This is the current condition of the Pride if Baltimore 2. I think that the private foundaion operating her had no budget for this season. It's a disgrace that the city/ state didn't step up to help out! This city spends a lot of stupid money, some funds could have been found for this, I think.
Another black eye for Baltimore
- Thread starter DAVA390
- Start date
DAV,
The Pride of B-More needs to float man.
My friends are from Baltimore & always used the term, "B-MORE!"
IT'S A GREAT REPLICA THAT SHOULD NOT SIT ON BLOCKS!
The Pride of B-More needs to float man.
My friends are from Baltimore & always used the term, "B-MORE!"
IT'S A GREAT REPLICA THAT SHOULD NOT SIT ON BLOCKS!
The State of Maryland did fund $500K over 5 years for the Pride this spring but the foundation still came up short for the season. The Pride of Baltimore is operated by a private foundation not the state or city, and it requires over $1 million / year to operate. That is a LOT of jack. I encourage ALL Maryland boaters and residents of the Baltimore metro region to kick in yearly donations for the saltiest tall ship of them all - Pride of Baltimore. Don't expect the taxpayers to do it. Put Capt. Jan Miles back on the water!
perhaps that private foundation could shed light on where those donation dollars are going..rather than just continuing to solicit more. Given that the state has ponyed up 10% a year - they too can shed some light on where and how things are spent, or else let the foundation do it all.
Running tall ships are very expensive. I'm involved with starting a program with a half completed vessel. The big expense is personnel. There has to be a paid captain and paid crew, there is insurance, there is the back room support, there are marketing costs, and then maintenance. A budget of $1 million a year does not seem way out of line. The captain's salary alone with benefits will eat up at least $100K.
If the foundation is a 501(c3) they are required to file IRS tax returns each year. Those returns are public and can be found on the IRS website. They may be a year or so behind, but that will give you a good idea. Most organizations will place a copy of their IRS filings on their own websites. I have a really poor internet connection so looking it up for you is a real PITA. Check their website, look for something like "Donors Information."
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Its a shame to see Pride of Baltimore effectively mothballed. I have seen her on the water under sail and its a beautiful sight.
I recognize the expense of operating and maintaining her, yet even though I live near the Bay part of the year, I cannot recall seeing any kind of marketing for operating funds. I have to believe there are even non-sailers outside the Baltimore area who would happily contribute to the organization if they were aware of the need for funds and knew where to contribute.
I recognize the expense of operating and maintaining her, yet even though I live near the Bay part of the year, I cannot recall seeing any kind of marketing for operating funds. I have to believe there are even non-sailers outside the Baltimore area who would happily contribute to the organization if they were aware of the need for funds and knew where to contribute.
The Pride of Baltimore, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) foundation and their finances are public information. You can inform yourself regarding where their funding comes from and where they spend their funds by reviewing their IRS Form 990.
http://990s.foundationcenter.org/990_pdf_archive/521/521189136/521189136_201612_990.pdf
Donations to the Pride here: https://pride2.secure.force.com/pmtx/dn8n__SiteDonation?id=a1E2A00000gVhIC
http://990s.foundationcenter.org/990_pdf_archive/521/521189136/521189136_201612_990.pdf
Donations to the Pride here: https://pride2.secure.force.com/pmtx/dn8n__SiteDonation?id=a1E2A00000gVhIC
Ya gotta wonder if the Exec Director makes his $140k when the boat is in mothballs.
Looks to me like they may be working on her. What's the white cover doing otherwise?
I saw her in Dourarnenez, France, Brittany, during the Brest 96 rally. Fantastic vessel, pulled into harbor, a small one, under full sail, came head to wind, dropped anchor and sail, and was done! We were fortunate enough to be on a motorboat all day with an event official and were able to go and welcome them, "Hi, welcome to Dourarnenez, we're from San Francisco!" Great Day.
I saw her in Dourarnenez, France, Brittany, during the Brest 96 rally. Fantastic vessel, pulled into harbor, a small one, under full sail, came head to wind, dropped anchor and sail, and was done! We were fortunate enough to be on a motorboat all day with an event official and were able to go and welcome them, "Hi, welcome to Dourarnenez, we're from San Francisco!" Great Day.
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The white cover is for winter protection from fresh water. She is de-rigged with topmasts off, yards struck. That is a winter layover that did not come off for summer sailing season. I have friends who sailed aboard to Japan for Pacific tour back in the day. Saw her in person in Green Bay Tall ships. They are a pretty good outfit, I am guessing that they are doing a specific planned time to recover funds. The tough part is that she is a complicated vessel and they do not do well when not sailing. Fresh water penetration from the deck increases rot. I get their newsletter. Here is from their website:
"The last several months have been challenging for Pride. We were not able to fill the $200,000+ funding gap that we needed to keep the organization and the ship running at full capacity this year. For this reason, we had to lay off most of our staff and crew. The ship is in fine shape, though. Pride II underwent maintenance through mid-February — regular winter maintenance and some 30-year refit projects. The ship is still docked at her maintenance berth under her winter cover, now being watched by Captain Miles and a few volunteers, where she will most likely remain for this season.
We are extremely grateful for the critically important funding from the State, and we must continue to raise funds from individuals, businesses, grants, and other sources to meet our $1.2 million annual budget (for “normal” operations). We are looking forward to a full sailing season in 2019, but, in the meantime, we are focusing on developing strategies to ensure the sustainability of Pride going forward."
"The last several months have been challenging for Pride. We were not able to fill the $200,000+ funding gap that we needed to keep the organization and the ship running at full capacity this year. For this reason, we had to lay off most of our staff and crew. The ship is in fine shape, though. Pride II underwent maintenance through mid-February — regular winter maintenance and some 30-year refit projects. The ship is still docked at her maintenance berth under her winter cover, now being watched by Captain Miles and a few volunteers, where she will most likely remain for this season.
We are extremely grateful for the critically important funding from the State, and we must continue to raise funds from individuals, businesses, grants, and other sources to meet our $1.2 million annual budget (for “normal” operations). We are looking forward to a full sailing season in 2019, but, in the meantime, we are focusing on developing strategies to ensure the sustainability of Pride going forward."
The income from cruises only meets part of the expenses. Tall ships derive their income from a variety of sources including program fees, donations, tall ship events, and fund raising events.
Last year. $360k-ish rev from the gate. Everything else ($760k) from grants and donations.
The Windy fleet vessels were built to USCG COI specifications, whereas the Pride was not.
The Pride is not a certified vessel and cannot charge passengers for sails in the US. That is why there is a fee (the gate mentioned above) to board and visit her at the dock. The cost of maintaining her as a USCG COI vessel would be a losing proposition, and if she was making money from charters it would invalidate her tax-free status, I believe. As much as she used to travel, (unlike your Chicago fleet) it would be economically impossible for her to be certified to carry passengers in each country and port she visited, and a month or two in Baltimore each year wouldn't do much to offset a 1.2 million dollar budget.
Though certainly one of the finest "city/state" ambassadorial vessels out there today, she has hung on longer and more successfully than most. Both the vessel built for Charleston and the one for Virginia failed miserably and in a relatively short time. I am sure there are others, but I'm not as familiar with them.
I certainly do not see this as a black eye for Baltimore, but more a sign of the selfishness of the American people these days. Many Americans seem to be much more interested in themselves and how they can get by without paying their fair share for the services they demand from the government or supporting things like universal healthcare, National Parks, Marine ecological preserves, historic monuments, and venues. And we as a nation are no better for this selfishness, as far as I can see.
