The Brigantine Pathfinder Retires

 

Jan 25, 2018

This is a rare image – it shows Pathfinder around 1985 setting “double stuns’ls” (one set was borrowed from St. Lawrence II for a few seasons) This Just like the old clipper ships – keeping old seafaring tradition alive. Significant extra running rigging is required along with the right wind (or lack there of) conditions.

Some of her story, By Richard Birchall, past Skipper 1977 – 1983 and Executive Director 1983 – 1993.

She has a history. STV Pathfinder is to be retired after 53 years of service in the Sail Training program run by Toronto Brigantine Incorporated. Launched in 1963 Pathfinder was the second vessel to ply the waters of the Great Lakes bringing challenge and adventure to youth 14 – 18. Following in the wake of her sister ship St. Lawrence II, who brought Francis McLachlan’s dream alive and began sail training for Sea Cadets form 1953.

 

a beautiful sunset sail on a friendsYacht out of 50 Point Marina Lake Ontario about 2012. I love to sail and share the experience with others!

Several reasons have caused this to be the time for Pathfinder to be retired from program operations. First there have been major changes in ship safety requirements and the related frequent inspections. Over the past decades a series of refits have been needed to meet the new standards and desires of the Canadian Coast Guard. These rules were brought as a result of other vessels incidents, in Canadian waters, including the Great Lakes, as well as Canadian vessels operating offshore. The changes have impacted many vessels – some of which have operated without incident, in safe harbours and protected waterways for years, decades and even centuries. While these objectives are intended to improve the “safety of ships at sea”, the rules for offshore, coastal and protected waters have become almost universal. The intent to try and make the vessels “incident proof”, it would appear to this author to have had added little of significance – apart from the effort and expense that the vessels and their operators have had to incur to meet new and changing rules.

Secondly, opportunities for young people to take part in other summer activities have grown increasing competition between programs for participants.The choice for parents is difficult. Should they send their sons and daughters to a traditional camp, like the ones they, and generations before attended? Or should they consider a more unusual program, with many more unknowns? Older generations, even grandparents of today’s youth, understood that pushing kids into an unfamiliar challenge could build their character, not just provide a recreational and entertaining program.

Pathfinder . Full sail including Genoa, Fisherman Staysail and Main Gaff Topsail some time before 1974 (liferaft is mounted on main deck and the bowsprit netting is single ropes not Crossed as in later years)

Aboard a vessel engaged in sail training, you could expect to encounter many hardships. There’s no Internet, no TV no video games. Its primitive; its tough; It’s a place where you will get less sleep; the food is nothing like home cooking. Heck you may even have to help prepare three meals a day from scratch and for the whole crew (up to 29). All this happens in conditions far from your home kitchen in a small, cramped and often not horizontal galley.

 

 

 

Pathfinder Docking at waupoos Island shore base (between 1972 and 1976)

Then it gets worse; the vessel is operational 24/7 so you will stand a watch on deck. Regardless of the weather, so you will get wet. It’s amazing how traditional foul weather gear will allow water to penetrate unusual places. Over a four-hour duty watch, exposed to the elements, performing line and sail handling tasks or even a trick on the helm most trainees look more like drowned rats, than hardened sailors. Seeking relief from the elements on deck, youngsters often find that below deck in a sailing ship, bucking to windward is even more ghastly. After you have tried to quell your hunger, there are two other outcomes – one is guaranteed. Yes, there are dishes and pots to wash from the previous meal preparation and consumption. You may, even try to dry them! Then, because of the movement, confinement; cooking and fellow crew odors (in the days of wooden ships and Iron men they called this a “Fug”), you might succumb to seasickness. How embarrassing – imaging what your shipmates and teenage friends will think. Oh and by the way, that won’t exempt you from doing your duty, on-watch or below. Does that all sound like something you what to submit your precious kids to do? Especially today where modern “cotton wool” or helicopter parents, want to protect them? It seems that fewer parents want to subject their darlings to such risk and hardship if it can be avoided. So increasingly enrollment in the summer courses has fallen off.

Trident II, Pathfinder and Playfair alongside at The Shore base on Waupoos Is. Around 1972

The Brigs continue

The good news here is that these character building tall ship adventures are available. In Kingston the brigantine STV St. Lawrence II is still running programs, in a way similar to what she and STV Pathfinder did together from 1963 until 1974. That was when the third brigantine of similar lines and rigging, T.S. Playfair came into operations for Toronto Brigantine, and is still delivering programs for youth.

 

 

St Lawrence II , sailing as a Topsl’ Staysl Schooner rig, Photo prior to 1979

Have you seen Pathfinder sailing or been aboard her at an “open ship” in port or at a yacht club? While multitudes of people around the Great Lakes may have caught a glimpse of her at sea or at the dock, the true adventure and activity and character building often occurred far from the shore or other vessels. As we say bye to Pathfinder as an active Sail Training platform, I hope you will stay tuned to learn more of her past in the next segment of this story. If you have a memory to share or story or a photo, please send to “Pathfinder story” at the TBI Office below.

To see the current program and activities of TBI, or to reconnect as alumni or become a donor to the ongoing program aboard TS Playfair in Toronto, see
http://www.torontobrigantine.org/ Or for St. Lawrence II in Kingston see http://www.brigantine.ca/
Or
Toronto Brigantine Inc.
240-585 Dundas Street East .
Toronto, ON
M5A 2B7
Phone: (416) 596-7117
E-mail office@torontobrigantine.org