End of the 2010 sailing season...

There's been lots going in at BBI the last two weeks as we get ready to finish off the 2010 season!

Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving weekend, Black Jack and 13 crew headed upriver to collect the barges and say goodbye to the Island until next spring. The weather was absolutely perfect and night watch wasn't as cold as expected - or maybe wearing all our winter clothing made it just feel that way? On Saturday the barges were warped forward from their mooring place behind the catwalk. Rolfe in Green whaler, Captain in the TT, and the formidable fall current helped carry them out into the bay, where Black Jack was waiting to pick up her charges. The barges were towed alongside, with the whalers attached to the floating dock behind the supply barge. We set the tops'l and t'gallant coming into Constance Bay to officially make it the biggest and best sail-powered tow operation on the Ottawa River! In the words of the Captain, it was like sailing a small city block.

That night we anchored the whole fleet in Constance Bay. Mrs Acton-Bond somehow produced an entire turkey with stuffing from Black Jack's oven-less galley and everyone dug in to an amazing Thanksgiving dinner. We played a few rounds of two truths and a lie afterwards while digesting all that food... it may sound like a simple game but some people still don't seem to get it!

On Sunday Black Jack made her way to Pinhey's Point to anchor the barges. She then picked up Simon and Lynne Fuller and their girls, and Jean Fuller, Bytown's patron ( for whom Fair Jeanne is named!) to go for Black Jack's last proper sail of the year. True to this intent, all sails were set! Things got exciting fast after that as the wind picked and Black Jack heeled hard to starboard. The t'gallant, course, and main were doused and the ship kept on smoothly under the tops'l.

After the Fullers disembarked and the trainees were dropped off at Pinhey's, Black Jack picked the barges back up (after hauling the anchors in by hand against the current! Never underestimate how great having a windlass is) and headed back to BYC. The barges were towed smoothly into the yacht club by whaler and TT, then Black Jack followed and is now moored beside them.

Fair Jeanne
The good ship Fair Jeanne has been moored at Hartwells Locks in Ottawa since her return from Prescott in September. On Thanksgiving Monday she ventured down the canal through the Rideau locks downtown. We had many trainees and parent volunteers who were new to going through the locks, but they were fantastic and Fair Jeanne locked through quickly and without a hitch! She docked in the Ottawa River just below Parliament, but only for a week. The canal was drained during the week so on Friday October 15^th, Fair Jeanne transferred back up to Lock 4, her winter home of several years, and was lowered into her drydock cradles.

Downrigging Black Jack

Last weekend Black Jack said farewell to her status as a sailing ship. A great team turned out to help de-rig the ship on Saturday – unbending the sails drying them out, and flaking them into sailbags; sewing new sialbags for the running rigging and whipping countless lines; and swinging down the yards. Next weekend the masts will be lifted out with a crane, and Black Jack herself will be hauled out of the water for winter.

On Sunday, Albert Rolfe held a small engine repair course that simultaneously gave everyone a chance to learn hands-on engine maintenance and retire the outboards for winter properly.

A big thank you to all our volunteers, trainees, and crew for making this fall season so successful and so fun! We're looking forward to seeing many of you this weekend and over the winter!

Coming up at BBI

After a very cold but fun fall program, the sailing season is officially coming to a close this weekend - Fair Jeanne will be going into drydock on Friday and on Saturday Black Jack will be down-rigged for the winter. As always we would love your help in getting all this accomplished!

Friday October 15th - meet at Fair Jeanne at 0730, finish by 1600. Fair Jeanne is currently docked at the very bottom of the locks at Parliament -you can't miss her! The task for Friday is to bring the Jeanne up to Lock#4, at which point the Rideau locks will be drained, dry-docking Fair Jeanne in her cradles there for the winter. If you are available to help out with this, please let Mr. Drinnan (Fair Jeanne's Captain) know.

Saturday October 16th - meet at BYC from 0900 - 1600. We need as many hands as possible as there is a LOT to do this day! All the lines, sails, and spars will be taken off Black Jack, and the whalers also need to behauled out of the water. Down-rigging a tall ship is a really interesting process and you will learn a lot about how it all fits together by helping take it apart!

Sunday October 17th - meet at the Bytown Office (2700 Queensview Dr.) at12:30. Albert Rolfe will be teaching a small engine repair course at the office. For everyone who has ever been thwarted by an outboard motor, this is your chance to strike back! Learn how to troubleshoot and repair a small outboard at the office, everyone welcome. Please make sure you eat lunch before you arrive though.

If you would be able to provide lunch or drinks for any of the days, please email me! Sandwiches and drinks would be much appreciated.

For all events, do please email to let us know if you can come out that day. It really helps when planning the groups, food, and so on to know who is coming. Thank you and I hope to see many of you this weekend!

Christine Chesterman
Winter Program Coordinator

Girl Guides Weekend

Last weekend on Black Jack we were lucky to have both beautiful fall weather and an amazing group of trainees. We had a small team of Rangers from the Camp Woolsey Girl Guides camp aboard, many of whom had been sailing aboard Black Jack and Fair Jeanne before. The ship got underway from BYC on Friday evening and steamed upriver to Pinhey's Point. We did in-house and the girls were split into two watches, alternating between helming and standing watch on the aft deck and going through Deckhand rating in the logbooks down below. We anchored at Pinhey's, fit everyone into bunks and hammocks down below, and hunkered down to night watches. It was an absolutely clear and beautiful night, but COLD! I think it's safe to say that we all wore everything we brought with us and the hot chocolate on night watch was a lifesaver.

Saturday morning the sun was blindingly bright as we sang O Canada. Breakfast was a seemingly endless supply of tasty egg-in-bagels and then the girls put their backs into weighing the anchor so Black Jack could head upriver for Alexandria Island. Red watch did their aloft in-house while Green watch stood watch and learned how to do log entries, safety checks, lookout duty, and some more helming. The trainees were then split into pairs for 'speed-lessons' – a 7-minute lesson from each crew member about basic collision regulations, chartwork, buoyage, and naming parts of the ship. At Constance Bay the watches split up into their whalers and learned to use the sweeps – huge long oars – to race each other to shore. Green watch must have had their strong arms on, because they left Red whaler far behind! Both watches returned to Black Jack for lunch, then Green watch took their turn aloft as Red watch guided Black Jack towards Quyon and the island. At the island, we discovered that the bunk barge had become unmoored due to the sudden rise of the river this past week. The barge was rescued and everyone went ashore for an after-dinner campfire and more roasted marshmellows than you could shake a gaff at.

Night watch was even colder that night, which made the river steam and fog roll over the ship during the night! It was like being on the Black Pearl from Pirates of the Caribbean, but more frozen. In the morning Black Jack tried to bring the barges to Quyon to avoid further trouble at the island, but the current was too strong and the operation had to be postponed until next weekend. The watches split into whalers again, this time to take advantage of the great wind around Mohr Island. Whaler sailing is a great way to see sail theory in action. All those whiteboard lessons about tacking and gybing made a lot more sense to the Rangers when they were hauling on the main sheets, dipping the lug, and flying along on a beam reach or trying to beating upwind. We met back up with Black Jack for lunch and steamed downriver towards BYC. In Britannia Bay it seemed like every boat in the yacht club was out enjoying the amazing weather, so Black Jack had lots of dodging to do. Back at BYC, the girls were given their logbooks, now with Deckhand rating signed off. Maybe Black Jack channels a ship's concert vibe, but the girls had written a song that would rival any 10-day session – very impressed!

Hopefully we'll see you again next year!

Upcoming Events

Although Black Jack only has a few more weeks on the river, there is still a lot going on at Bytown. On October 23^rd Black Jack will be hauled out of the water. The very same evening is the Annual Awards Banquet, which is held at BYC. After that, it's winter program time! Bytown runs weekend programs at our Ottawa office about twice a month, and trainees, parents, friends, everyone is encouraged to get involved! For more information on the winter program, upcoming fall dates, and the Awards Banquet, please check the BBI website http://www.tallshipsadventure.org/ or contact the office with any questions.

Fall Schedule:

Monday October 11- We will be moving the Fair Jeanne from her berth at Heartwells locks and transiting through to the bottom of the flight locks we will start at 0900 and should be done around 1400hrs. If you could help out with food for this trip please let us know. Sandwiches would be fine with drinks.

Friday October 15^h- we will be dry docking the Fair Jeanne- we will start the day at 0830 and should be done around 1600hrs. Meet at the bottom of the flight locks by the Château Laurier. If you could help out with food for this trip please let us know. Sandwiches would be fine with drinks.

October 16^th and 17^th - Black down rigging – Meet at BYC from 0900-1600. f you can help with food for this weekend it would be greatly appreciated.

Saturday October 23- Black Jack haul out and mast stepping –Meet at BYC at 0900. If you can help with lunch for this please let us know.

October 23- Set up for the banquet- Meet at BYC club house at 1400hrs.

If you are able to help out for any of these events please let us know so that we can ensure we have the proper tools and supplies for everyone, not too mention enough food!

16^th Annual Awards Banquet - Saturday, October 23^th, 2010 at the Britannia Yacht Club

Held to acknowledge the efforts of our trainees, volunteers and crew, Bytown Brigantine’s Annual Awards & Reunion Banquet is something that everyone looks forward to each year.

The banquet will get underway with a pre-dinner reception at 1700 hours. At this time you will have the opportunity to bid on one of the many items donated for the Silent Auction, to find lost and found items, to catch up with friends and crew, and to meet all the people working for you behind the scenes! At 1815 hours dinner will be served followed by presentations, speeches, the Silent Auction. A cash bar will be available. All monies raised by this event help support the Captain Thomas G. Fuller Bursary Fund (http://www.tallshipsadventure.org/bfyouth.html)

Winter Program: http://www.tallshipsadventure.org/winter.html