May 12, 2016

30 years ago Saturday a schooner known as the Pride of Baltimore sank in a storm 240 miles north of Puerto Rico. Four crew members died, including the ship’s captain. The remaining eight survived after floating on a leaky raft for five days until they were rescued by a Norwegian tanker. The ship had been built for the nation’s bicentennial and was constructed from wood, by hand, right on the Inner Harbor. For a city in a time of economic depression, the ship evoked the days of Baltimore’s primacy of the seas. Though questions would be raised later about whether a boar built to historical accuracy should have sailed across the ocean, the Pride of Baltimore traveled around the world as the city’s goodwill ambassador until a sudden, terrible storm brought it down. The news of its sinking shocked and saddened Baltimoreans, including then-Mayor William Schaefer, who was pictured with his hand over his eyes, “a study in grief” as The Sun caption read.

: Construction of the Pride of Baltimore. Hand-built from wood, the schooner was originally meant to be a museum piece, docked in the harbor. It later set sail as a “goodwill ambassador” and traveled the world representing the city of Baltimore. On May 14, 1986, the ship was caught in a storm and sank off the coast of Puerto Rico. 4 crew members died.

: Construction of the Pride of Baltimore began in the 1970s, to celebrate the United States bicentennial. Hand-built from wood, the schooner was originally meant to be a museum piece, docked in the harbor. It later set sail as a “goodwill ambassador” and traveled the world representing the city of Baltimore. On May 14, 1986, the ship was caught in a storm and sank off the coast of Puerto Rico. 4 crew members died.

: Construction of the Pride of Baltimore began in the 1970s, to celebrate the United States bicentennial. Hand-built from wood, the schooner was originally meant to be a museum piece, docked in the harbor. It later set sail as a “goodwill ambassador” and traveled the world representing the city of Baltimore. On May 14, 1986, the ship was caught in a storm and sank off the coast of Puerto Rico. 4 crew members died.

: Construction of the Pride of Baltimore began in the 1970s, to celebrate the United States bicentennial. Hand-built from wood, the schooner was originally meant to be a museum piece, docked in the harbor. It later set sail as a “goodwill ambassador” and traveled the world representing the city of Baltimore. On May 14, 1986, the ship was caught in a storm and sank off the coast of Puerto Rico. 4 crew members died.

: Construction of the Pride of Baltimore began in the 1970s, to celebrate the United States bicentennial. Hand-built from wood, the schooner was originally meant to be a museum piece, docked in the harbor. It later set sail as a “goodwill ambassador” and traveled the world representing the city of Baltimore. On May 14, 1986, the ship was caught in a storm and sank off the coast of Puerto Rico. 4 crew members died.

: CAPTION: Work is progressing on the Baltimore clipper ship which is rising at the Inner Harbor.

: Photo of the Pride of Baltimore being christened and lowered into the Inner Harbor. The ship was a replica of the famed sleek Baltimore clippers and was a roving goodwill ambassador for the city until it sank in a storm on May 14, 2016.

: The Pride of Baltimore was constructed from wood, by hand in Baltimore. Though it had never been meant to sail, it ended up traveling around the world as the city’s goodwill ambassador — until a terrible storm brought it down on May 14, 1986.

: The Pride of Baltimore was constructed from wood, by hand in Baltimore. Though it had never been meant to sail, it ended up traveling around the world as the city’s goodwill ambassador — until a terrible storm brought it down on May 14, 1986.

: The Pride of Baltimore was constructed from wood, by hand in Baltimore. Though it had never been meant to sail, it ended up traveling around the world as the city’s goodwill ambassador — until a terrible storm brought it down on May 14, 1986.

: The Pride of Baltimore was constructed from wood, by hand in Baltimore. Though it had never been meant to sail, it ended up traveling around the world as the city’s goodwill ambassador — until a terrible storm brought it down on May 14, 1986.

: The Pride of Baltimore was constructed from wood, by hand in Baltimore. Though it had never been meant to sail, it ended up traveling around the world as the city’s goodwill ambassador — until a terrible storm brought it down on May 14, 1986.

: The Pride of Baltimore in Inner Harbor, undated photo.

: June 23, 1977-BREEZE-FILLED TOPSAIL–The Pride of Baltimore sails toward the Francis Scott Key Bridge on its way home. Photo by Sun photographer Lloyd Pearson.

: The Pride of Baltimore was constructed from wood, by hand in Baltimore. Though it had never been meant to sail, it ended up traveling around the world as the city’s goodwill ambassador — until a terrible storm brought it down on May 14, 1986.

: The Pride of Baltimore was constructed from wood, by hand in Baltimore. Though it had never been meant to sail, it ended up traveling around the world as the city’s goodwill ambassador — until a terrible storm brought it down on May 14, 1986.

: Crew of the Pride of Baltimore, photo dated 1986

: Kitchen of the Pride of Baltimore, photo dated 1986.

: The Pride of Baltimore was constructed from wood, by hand in Baltimore. Though it had never been meant to sail, it ended up traveling around the world as the city’s goodwill ambassador — until a terrible storm brought it down on May 14, 1986.

: The Pride of Baltimore was constructed from wood, by hand in Baltimore. Though it had never been meant to sail, it ended up traveling around the world as the city’s goodwill ambassador — until a terrible storm brought it down on May 14, 1986.

: July 3, 1980-The Pride of Baltimore arrives in the Inner Harbor to take part in the festivities at the opening of Harborplace as thousands line the shore and jam the pavilions. Photo by Sun photographer J. Pat Carter.

: A crew member repairing the Pride of Baltimore in 1981, five years before the ship sank in a storm. The caption read, “The Pride of Baltimore, the city’s publicity clipper ship, undergoes repairs in St. Michael’s after being damaged in a storm off the Florida Keys.”

: Mayor Schaefer responds to news of the sinking of the Pride of Baltimore.

: The Pride of Baltimore was constructed from wood, by hand in Baltimore. Though it had never been meant to sail, it ended up traveling around the world as the city’s goodwill ambassador — until a terrible storm brought it down.

: Surviving crew members of the Pride of Baltimore arrive in Puerto Rico via Coast Guard helicopter.

: Surviving crew members of the Pride of Baltimore are greeted by their families in Puerto Rico.

: Surviving crew members of the Pride of Baltimore are greeted by their families in Puerto Rico.

: Captain Armin Elsaesser, who perished in the sinking of the Pride of Baltimore.

: Nina Shack, a crew member who perished in the sinking of the Pride of Baltimore.

: Leslie McNish, one of eight surviving crew members of the Pride of Baltimore.

: Scott Jeffrey, one of eight surviving crew members of the Pride of Baltimore.

: Daniel Krachuck, one of eight surviving crew members of the Pride of Baltimore.

: June 2, 1986-John Flanagan addresses crowd at Pride of Baltimore Memorial Service at Fort McHenry. Photo by Sun photographer Paul Hutchins.

: Welcoming home survivors of the Pride of Baltimore.

: Pride Of Baltimore II in the Inner Harbor.

: Construction of the Pride of Baltimore II.

: Baltimore, MD-9/16/14 – The Pride of Baltimore II leads the tall ships as they departed on Tuesday, marking the end of the Star-Spangled Spectacular commemorating the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 in Baltimore. (Amy Davis / Baltimore Sun)

The Sun provided a harrowing account of the ship’s final moments:

“Although crew members were prepared to battle a storm, they couldn’t anticipate the ferocity of the white squall…. Designers of the Pride said it had the ability to right itself when knocked down by winds but that the ship apparently took on too much water to do so.

Officials said Captain Elsaessner and First Mate John “Sugar” Flanagan dove underwater and released two life rafts from their perch on deck. They said one life raft inflated automatically, then exploded when it became tangled in rigging. The second life raft inflated, but then also lost air, officials said. In the water, the eight surviving crew members, fighting gusting winds, heavy rains and high seas, used hand and foot pumps for six hours to reinflate their raft.

The survivors–cramped in the raft that was designed for six people and carrying food and water for six days–drifted in a northwesterly direction until they were spotted at 2 a.m. yesterday by crew members of the Toro Horton, the Norwegian tanker, which was en route to Venezuela.

Although they suffered cuts and sunburn, the survivors were otherwise reported in “good” condition.”

An earlier version of this post misstated the date of the Pride of Baltimore’s sinking.

Remembering the Pride of Baltimore

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