Voyages of Ocean Explorer
2004 - Milwaukee to Nassau on Schooner
Denis Sullivan
Photo courtesy of my good friend, Tim Bennett of Anchorage Alaska
Introduction
(Site Under Construction)
In the early spring of 2004, I read a notice that the schooner Denis Sullivan, out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was looking for volunteer crew to bring her back into the Great Lakes following a winter cruise to Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Having early spring plans for my own boat, Ocean Explorer, I wrote the Sullivan's home office and advised them that, while I could not help them out in the spring, I might be available in the fall should they decide to take her back down south again. There was some question over the summer as to whether or not she would go south for the 2004-5 winter. Finally, a decision to go south was made in early September, and I was notified that, if I was still interested in a position as a volunteer deckhand, the position was available. Several years ago I had spent eight days on the schooner Ocean Star in the Bay of Fundy taking a celestial navigation course. I had very much enjoyed the experience, and being desirous of further tall ship exposure, I jumped at the opportunity to crew on the Sullivan. With only about ten days of time to prepare, I had a lot to do to get ready, including getting Ocean Explorer out of the water and put into winter storage in Manitowoc, helping Donna prepare our home in La Crosse for winter, and planning and packing for what would be both a cold weather and hot weather trip. It all got done, and I showed up in Milwaukee the day before departure. What follows is a narrative and photos of that trip. The chart below shows the route of the Sullivan for the period of time I was aboard and the route of my flight home from Nassau in the Bahamas. For further information on the Sullivan you may go directly to her web site.
This chart was made using D. L. Gustafson's Geographical Locator Custom Mapper