2002

Dear Shipmates,Greetings from the SchoonerLarinda. The year 2002 was quite exciting and brought us many new friends.

A year ago on December first, we set sail from Cape Cod, MA. for the Caribbean sea. Many stops along, the way including a fifteen day trip through the Chesapeake Bay. Over the years we have made friends with our visits to Harve de Grace, MD., Chestertown, MD., Norfolk, VA., and many other small ports within the Chesapeake.

Spent last Christmas at sea in a storm off of Cape Hatteras, N.C.. Put in at Savannah, GA. for repairs and then continued on to Florida. Stops were made at Jacksonville, FL., St. Augustine, ?FL., Miami, Fl., Key West, FL. then off to Cuba for ten days. Our visit to Cuba was hosted by Ceta, an engineering organization that is part of the government. While there, we were wined and dined by officials and friends we had met eleven years earlier when I was asked to gibe a lecture at a local university about Larinda.

Leaving Cuba, we sailed back to Key West, Fl. for additional crew. Finding none, we continued on up the west coast of FL.. Stopping at Cortez, Fl., we decided to stay for awhile to do needed maintenance and also visit friends.

Left Cortez for Key West in April. Stayed in Key West an additional week looking for crew to sail to Cayman Islands and go to Panama. Never found any crew so Marlene and I sailed off to Caymans ourselves. Quite a trip. Actually this voyage is a story all by itself.

Picked up crew in the Cayman Islands while being hosted by the Cayman Quincentennial committee at Georgetown, Grand Cayman. (We may sail Larinda back to the Cayman Islands this 2003, and be part of the Quincentennial festival.) Arrived in Bocas del Toro, Panama with our new crew late in April. The voyage was a five day sail with no stops, although we did try to anchor at Providencia Island two days before arriving at Bocas. Bad wind and poor anchor holding prevented this stop.

Spent five weeks in Bocas. We donated Larinda for a month for the schools in the province. Over 1,000 students visited our schooner. Also found time to do some sail training with our new crew from England, Italy, Cayman Islands and Canada.

Sailed for Jamaica the first weeks in June to participate in Americas Sail. Arrived at Port Antonio, Jamaica early for the festival. The town really turned out for all the visiting ships. Later in the month we participated in a sailing race to Ocho Rios, Jamaica. After a two day visit to Montego Bay we sailed for a stopover again at Grand Cayman. Leaving Grand Cayman we sailed to St. Petersburg. FL. another Americas Sail festival port. As in Port Antonio, the St. Petersburg event lasted four days drawing huge crowds. The Monday after the St. Petersburg event we set sail for Mobile, Al. for their tricentennial celebration. With the exception of the first night, the wind died and we had to use our venerable Wolverine engine for the last 300 miles.

Mobile is a great town and the folks there treated us very well. We were tied up between the Pride of Baltimore and the U.S. Coast Guard Barque Eagle. Hundreds of thousands visited the fifteen or so tall ships that were tied up to the Mobile docks. As usual, Larinda was one of the favorite ships. Since her launch in the fall of 1996, over 150,000 people have toured our schooner!

Picked up new crew in Mobile and sailed off to Key West, FL.. A three day rest there then it was off to North Carolina. We did stop once for fuel at Mayport, FL.. Arrived at Beaufort, N.C. late in July.

Motored the "ditch" to Norfolk, VA. and stayed there for a few days. Again we stopped at many ports in the Chesapeake Bay. Lost the last of our crew in Annapolis, MD.. Marlene and I were the only crew from that point on. The sail on the Chesapeake bay was full of small adventures and new ports. Each time we visit we try to add several new stops. Our last stop on the Chesapeake was again Harve de Grace. Spent several days there and helped with their Seafood Festival.

From there we sailed two days non-stop to Gravesend, N.Y. where we anchored for an overnight rest. N.Y. harbor is always a busy place but the anchorage at Gravesend was quite and calm. Next day we motored up the East River and on to Bridgeport, CT. ( the Wolverine was built in this town in 1928). Our next stop was an anchorage in New London, CT.. From there it was a short sail to Mystic Seaport Mystic, CT.. There we were to be part of their Maritime Engine Festival.

Mystic Seaport is a great stop and is always a learning experience. History is a favorite subject of mine and the chance to live some is always rewarding.

Newport, RI. was our next port and we tied up to a town mooring ball for the night. Had a great meal in town, saw some friends and early next morning we were off to Cape Cod. Arrived at MacDougalls Boatyard, our winter home, late in the day amid the thunder of our cannon and cheers from the local town folk. Larinda was back!

Other than the above narration our year was basically like yours, full of hum drum and chores wouldn't you agree?

Fair winds and lots of sunshine, Capt. Larry & Marlene Mahan