Tall ship festival shows how far crews have come

On the tall ships that ply the waters of the world, including the spectacular vessels in Americas' Sail 2002 in St.Petersburg last week, the crew works hard.

The payoff is that boat members have good food, a dry place to sleep, uniforms and shore leave.

None of these things were supplied to sailors on ships of old. Naval seamen were kept aboard while in port, lest they desert, and rarely did a man serve willingly.

An outstanding captain might recruit a few men. For the rest, bounties were offered and jails ransacked, and the press gang prowled the streets, nabbing farmhands and shop clerks -- anyone who couldn't raise a protest.

The British Navy never had enough men.

Of the 176,000 shipped out from 1774-1780, 1,243 were killed in action, 18,541 died of disease and 42,069 deserted. The practice of shorthanded warships stopping merchantmen and sometimes impressment of Americans was a cause of the War of 1812.

America was a bit ahead in the treatment of crew, passing a seaman's act in 1790.

Each worker on a ship was to get a medicine chest, 60 gallons of water, 100 pounds of salted meat, 100 pounds of bread, a suit of woolen clothes and fuel for fire in the sleeping area.

No sheath knives were allowed to be worn on board, however. Crews were a rough lot.

Few seamen knew how to navigate. It was an incentive to obey the only man who could lead one home.

William Bligh, with three mutinies on his record before retiring as a Vice Admiral, had the misfortune of having Fletcher Christian, a fine navigator, aboard.

Scurvy was the greatest threat to crew. Astute captains took the lead of Captain Cook. On his voyage of 1768, Cook required the crew to eat 20 pounds of onions in a week and 10 more pounds a few weeks later.

No one knew what the next mess would bring: sauerkraut, coconut milk or the island grasses the captain had cooked for deck hands. But he lost no men to sickness until reaching New Guinea, where at a European colony malaria and dysentery took 30 lives.

So, when the captain of your vessel seems out of control, just be happy you don't have to climb those ratlines in the wind and freezing rain, or eat 20 pounds of onions.

YOUTH SAILING: The Clearwater Yacht Club Optimist team recently enjoyed a regatta in Panama City.

St.Andrews Bay served light air and strong current for the Clearwater squad's sweep of first-place trophies.

Cheyne Delaney won overall and in the blue fleet. Courtney Kuebel captured first in the red fleet in spite of tendinitis, and Olivia Ceraolo was second. Emily Billing won the white fleet.

The beginners green fleet dominated with Ben Alcocer, Mallory Willett, Julia Ceraolo and Chris Sullivan as the top finishers.

Olivia Ceraolo, 11, praised coaches Eric Bardes and Sara Holt.

"These two coaches continue to motivate the 24 Clearwater Optimist sailors and help improve their sailing skills in each of the regattas they attend," Ceraolo said.

BAIRD IS BACK: Ed Baird has returned to the world match racing arena.

The only American skipper to have been ranked first, Baird is fifth in the world after a few years out of competition.

The ranking is remarkable. Other top skippers have regular crews and hefty backing from America's Cup teams or corporate sponsors, but Baird pays his way and usually picks up crew members at the venue.

This week, he is off to Sweden for the final Swedish Match Tour event.

LASER CLASS: Zach Railey of St.Petersburg and Brad Funk of Clearwater are the Laser representatives for the ISAF World Games in France next week.

WORLD YOUTH TEAM: Clearwater's Paige Railey has been selected as a member of the team that will compete in Nova Scotia in two weeks.

TAMPA SAILING SQUADRON: The organization is having a regatta Thursday for keelboats, including one-design classes and a special division for single-handed sailors and women-only crews.

For information, call (813) 642-0265.

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