Brockville Squadron Brockville Squadron

St. Lawrence II cruise, 2006 September 16

St. Lawrence II web site

This event - re-booked from last year due to weather - along with many others, commemorated our 50th anniversary as a Squadron.

Hover your mouse over the images to see the captions.

The morning cruise on the seventy-two foot brigantine St. Lawrence II began as scheduled at 0800h, with our devoted Commander Roger Duchesne and his lovely wife Lorraine there to see us off, even though they were booked on the afternoon cruise.

Captain Henderson and his crew gave us the safety tour, and informed us that they didn't have a license to conduct sight-seeing cruises, so we were all on a training cruise. We cast off around 0830h. The Captain backed on a forward quarter spring to pull the bow out from the dock, and once completely cast off did an elegant backing-and-filling maneuver to turn the ship around and head out from the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour.

As the morning progressed, various of us, Brockville CPS Squadron members and guests, hauled on lines, coiled and hung the excess, climbed the rigging (harnessed of course), climbing higher and higher, crawled out on the bowsprit, and furled and unfurled sails. Several of the younger members took the helm. Nautical topics were discussed in excruciating detail, and the knowledge of the captain and crew - some of them in their teens - was tested and found solid (as, of course, was ours). I tried to trick a watch-officer (all of seventeen years of age) by asking about "ropes" on the ship, and she was able to inform me about five instances where the word "rope" properly applies. We also learned what makes this ship a 'brigantine' and not a 'schooner' (nor a 'topsail schooner').

We didn't have much wind. The boat had steerage but the source of it at times was not apparent. The last third of our cruise began to see the sails fill a little. Alas, the weather does what it will do. We were back in port around noon, where the afternoon trainees were already gathering (their excitement barely restrained).

For many of us it was the highlight of our month. The tour of the ship - a true tour, not just a "deck-tour" as is often offered on other ships - handling the gear, and especially the many, many people scrambling about, high above the decks in the rigging - was all very enjoyable and interesting. I think it fair to say that we all felt inspired.

Send in any more photographs if you would like them considered for inclusion.

ctLow, AP, webmanager

Morning Cruise (photos ctLow)

Captain Henderson crew quarters small helmsman small helmsman small helmsman Captain and trainee aloft aloft aloft our own Pat S. aloft our own Ralph O. aloft sail handling aloft bow sprit work rigging workings spar St. Lawrence II break time under the bow sprit pink shoe crew Captain Henderson

Brockville Squadron - St. Lawrence II Cruise Page
Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons

Afternoon Cruise (photos Barry Greene)

afternoon cruise afternoon cruise afternoon cruise afternoon cruise afternoon cruise afternoon cruise afternoon cruise afternoon cruise afternoon cruise afternoon cruise afternoon cruise afternoon cruise afternoon cruise afternoon cruise afternoon cruise

All images (C) their respective photographers.
Send in more to webmaster if you wish.

Brockville Squadron - St. Lawrence II Cruise Page
Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons

Brockville Squadron
-first posted: 2006-09-17
-updated: 2021-05-05