baltimore
» June 1: Port of Baltimore 300th Anniversary Gala
» June 7: Pride Person of the Year Gala
» June 12: New York City
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
