How is this for good New-Year’s news . . . Sultana Projects
is pleased to report that the 2009 leadership of the
schooner Sultana will include three veteran crew from
2008. In addition to Tanya Banks-Christensen, who was
recently announced as the new Captain of Sultana, the 2009
crew will also welcome back Leona Dalton as Education
Director and Beth Borchers as Chief Mate.
Click here to learn more about Leona and Beth. Captain
Banks-Christensen and Sultana Vice President Chris Cerino
are currently interviewing additional candidates to fill out
the remainder of the Sultana crew for 2009 and we expect to
announce the entire crew by early February. It’s not too
late to apply to be a part of Sultana’s 2009 crew –
click here to learn how.
Above: Beth Borchers, Leona Dalton and Captain Tanya Banks
Christensen.
Get Your Last-Minute Stocking Stuffers at the Sultana Center
December 12, 2008
Still short a few Christmas/Holiday presents? Why not stop
by the Sultana Center in Chestertown to pick up a few last
minute stocking stuffers. We have great gifts for as
little as $5, including t-shirts, sweat-shirts, outerwear,
books, note cards, and more. We also have plenty of sizes
for children as young as two years old.
The Sultana Center (107 South Cross Street) will be open the
following
days during the holidays:
Saturday, December 13
Wednesday, December 17
Thursday, December 18
Friday, December 19
Saturday, December 20
Saturday, December 27
Wednesday, December 31
BETWEEN NOW AND CHRISTMAS, MEMBERS RECEIVE AN
ADDITIONAL 10% OFF ON MOST ITEMS!
A New Era Begins – Captain Tanya Banks-Christensen
December 8, 2008
Press Release - December 8, 2008
Sultana Projects Announces Tanya Banks-Christensen As New
Captain for the Schooner SULTANA
Chestertown, Maryland:
Sultana Projects announced today that Tanya
Banks-Christensen will assume the position of Captain for
the schooner SULTANA as of January 1, 2009.
Banks-Christensen takes over the helm of SULTANA from
Captain Robert Brittain who has served as SULTANA’s Captain
since 2004. Launched in 2001, SULTANA is a replica of a
1768 Royal Navy schooner that is used to provide educational
programs in history and environmental science for students
from around the Chesapeake Bay.
A native of Philadelphia and a cum-laude graduate of Alfred
University, Tanya has an impressive sailing resume that
includes previous service as the Executive Captain of the
schooner QUINNIPIACK out of New Haven, Connecticut. Tanya
has also served as Mate on several traditional sailing
vessels including the schooners PROVIDENCE, A.J. MEERWALD,
WESTWARD and SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS. In 2004,
Banks-Christensen served as First Mate on SULTANA, and since
June of this year she has been SULTANA’s First
Mate/Alternate Captain. Tanya holds a United States Coast
Guard 200 Ton Near Coastal Master’s License.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to promote someone
who is already so invested in our mission and programs,”
commented Sultana Projects’ President Drew McMullen.
“Having spent two seasons on SULTANA, Tanya is well
acquainted with the schooner and with our organizational
philosophy. She is the perfect fit for building upon the
success that SULTANA has enjoyed under Captain Brittain.”
One of Banks-Christensen’s first responsibilities as Captain
will be to interview and hire the crew for SULTANA’s 2009
sailing season. Tanya will also be working with Captain
Brittain through January to complete several major
maintenance projects, including the rotation of SULTANA’s
internal ballast.
Transitions - Captain Robert Brittain
December 4, 2008
Dear Friends
of Sultana Projects,
Sultana
Projects is blessed to have thousands of friends from all
around the Chesapeake whose support makes our work
possible. That said, when it comes to the daily operations
of the schooner SULTANA, much of the responsibility falls to
one person – the Captain. Since 2004, Sultana Projects has
been extraordinarily fortunate to have Captain Robert
Brittain at SULTANA’s helm. Under Captain Brittain’s
leadership, SULTANA has voyaged over 15,000 miles and taken
more than 25,000 students out for award-winning, under-sail
programs on the Chesapeake Bay.
It is with
regret – but also with enormous respect for a job well done
– that we must deliver the news that 2008 will be SULTANA’s
last year with Captain Brittain in command. Understandably,
after 1,800+ consecutive days of looking after the schooner
and her crew, Captain Brittain is ready for the transition
to a less hectic pace of life. Brittain will serve as
SULTANA’s Captain through January 2008 and afterwards will
continue on as a consultant to the organization and possibly
as occasional relief captain.
It’s hard to
overstate the legacy that Robert Brittain leaves at Sultana
Projects. Taking command in SULTANA’s fourth season under
sail, Brittain quickly transformed how the vessel operated:
instituting new procedures for SULTANA’s under-sail programs
and establishing far-reaching maintenance policies that
looked decades into SULTANA’s future. It is no exaggeration
to say that SULTANA’s operations came into maturity under
the guidance of Captain Brittain. While he will no longer be
at her helm, Brittain’s legacy will be felt by all future
Captains of SULTANA and impact every student who steps on
SULTANA’s decks for the remainder of her sailing life.
In the near
term, Captain Brittain and his wife, Cindy, plan to remain
in Chestertown where Brittain will take a well deserved rest
and consider options for the future. For the past month,
Sultana Projects has been quietly interviewing candidates to
fill the position of Captain onboard SULTANA and will be
making an announcement in the coming days.
On behalf of
the Board of Directors and staff of Sultana Projects, and
past crews of the schooner SULTANA, we all wish Bob and
Cindy luck for their future and let them know that they will
always be an important part of Sultana Projects.
Sincerely.
Drew McMullen
President
Blocks and More Blocks
November 25, 2008
Here is a great shot of Sultana’s blocks in the process of being
stripped, oiled and re-seized. When you eat your turkey this
Thanksgiving, be thankful that you don’t have to maintain and
keep track of the 1,500+ components of Sultana’s rig this
winter. Happy Thanksgiving!
Ballast is Heavy
November 24, 2008
Captain Bob Brittain and Mate Tanya Banks-Christensen are about
half way through the process of removing Sultana’s 38,500-pounds
of interior ballast so that the interior of the hull can be
inspected. It’s a slow process and one that usually leaves
Captain Bob and Tanya pretty whipped by the end of the day. Thus
far, the inside of Sultana’s hull frames and planking has proved
to be in pristine condition. Captain Bob and Tanya have about a
week’s worth of work left to go before the project is complete.
Annual Appeal – We’re Half Way There!!
November 19, 2008
Good news – Sultana Projects has reached the half-way point in
our 2008 Annual Appeal campaign. Our goal is to raise $13,000
before the end of the year and as of today we were at $6,070
(46% of the way to
our
goal). If you received our Annual Appeal letter in the mail,
please keep track of it and try to send in a contribution before
the end of December. If you aren’t on our snail-mail list but
would like to contribute – please
click here to go to our Annual Appeal web page where you can
donate online. With the stock market in the tank, this is a
tough year for all educational non-profits. Your contribution is
essential if we are going to keep Sultana’s decks full of
students in 2009. Please, please consider a gift to our Annual
Appeal at any level ($5 is great!). Your contribution is
important and very much appreciated.
Not
for the Faint of Heart or Stomach
November 19, 2008
Each fall as our crew departs for the winter, they give us
loads of photographs and videos taken during the course of
the season. Over the winter we will be sharing some of the
best of these with you. To start, here is a video taken by
Deb Rowhan showing Sultana motoring up the Chesapeake Bay
following the Great Chesapeake Schooner Race this October.
As you will see in the video. eighteenth century schooners
weren’t necessarily designed to motor into a four-foot
chop.
Saying Goodbye to the Crew
November 17, 2008
Last
Friday, November 14, was the last official day for the 2008
Sultana crew. The crew and staff had a great farewell
dinner at Andy’s last Thursday and then most of the crew
headed their separate ways on Friday or Saturday. It’s
always sad saying good bye to the crew at the end of the
season – especially a group as good as this. In 2008,
Captain Bob Brittain, Tanya Banks-Christensen, Deb Rowan,
Adam Karon, Leona Dalton, Brian Bytnar and Elizabeth
Borchers voyaged over 2,000 miles and sailed with more than
4,700 students. Through it all, they performed with
enthusiasm, professionalism and dedication. Speaking for
everyone at Sultana Projects, we can’t thank them enough and
wish them well! We are now down to two people looking after
Sultana, Captain Bob and Mate Tanya Banks Christenson.
There is no shortage of work to be done, and Bob and Tanya,
assisted by the Sultana Volunteers, will be very busy at
least though the end of the year.
(Photo above – The 2008 Sultana Crew on
Halloween. From left to right: Tanya Banks Christensen,
Captain Robert Brittain, Adam Karon, Brian Bytnar, Leona
Dalton and Deb Rowan. – Beth Borchers not shown.)
Hauling the Ballast
November 12, 2008
Once the dust settles from
Downrigging Weekend, the real work of putting the schooner
Sultana to bed for the winter begins. For the past week,
Captain Brittain and his crew have been hard at work
lowering Sultana’s spars, sails and almost two miles of
running rigging. Now that that task is almost complete, the
crew’s attention has turned to removing a large portion of
Sultana’s 38,500-pounds of internal ballast so that the
interior surfaces of the hull can be cleaned and
inspected. For you history buffs – Sultana’s lead ballast
has long and interesting story. The ballast was salvaged
by John Swain and the Sultana volunteers in 2001 from the
bilge of the decommissioned U.S. Navy hospital ship
U.S.S. Sanctuary. Launched in 1944, the Sanctuary
served in W.W. II and the Vietnam War and was the very first
United States Navy ship to have a mixed male-female crew.
The lead ballast bricks (each about 80 pounds) were
originally cast in Australia and are the oldest manufactured
component of the schooner Sultana.
It’s Annual Appeal Time!
November 12, 2008
Fall is the time for Sultana’s
Annual Appeal campaign and this year our goal is to
raise $15,000 to support Sultana Projects’ award winning
educational programs in 2009. We have just learned that two
of our key grants from the state of Maryland have been cut
by 20% for next year so we need your help now more than
ever! To simplify things, we have made it easy to
contribute to the Annual Appeal online – just
click here and then click the green “donate now” button
at the bottom of the linked page. Sultana Projects uses
www.justgive.org to process our online Annual Appeal
contributions and we have had great success with this
non-profit partner. Thanks in advance for your support!
And Now the Real Downrigging Begins …
November 6, 2008
Captain Brittain and the Sultana crew have been hard at
work this week lowering, disassembling and storing Sultana’s
rig for the winter. Next week the crew will be temporarily
removing Sultana’s 38,500-pounds of internal ballast to
inspect the inside of the schooner’s hull. This is the
first time that the ballast has been moved since Sultana’s
launch in 2001. By the end of next week, Sultana will be
completely downrigged for the winter. The crew’s last day
is Friday, November 14. Be sure to go down to the dock to
see them work and wish them well.
Chestertown Middle School at Downrigging Weekend
November 5, 2008
Below is an account from
Chestertown Middle School students about their Downrigging
Weekend sail on Lady Maryland. To see additional photos of
this trip
click here.
On October 31, 2008,
Chestertown Middle School’s Discovery Corps went sailing on
the Lady Maryland, a pungee schooner. We were invited by
the Sultana Organization to go for free. This was part of
the Sultana’s downrigging weekend and there were seven tall
ships involved with the sail.
After walking from CMS
down to the waterfront, we met the captain and crew. We were
then assigned groups and each group chose a creative team
name; they were the “Chicken and Beans”, “Roctober Treaters”,
“Stinky Dead Fish”, and the “Mucus Squids”. The four groups
split into two and each half went on opposite sides to hoist
each sail into the air.
We split into our
individual groups to move around the boat to do different
activities, such as learning about plankton, the history of
boats, and how navigation charts help the captain not to get
stuck in the mud. We also learned how to build a boat using
few supplies. Jimmy, one of the crew members, gathered
plankton from the river and showed us the types of plankton,
including a type that is bigger than a human! Another member
of the crew, Haley, taught us the history of boats and how
they are distinguished from one another. We played a game
where we had to put the boats in order from oldest to
youngest, and it was interesting to see how they have
changed over the years.
Also a member of the
crew was Katie, who had us imagine that we were stranded on
a deserted island and we had to construct a boat that would
take us back to school on time. The only supplies that we
found on the “island” were a piece of foil, four popsicle
sticks, and a small piece of duct tape. After every group
had made their boats, we tested them in a big tub of water.
We used fishing weights to resemble people on our boat and
whichever boat held the most amount of “people” would be the
winner…. The “Roctober Treaters” held an astounding amount
of 30 people!
Soon after that we got
off the Lady Maryland and could remove our lifejackets. On
our way back to school we all stopped at Stams to get ice
cream, courtesy of Mrs. Tracy Landon. After finishing our
ice cream, we continued back to school, and that was when
Mr. Stack “fell down go boom!”
Submitted by
Chestertown Middle School Students
Janie Maisel, Alissa Nugent, Rachel Reed, Hayley Usilton,
and Takera Sisco
A Downrigging Weekend Thank You
November 5, 2008
This past
weekend, Sultana Projects hosted its eighth Downrigging
Weekend festival, an annual event that marks the close of
the schooner Sultana’s educational sailing season. We were
fortunate to have beautiful weather and the participation of
more than a dozen historic vessels and their 120+ crew
members who traveled from as far away as Virginia, New
Jersey, Delaware and Connecticut to spend the weekend in
Chestertown.
Downrigging
Weekend is only possible because of the support we receive
from several businesses and organizations in the community.
Chief among these are PNC Bank and the Stories of the
Chesapeake Heritage Area who provided financial support that
allowed Sultana Projects to make many of the weekend’s
events free for visitors. Both PNC Bank and the Stories of
the Chesapeake Heritage Area have been longtime supporters
of Sultana Projects and the Chestertown/Kent County
community. We cannot thank them enough for their support
of Downrigging Weekend.
You can’t
have a “Tall-Ship” festival unless you have someplace to
dock the visiting ships. Fortunately, Chestertown has two
very civic-minded groups, the Chestertown Marina and the
Chester River Yacht and Country Club, who graciously
provided docking facilities and shore support for the entire
Downrigging Weekend fleet. Hosting multiple tall ships and
their crews involves a considerable commitment of time and
resources. We are enormously grateful to owners, staff and
membership of the Marina and Country Club who went above and
beyond the call of duty to make our guests feel welcome.
Sultana Projects is also indebted to Covell Communities
and the staff at Chester River Landing who hosted additional
schooners at their docks.
Several
weeks before Downrigging Weekend, the opportunity arose to
add an additional vessel to the fleet – the freedom schooner
Amistad from New Haven, Connecticut. Amistad tells the
story of an important piece of American history and Sultana
Projects was excited at the prospect of bringing her to
Chestertown. Working on short notice, Sultana Projects
was fortunate to have the invaluable assistance of the Van
Dyke Family Foundation, the C.V. Starr Center for the Study
of the American Experience at Washington College, and the
Center for the Environment and Society at Washington College
who helped to organize and support a variety of events
associated with Amistad’s visit.
In a stroke
of good luck, this year’s Downrigging Weekend fell on
Halloween. For many years the Chestertown Lions Club and
the Washington College Student Government Association have
organized the much loved Chestertown Halloween Parade.
Sultana Projects was honored to have the opportunity to be
involved as a “junior partner” for this year’s parade and
salutes the efforts of the Lions Club and Washington College
students for putting together this wonderful event.
The Town of
Chestertown has long been an invaluable supporter of Sultana
Projects and Downrigging Weekend. This year the town was
kind enough to work with Sultana Projects and help organize
a fireworks display for Halloween evening. The Chestertown
Volunteer Fire Company and Chestertown Police also played
critical roles in the success of the fireworks display by
providing safety equipment and traffic control.
For those
who strolled Chestertown’s waterfront and streets on
Halloween evening, you were treated to a wonderful steam
calliope concert emanating from Wilmer Park. The concert
was generously provided by Jonathan King who not only
played, but also built this incredible instrument.
As with any
event of this size, Downrigging Weekend involves innumerable
details and many small, yet important jobs. More than 40
volunteers contributed their time for Downrigging Weekend,
helping to staff the information tent, monitoring
trick-or-treaters and patrolling the docks during the
open–houses on the ships. Sultana is grateful to the many
volunteers who regularly contribute their time and make all
of our programs possible.
Many people
have already begun asking about Downrigging Weekend 2009.
While nothing is set in stone, we have tentatively scheduled
the event for the weekend of October 30 – November 1,
2009. Keep an eye out here this winter for additional
details.
And the Winner is …
November 3, 2008
Thanks to all of you who purchased tickets for Sultana’s
2008 Smart Car Raffle. The winning ticket was drawn this
past Saturday evening and the car went to Michelle Santos of
Highland, Maryland (ticket # 1874). The Smart Car Raffle
helped raise over $10,000 to support Sultana’s educational
programming.
Tall Ships Illuminated
October 31, 2008
This incredible shot of last
night’s fireworks show and tall ship illumination was taken
by Michael Wootton from the Chester River Bridge. Look at
that moon!! The Chestertown waterfront was packed with
thousands of trick-or-treaters and folks eager to get a look
at this incredible sight.
More Than 1,000 People Set to Sail During Downrigging Weekend
October 29,
2008
More than 1,000 people are now confirmed to go
sailing aboard the fleet of Tall Ships, schooners and historic
vessels that will be visiting Chestertown this weekend for
Sultana’s Eighth Annual Downrigging Weekend festival. The
weather for the weekend looks fantastic with a forecast of sunny
skies, mild breezes and temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s. If
you haven’t signed up to go sailing, we still have space
available on many of the ships. Here’s a quick summary of
what’s available:
Sail #1: Saturday, November 1 / 10:00am – 12:30pm
Kalmar Nyckel -
SOLD OUT
Pride of Baltimore, II – SOLD
OUT
Virginia – Tickets Available
Lady Maryland - A Few Tickets Left Sultana – SOLD
OUT
AJ Meerwald – Tickets Available
Amistad – SOLD
OUT
Elsworth – Tickets Available
Mildred Belle – Tickets Available
Sail #2: Saturday, November 1 / 2:00pm – 4:30pm
Kalmar Nyckel - SOLD
OUT
Pride of Baltimore, II – SOLD
OUT
Virginia – A Few
Tickets Left Lady Maryland -
SOLD OUT
Sultana – SOLD
OUT
AJ Meerwald –Tickets Available
Amistad – SOLD
OUT
Elsworth – A Few
Tickets Left Mildred Belle – Tickets Available
Sail #3: Sunday, November 2 – 11:00am-1:30pm
Kalmar Nyckel - SOLD
OUT
Pride of Baltimore, II – SOLD
OUT
Virginia – Tickets Available
Lady Maryland -
SOLD OUT
Sultana – SOLD
OUT
AJ Meerwald – A
Few Tickets Left Amistad –SOLD
OUT
Elsworth – A Few
Tickets Left Mildred Belle – Tickets Available
To make reservations for any of these sails
contact the Sultana Projects’ office at 410-778-5954. If you
are a true late decider, any remaining tickets for these sails
will be available at the Downrigging Weekend Information Tent at
foot of Cannon Street beginning one hour prior to the start of
that sail.
Master
& Commander at the Prince Theatre – 7:30pm, Thursday, October 30
October 29,
2008
Join Sultana Projects and the Washington College
Center for the Environment and Society tomorrow night, October
30 at 7:30pm for a free screening of the film, “Master and
Commander.”
An adaptation of the beloved Patrick O'Brian
novels, "Master and Commander" is considered one of the finest
and most historically accurate sailing films ever made. The film
will be preceded by commentary from one of the film's principal
historic consultants, Dr. Charles Fithian, Curator of
Archaeology for the State of Delaware's Division of Historical
and Cultural Affairs. Space is available on a
first-come-first-serve basis.
Students from Seven Schools to Sail on Downrigging Fleet
October 29,
2008
More than 200 students from seven different
schools will be sailing on the Downrigging Weekend Fleet this
Friday, October 31 as part of our first ever
Downrigging Weekend Educational Sail. Participants
include local schools such as Kent County High School and
Chestertown Middle School as well as schools from as far away as
Baltimore and Delaware. If you are interested in getting a
look at the whole fleet under sail this Friday, the Educational
Sail begins at 10:00am and runs until 12:30pm.
Open-House on Downrigging
Fleet This Friday, October 31
October 29,
2008
Come down to the Chestertown Waterfront and take
a free tour of the Downrigging Weekend Fleet this Friday between
3:00pm and 5:00pm. Tours will be available on Kalmar Nyckel,
Pride of Baltimore, II, Virginia, Lady Maryland, A.J. Meerwald
and Sultana. For those interested in touring Amistad, there
will be an open-house just for Amistad on Sunday, November 2,
from 2:00pm-5:30pm at the Cannon Street Pier.
Fireworks and Lighted Ships
on Friday Evening, October 31
October 29,
2008
Chestertown will be a spectacular place Friday
evening, October 31, with the entire Downrigging Fleet
illuminated along the town’s waterfront. The lights will go on
at dusk and remain on until 9:00pm. At 7:00pm (or shortly
thereafter) there will be a fireworks display shot from Wilmer
Park that will be visible along the entire waterfront. The
fireworks will only last for 15 minutes, so don’t be late!
(Photo by Michael Wootton)
Downrigging Weekend Weather Forecast
October 28, 2008
It might not be so nice out today, but things look good for
Downrigging Weekend.Here’s the weather forecast from
www.weather.com
for Chestertown, Maryland.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31: Sunny, 60°, Winds 5-10 knots
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1: Mostly Sunny, 63°, Winds 5-10 knots
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2: Partly Sunny, 52°, Winds 5-10 knots
Click here to see the latest weekend forecast for
Chestertown.
Sultana Back in Chestertown, Other Vessels Begin Arriving
October 25, 2008
Sultana made the run from Salisbury to Chestertown in a single
day on Friday, October 23, leaving the Wicomico River around
dawn and arriving in Chestertown just before midnight. Kalmar
Nyckel arrived Sunday in advance of Downrigging Weekend and will
be spending this week at the Cannon Street Pier in
Chestertown. We are expecting Pride of Baltimore, II,
Virginia, Lady Maryland, Amistad and AJ Meerwald to arrive on
Thursday, October 29.
Downrigging Weekend – What’s Left . . .
October 24, 2008
The Sultana Projects’ office will be closed Saturday and
Sunday, October 25 & 26 and will not be taking reservations for
Downrigging Weekend events during this time. Our reservation
desk will re-open on Monday morning, October 27 at 8:30am. As
of the end of the day on Friday, October 24 we still have space
available for many Downrigging Weekend events. If you are
trying to do some planning over the weekend, here is what we
still have available:
SHIPYARD DINNER
Saturday, November 1 – ABSOLUTELY
SOLD OUT
CONCERT FOR SULTANA WITH THE TWO MAN GENTLEMAN BAND
Saturday, November 1, 8:00pm – The Prince Theatre – ADVANCE TICKETS SOLD OUT
LIMITED TICKETS MAY BE AVAILABLE AT THE PRINCE THEATRE BOX
OFFICE BEGINNING AT 7:45PM ON NOVEMBER 1
PUBLIC SAILS ON THE SHIPS
Sail #1: Saturday, 10:00am – 12:30pm
Kalmar Nyckel - A Few Tickets Left Pride of Baltimore, II – SOLD OUT Virginia – Tickets Available
Lady Maryland - Tickets Available
Sultana – SOLD OUT AJ Meerwald – Tickets Available
Amistad – SOLD OUT Elsworth – Tickets Available
Mildred Belle – Tickets Available
Sail #2: Saturday, 2:00pm – 4:30pm
Kalmar Nyckel - SOLD OUT Pride of Baltimore, II – SOLD OUT Virginia – Tickets Available
Lady Maryland - A
Few Tickets Left Sultana – SOLD OUT AJ Meerwald –Tickets Available
Amistad – SOLD OUT Elsworth – A Few Tickets Left Mildred Belle – Tickets Available
Sail #3: Sunday, November 2 – 11:00am-1:30pm
Kalmar Nyckel - Tickets Available
Pride of Baltimore, II – SOLD OUT Virginia – Tickets Available
Lady Maryland -A
Few Tickets Left Sultana – SOLD OUT AJ Meerwald – A Few Tickets Left Amistad –
SOLD OUT Elsworth – Tickets Available
Mildred Belle – Tickets Available
If you would like to make a reservation for any of the available
events listed above, please call 410-778-5954.
Downrigging Weekend a Goliath!?
October 22, 2008
We’re starting to get the sense that there is a “landslide”
building in advance of
Downrigging Weekend (October 30-November 2). So far we’ve
taken 900 reservations for the various
public sails that will be offered during the weekend. With
10 days still to go that’s already double our previous record
for a Downrigging Weekend (548 set in 2007) and we still have
about 400 spaces left to fill! The phones are ringing non-stop
and at the rate we’re going it looks probable that more than
1,200 people will sail aboard the
Downrigging Fleet on the weekend of November 1&2. If you
haven’t made your reservation, don’t wait too long. We might
not have anything left!
At First We Didn’t Know What a Steam Calliope Was Either
October 20, 2008
If you have no idea what a “Steam
Calliope” is, don’t feel bad – we didn’t either until last
Friday when we received a call from Jonathan King, a local Rock
Hall resident and one of the few makers of steam calliopes in
the United States. Calliopes were a regular features on
steamboats at the turn of the last century and utilized excess
steam to power an organ like instrument that utilized tuned
whistles instead of organ pipes. It’s a little difficult to
explain, so if you are still confused just click on the video
above to get a sense of a calliope in action. Jonathan has
kindly offered to play and exhibit his own custom-made calliope
at Downrigging Weekend. After seeing this incredible instrument
up close – housed in a vintage 1941 Mack Truck none-the-less -
we couldn’t possibly refuse. Pending approval of the Mayor and
Council of Chestertown, Jonathan will be performing on his
calliope between 4:00pm and 7:00pm on Friday, October 31
(Halloween) at Wilmer Park in Chestertown. We couldn’t ask for
a better lead in to the Downrigging Weekend
Fireworks Show scheduled for 7:00pm that evening. Keep an
eye here for calliope updates.
Sultana Wins All Important Schooner Race Start
October 17, 2008
Captain Robert Brittain and the schooner Sultana crossed the
line first yesterday afternoon at the start of the Great
Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race in Annapolis. More than 50
schooners made the start gun for this annual Annapolis to
Norfolk race. Though winds were light at the outset, they
quickly picked up and by Thursday evening Sultana was making her
way down the Chesapeake Bay at nine knots. As of 0900 hours on
Friday, October 17, Sultana was approaching the mouth of the
James River in Virginia still making over 6 knots.
Click here to see photos of Sultana at the start of the
race.
Sultana in Baltimore Readying for the Great Chesapeake Bay
Schooner Race
October 14, 2008
Sultana arrived in Baltimore this past
Sunday in advance of the
Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race.
Captain Robert Brittain and the Sultana crew will sail with
several Baltimore-area schools this week before setting out on
Thursday for the annual 100+ mile race from Annapolis to
Norfolk, VA. “This is the one chance each year when we get to
sail Sultana hard,” said Captain Brittain. “The crew begins
looking forward to the Schooner Race as soon as we bend the
sails on in March!” The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race
helps to raise funds for the
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
and has been an annual
tradition on the Chesapeake for more than two decades. If you
happen to be on the Baltimore waterfront this Wednesday, October
15, look for Sultana during the annual
Schooner Race Parade of Sail
beginning at 5:00pm. (Photo above by Dave Gendell)
Downrigging Weekend “Amistad” Open-House Set for Sunday,
November 2 / 2:00-5:30pm
October 11, 2008
As reported in our special press release last week, the Freedom
Schooner
Amistad,
based in New Haven, Connecticut, will be making its first ever
visit to Chestertown and Kent County from October 30 to November
3 as part of Sultana Projects’
Downrigging Weekend.
Working
in partnership with Washington College’s
C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the
American Experience and
Center for Environment and Society,
Sultana Projects has scheduled several Amistad related events
during Downrigging Weekend, including:
TOUR THE FREEDOM SCHOONER AMISTAD (free)
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2008 / 2:00-5:30PM
THE CANNON STREET PIER, CHESTERTOWN
SEE THE FILM “AMISTAD” (free)
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 / 7:30
p.m.
Litrenta Lecture Hall, John Toll
Science Center, WASHINGTON COLLEGE
Amistad will also be joining the
Downrigging Weekend fleet for three sails that will take place
on November 1 and 2. While Amistad’s last minute addition to
the fleet will not make it possible for Sultana Projects to
offer public sails on the schooner during the weekend,
participants sailing on the other vessels in the fleet will get
an opportunity to see Amistad under-sail. Downrigging Weekend
public sails on Kalmar Nyckel, Pride of Baltimore, II, Virginia,
Lady Maryland and Sultana are filling fast so don’t wait to make
your reservation.
Click here
to learn more.
Radcliffe Creek School Paddles John Smith Trail
October
9, 2008
Students from
Radcliffe Creek School
in Chestertown, Maryland spent Thursday paddling a portion of
the
John Smith Chesapeake National Historic
Water Trail on Turner’s Creek
and the Sassafras River as part of Sultana’s
John Smith Trail Expeditions
program. It was a beautiful early Fall day on the Sassafras and
the students got a chance to see a variety of wildlife including
bald eagles, geese, ducks and rockfish.
Click here
to see photos. This was Sultana Projects’ 25th and
final Expeditions program for the 2008 season. More than 350
students paddled portions of the John Smith Trail this year as
part of Sultana’s John Smith Trail Expeditions program.
Chestertown, Maryland:
Sultana Projects announced today that the freedom schooner
AMISTAD based in New Haven, Connecticut, will be participating
its annual Downrigging Weekend festival in Chestertown, Maryland
on October 30 – November 2. AMISTAD will join an already
impressive fleet of Tall Ships and schooners, including the
KALMAR NYCKEL, PRIDE OF BALTIMORE, II, VIRGINIA, LADY MARYLAND
and SULTANA.
AMISTAD is a recreation of LA AMISTAD, a vessel that was
commandeered by Africans who had been captured in 1839. Led by
a 25-year-old Mende rice farmer named Sengbe Pieh, or “Cinque”
to his Spanish captors, the Africans seized the LA AMISTAD,
killed the captain and the cook, and ordered the crew to sail
back to Africa. After 63 days, LA AMISTAD and her “cargo” were
seized as salvage by USS Washington near Montauk Point, Long
Island, and towed to New London harbor. The Africans were held
in a New Haven jail on charges of murder. The case took on
historic proportions when former President John Quincy Adams
successfully argued before the United States Supreme Court on
behalf of the captives. In 1841, the 35 surviving Africans were
returned to Africa. The Amistad incident received renewed
attention in 1997 with the release of the Stephen Spielberg film
of the same name.
Sultana Projects is currently working with Amistad America, Inc.
to incorporate AMISTAD into the schedule of events for its
annual Downrigging Weekend festival scheduled for October
30-November 2, 2008 in Chestertown. A free, public open house
on AMISTAD has tentatively been scheduled for 3:00pm-6:00pm on
Sunday, November 2, 2008 at the Cannon Street Pier in
Chestertown.
Downrigging Weekend Sails – Don’t Wait Until it’s Too Late
October 3,
2008
Each year people call us the day before our
annual
Downrigging Weekend
Tall Ship festival to reserve a sailing spot on one of the
visiting ships only to find that the event is completely sold
out. Don’t let this happen to you! The schooner Sultana is
already sold-out for its Downrigging Weekend sails, and some of
the large visiting ships like the Pride of Baltimore, II, Kalmar
Nyckel, and A.J. Meerwald are filling up quickly. During
Downrigging Weekend (October 30 – November 2), we will offer
public sails
on six different visiting ships on both Saturday, November 1 and
Sunday, November 2.
Click here
to see a full schedule for Downrigging Weekend and
click here
to see all of the incredible ships you can tour and sail on.
To make reservations for any Downrigging Weekend sail or event
please call the Sultana Projects’ office at 410-778-5954 (M-F).
Time is
Running Out for Sultana’s “Smart Car” Raffle
October 2,
2008
Time is running out to purchase a chance to win a
brand new, 2008 “Smart Car” as part of Sultana Projects’ Smart
Car Raffle. If you haven’t heard about the 42mpg, Smart Car
click here.
The Smart Car is so popular that there is a year-long waiting
list at most dealers so Sultana’s Smart Car Raffle might be your
only chance to get your hands on one of these cool little cars
anytime soon. To learn more about Sultana’s Smart Car Raffle
click here.
Tickets are $30 each or $100 for a packet of four and proceeds
go to support Sultana’s award-winning educational programs. And
if you don’t want a Smart Car, you can elect to receive $7,500
in cash instead! Tickets can be purchased online
here,
or by calling the Sultana office at 410-778-5954 (M-F). The
drawing for the Smart Car will be at 8:00pm on November 1 as
part of the Downrigging Weekend
Concert for Sultana.
Sultana’s Stormy Ride to Cambridge
September 28, 2008
Riding winds from this past weekend’s Nor’easter, Sultana made
record time from Chestertown to Annapolis this past Friday, and
then from Annapolis to Cambridge on Saturday. Captain Brittain
and the crew will spend the next week in Cambridge where they
will be hosting educational programs for four elementary schools
in Dorchester County.
John Smith Shallop vs. Washington College Crew
September 27, 2008
Sultana’s John Smith shallop had a heated race this past weekend
vs. the men’s and women’s Washington College crew teams. The
race was part of Washington College’s second annual Waterfront
Festival sponsored by the Center for Environment and Society.
While the 8,000-pound shallop had a little difficulty keeping up
with the 200-pound crew shells, the 400-year contrast in
technology was fun for everyone.
Chestertown and Sudlersville Middle Schools on Radcliffe Creek
September 25, 2008
We had a great time yesterday with Chestertown Middle School and
Sudlersvillle Middle School paddling the proposed route of the
Radcliffe Creek Water Trail in Chestertown.
Click here to see the photos from the Chestertown Middle
School Trip and
click here to see the photos from the Sudlersville Trip.
“Chestertown By Candlelight” Draws a Big Crowd to
Support Sultana Projects
September 22, 2008
More than 150 people attended Sultana’s eleventh
annual gala, “Chestertown
by Candlelight,” this past Saturday and raised over
$20,000 to support Sultana Projects’ educational programs.
Guests dined at one of more than a dozen private homes in the
Chestertown area before attending a champagne and dessert
reception at
Washington
College’sHynson-Ringgold
House.
Sultana would like to thank all of the guests who attended this
event, the hosts who graciously opened their
homes, the donors of items to the live
auction,
Magnolia Catering for donating their services,
Washington College and President & Mrs. Tipson, and particularly
our sponsors for the evening,
Wye
Financial & Trust and
Centreville
National Bank.
Sultana Set to Depart on September 26th
for Annual Fall Tour of The Chesapeake
September 22, 2008
After spending the month of September in
Chestertown sailing with students from Kent and Queen Anne’s
counties public schools, the schooner Sultana will depart on
September 26th for her annual Fall tour of the Chesapeake Bay.
Sultana’s first stop will be Cambridge, Maryland, (Sept 27-Oct.
4) where she will spend a week providing programs for the
Dorchester County Public Schools. From Cambridge, Sultana will
sail to Solomons, Maryland, and the
Calvert Marine Museum to spend a week (Oct 5 – 11)
sailing with the Calvert County public schools. Departing
Solomons on October 12, Sultana will stop briefly in Baltimore
to work with several city schools before participating in the
annual
Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race from Annapolis to Norfolk
(Oct. 16-20). Sultana will finish her Fall tour with a week in
Salisbury, Maryland, (October 21-24) before returning to
Chestertown for her last week of school programs and
Downrigging Weekend.
Tickets on Sale for the “Concert for Sultana”
Featuring the “Two Man Gentlemen Band”
September 22, 2008
Interested in a evening of great entertainment at
a reasonable price? Then join us on November 1, 2008 at The
Prince Theatre for the “Concert for Sultana.” Now a fixture of
Sultana’s annual “Downrigging
Weekend”
Tall Ship Festival, this year’s Concert for Sultana will feature
the “Two
Man Gentlemen Band.” Hailing from New York City, The Two
Man Gentlemen Band combines hot jazz, old-time country, tin pan
alley, and vaudevillian swing to create a joyous two-man sound
that is all their own. Performing with plectrum banjo, string
bass, kazoos, and foot percussion, The Gentlemen whip themselves
into a frenzy that is unlike any other band you have ever seen.
They are also very, very funny!
Click here, or
hereif you want to see some great short
videos of the “Gentlemen” in action. The show starts at 8:00pm
on November 1 at the Prince Theatre in Chestertown. Tickets are
$10 per person and are available by calling the Sultana Office
at 410-778-5954 or by visiting The Prince Theatre box office.
Sultana
Projects and Chestertown Wildlife Weekend Collaborate for New
School Curriculum
September 22, 2008
Sultana Projects is pleased to announce that it
has been awarded a $25,000 grant by the Chestertown Wildlife Weekend and
Exhibit to develop a “Delmarva Wildlife Curriculum”
for use by elementary and middle school students on Maryland’s
Eastern Shore. The goals of the new “Wildlife Curriculum” are
to introduce students to the incredible variety of plants and
animals that call the Delmarva Peninsula home while encouraging
them to get outdoors to observe local wildlife in its natural
habitat. The curriculum will have four separate, independent
components: Birds and Waterfowl; Mammals, Reptiles and
Amphibians; Fish and Aquatic Organisms; and Native Plants. The
official presentation of the grant will take place on October 16
during Wildlife Weekend’s premier of the film, “Ribbon of Sand,”
at The Prince Theatre. To learn more about this event and to
reserve tickets visit the Wildlife
Weekend Website.
Sultana
and Local Students Paddle to Help Establish New Radcliffe
Creek Water Trail
September 22, 2008
Students from
Chestertown Middle School and Sudlersville Middle School
will be paddling on Radcliffe Creek this Wednesday as part
of Sultana Projects’ John
Smith Trail Expeditions program. These
particular programs will also have a special purpose of
promoting a new canoe and kayak trail for Chestertown and
Kent County. The proposed “Radcliffe Creek Stream Valley
Park” would provide residents and visitors to Chestertown
with increased public access to the Chester River and one of
its most pristine tributaries, Radcliffe Creek. Chestertown
Middle School and Sudlersville Middle School approached
Sultana Projects earlier this fall to see what their
students could do to help establish the new Radcliffe Creek
Stream Valley Park. During their paddle this Wednesday,
students will be clearing debris and trash at the upper
reaches of Radcliffe Creek to improve access for canoes and
kayaks at the top of the proposed trail.
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