After its surprise visit to Saugeen Shores, the St. Lawrence II set sail out of Southampton Harbour July 25.

Hub Staff

There was a surprise visitor to Saugeen Shores on Wednesday and Thursday, July 24 and 25 as the Tall Ship St. Lawrence II paid a visit to Southampton, quite fitting as the Marine Heritage Festival kicks off this weekend.

Arriving in the early morning hours on Wednesday, the 72-foot brigantine anchored off Chantry Island before making its way to the Southampton Harbour later that day. We caught up with the crew as they were preparing to leave port Thursday.

Based out of Kingston, Ontario, the St. Lawrence II is part of the Youth at Sea Tall Ship Summer Camp, a program for 13 to 18 year olds which runs several courses throughout the summer. The current crew members, several of whom have been on the ship before, boarded in Bay City, Michigan and were sailing to Parry Sound.

Ship Captain Alex McCraw said that the St. Lawrence II currently had 13 on board, including himself, but can carry 29 with student sailors typically spending an average of 10 days on the ship. “It's just like a regular summer camp,” he said, adding that he himself grew up with this program having joined at 14 years of age. “They don't have to have any sailing experience. I'd never sailed before when I joined these boats," he said.

The program is designed to teach would-be sailers everything about Tall Ship sailing. “We'll take them up into the rigging the first day and teach them the proper routine for climbing and the safety aspects of it. We start teaching them lines, what to pull, what not to pull and they're steering the ship,” he explained. “They do absolutely everything," he said, adding that cleaning duties are also part of the program.

First Mate Alistair Beverley said that the St. Lawrence II, which was built in 1953, was small in size for a Tall Ship. “She's actually one of three brigantines around this size based off the same design,” he said. “She was built first and then there was two sister ships made.”

At the age of 19, Beverley has been sailing on the Tall Ships for the last seven years. “I started young,” he said. “I just started sailing as a trainee and a youth crew member and decided this is what I wanted to do for a living," he said.

The St. Lawrence II typically stays on the Great Lakes, added Beverley. “We don't really go to Superior that much because of our schedule, it's too far, it's quite a trip there and back,” he explained.

“The furthest I've been is when we went out to Cape Breton and sailed down to New York City in 2017," said Beverley, adding that they keep a close eye on the weather conditions as they sail.

“We're aware of storms but as long as they're not too bad it's not a huge deal,” he said. “She's built to take pretty much anything. The only limitation with the ship is actually the crew, so depending on how experienced the crew is will depend on how we handle weather," Beverley said.

It was the second year on the ship for 17 year old crew member Erin Rogowsky who flew to Detroit from her home in Winnipeg, Manitoba and then drove to Bay City with her mom to board the ship.

“Last year I was a trainee on this boat. I stayed on there for nine days and it completely changed my life,” she said. “I absolutely loved it. I didn't want to leave. My mom had to basically pull me away."

Rogowsky said her mom was so fascinated by her daughter's stories on the ship that she too decided to try sailing on a Tall Ship. “She's on the Pride of Baltimore II,” said Rogowsky. "She's 57 and she's sailing on there for two weeks as a trainee.”

For Rogowsky the best part of the course is sailing and relaxing on the open water. “When there's just a little bit of wave and you don't see any land,” she said. “It's so peaceful and you don't hear any other sound. It's just perfect.”

The hardest part, said Rogowsky, was keeping your hands blister free from all the rope pulling and also learning everything quickly. “Working under pressure because when it's really wavy you have to go really quickly,” she said. “You need to know what you're doing.”

The St. Lawrence II departed Southampton early in the afternoon Thursday and set sail for its next stop, Little Current, Manitoulin Island, prior to heading to Parry Sound.

To find out more about the Tall Ship programs visit www.tallshipexpeditions.com.

After arriving in Saugeen Shores in the early morning hours July 24, the St. Lawrence II spent the night in Southampton Harbour before departing for Parry Sound via Little Current.

Ship Captain Alex McCraw stands at the bow of the St. Lawrence II as it was docked in Southampton.

First Mate Alistair Beverley at the wheel of the St. Lawrence II.

It was the second year on board the St. Lawrence II for 17 year old crew member, Erin Rogowsky of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Some of the crew of the St. Lawrence II in their tight quarters below deck.

The St. Lawrence II's compact galley.

New and traditional navigation tools were being used on the tall ship.

Based in Kingston, the current summer camp program was taking the St. Lawrence II from Bay City, Michigan to Parry Sound.