Video – Another Tall Ship, Another Summer Day on the Cobourg Waterfront

Pete Fisher
2 hours ago
• Categories: Local, Photo Gallery

There is something about seeing a tall ship sitting in Cobourg Harbour that makes you stop and look.

People walking along the waterfront slow down. Beachgoers turn toward the harbour. Boaters take a second look.

For a community that has Lake Ontario as its front yard, there is something special about seeing one of these magnificent sailing vessels arrive.

And this summer, it seems to be happening again and again.

It appears to be the summer of sailing in Cobourg.

Tall ships have been making regular appearances along the waterfront, adding another layer of excitement to a summer that has already seen the harbour and shoreline filled with boats, visitors and activity.

Now, the St. Lawrence II has returned to Cobourg.

The 73-year-old vessel may not have the size of some of the giant tall ships that occasionally visit the harbour, but there is something distinctive about seeing her under sail or sitting quietly at the waterfront.

She is a working adventure vessel — one designed not simply to carry passengers, but to teach them.

The St. Lawrence II is a custom-built tall ship that operates as a platform for experiential outdoor adventure programs.

For those who climb aboard, the lake becomes the classroom.

The ship is designed to create teamwork, community and cooperation between participants while giving them an opportunity to connect with the natural world through hands-on experiences.

It is an experience that can teach something difficult to learn from a textbook — the power of nature, the importance of working together and the fragility of the environment around us.

And somewhere along the way, friendships are made.

A piece of sailing history

The St. Lawrence II was built by Kingston Shipyards in 1953 to a design by legendary Canadian ship designers Francis MacLachlan and Mike Eames.

More than seven decades later, the ship continues to sail the waters for which she was designed.

She has made numerous voyages throughout the Great Lakes and has ventured into the Atlantic Ocean.

The vessel is extraordinarily seaworthy and sails well, something that becomes apparent when watching her move under canvas.

But life aboard the St. Lawrence II isn’t about luxury.

In fact, quite the opposite.

The experience is deliberately similar to canoe tripping or backcountry camping.

There is a simple cooking arrangement, cabin-style bunking and limited space.

Everything has a purpose, and space is used efficiently.

It is, in many ways, a floating cottage — except the cottage moves.

And instead of waking up to the sound of birds in the backyard, those aboard can wake to the sound of water against the hull and the wind filling the sails.

Life below deck

Below decks, the ship is divided into three main areas.

One section forward is used by junior youth leaders, while the crew occupies the aft section. Participants stay amidships.

The vessel also has two “heads,” or washrooms, along with a camp-style galley and an engine room.

The accommodations are simple, but that simplicity is part of the experience.

Participants aren’t stepping aboard a cruise ship.

They are stepping into an environment where cooperation matters.

There is work to be done, responsibilities to be shared and a vessel that needs everyone aboard to work together.

That is precisely what makes the St. Lawrence II such an effective experiential adventure platform.

A modern ship beneath the sails

While the ship retains the appearance and character of a traditional tall ship, modern technology is very much part of the operation.

The St. Lawrence II has a full modern navigation suite, including an Electronic Chart System, AIS, GPS, radar and a depth sounder.

She is also equipped with two VHF/DSC radios.

So while the sails and rigging may provide the unmistakable look of a tall ship, modern navigation technology helps guide the vessel safely across the Great Lakes.

Another chapter in Cobourg’s sailing summer

For people along the Cobourg waterfront, however, much of that technology is invisible.

What they see is a tall ship.

They see the masts rising above the harbour, the rigging stretching into the sky and the vessel sitting against the backdrop of Lake Ontario.

They see another reminder that Cobourg’s waterfront is about much more than a beach.

The harbour is a working gateway to the lake, a place where sailboats, powerboats, paddleboards and visiting vessels all become part of the summer landscape.

And this year, tall ships have become a particularly memorable part of that landscape.

The arrival of the St. Lawrence II follows a summer that has already brought a variety of impressive sailing vessels to Cobourg, giving residents and visitors unexpected opportunities to see pieces of maritime history and adventure right in their own backyard.

For those who don’t have a boat, these visits offer something special.

You don’t have to own a sailboat.

You don’t have to know how to navigate the lake.

You simply have to walk down to the waterfront and look out across Lake Ontario.

And there, sometimes unexpectedly, is a tall ship.

For a few minutes, the familiar Cobourg waterfront looks a little different.

The beach is still there. The harbour is still there. The hills of Northumberland still rise behind the town.

But with the St. Lawrence II sitting on the water, the view takes on a distinctly different character.

It is a glimpse of another way of experiencing Lake Ontario — not from the shoreline, but from the deck of a sailing ship.

And as Cobourg continues through what has become a remarkable summer of sailing, the arrival of the St. Lawrence II is another reminder of just how much life, history and adventure can be found on the other side of the shoreline.