Arrrgh!!!

Dear Husband is a member of the Chicago Maritime Society. Chicago has an astonishing connection with sailing ships, but for some strange reason, the city doesn't acknowledge this history. There is no maritime museum. The members of the Chicago Maritime Society hope to change this one day, and to that end they hold a fund raiser every year. This year it was an evening ride through the harbor and the Chicago River on the "Little Lady." My Sister-The-Nurse had a birthday late in July, so we treated her to a trip on the river.

We boarded at Wacker and Michigan across the river from the Tribune Tower at 6:00 p.m. and the ship turned to head for the lake. The treat of the night was to see the Tall Ships moored along the south side of the river. Our guide gave us the history of each ship as we passed, describing the rigging, the sails, the hulls and historical tidbits. Five or six boats were docked along the river so people could board them.

The first of the ships was the Niagara. The U.S. Brig Niagara was built in 1988 as a reconstruction of the warship aboard which Commander Oliver Hazard Perry won the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813 during the War of 1812. I need to study up on this battle, because it's where the phrase "Don't give up the ship!" originated.

The Appledore IV and Appledore V were the last in line before we came to the lock. They are part of a fleet of schooners which are named for an island off Maine.

We went through the lock to the inner harbor and turned to make a pass by Navy Pier. "The Pride of Baltimore II," with her raked masts, was the first boat we could see. A smaller tall ship was docked behind her that boasted of a crew that was women only. Right behind that was a recreation of the Nina, one of the ships Columbus sailed to America. I find it astonishing that anyone would sail such a small ship across the Atlantic, and Columbus did it several times. It had to be a hairy ride!

One of the last of the Tall Ships docked along Navy Pier was the barque, Picton Castle. It's one of the most fascinating of the ships, with almost 80 years of history. Please check out the link to learn more about it. We think this is the ship that has had a cat aboard for the past ten years. The cat joined the crew one day. It was walking along the railing and the captain swatted it into the drink. Of course, it was saved, and it learned a very valuable lesson about where it was safe to walk. I understand that when the boat is docked, the cat takes shore leave just like the rest of the crew!

Chicago is home to the Tall Ship "Windy," a 150 foot schooner, that takes passengers for sails during the summer. While we were out, we got to see the Windy returning from a sail, setting her square sails.

We motored past the end of Navy Pier, and made a loop around the outer harbor, past the light house, the Planetarium, the Oceanarium, Buckingham Fountain, and past Dear Husband's boat, coming back through the lock to the Chicago River. I was a little relieved to be back on the river. The water was calmer, and there was virtually no surging sensation. We all know what a lousy sailor I am, and I was hoping not to cement that image in the minds of the Maritime Society.

We motored west to where the Chicago River divides, sailing past fabulous buildings that glowed in the last of the evening's light. When the Merchandise Mart was on our right, we turned and cruised up the north branch of the river to Goose Island. Our guide told us that the only structure with more floor space than the Merchandise Mart was the Pentagon. This area was once populated by companies like Montgomery Ward, the first of the catalog companies, but the warehouses are being rehabbed into condominiums.

We turned, and motored down river, passing the Chicago Lyric Opera, Sears Tower, and River City. We turned back just north of a vertical lift bridge used for train traffic. The bridges of Chicago are quite varied, and interesting of themselves. One of the last buildings we saw before we returned to our dock, was the start of the new Trump Tower. I didn't count, but I'd guess it was somewhere between six and ten stories tall right now.

We had a wonderful night! Dear Husband managed to outwit TWO traffic back-ups to get us to the boat in time. The weather was outstanding, the company genial, and the view was spectacular. The moon rose as we were on the last leg of the trip, and the passengers all marveled at how huge it looks as it rises above the horizon. IT was so astonishing that everyone was trying to take pictures of it playing hide and seek with the buildings as we motored north.

We couldn't have asked for a better night. I wish you all could have joined us!