GREENOCK, Scotland — A day ahead of schedule, the sailing ships Mir and Sorlandet arrived Friday afternoon at the Sea Trek staging post of Greenock, Scotland.
Greenock is a port at the entrance to the River Clyde, which runs to Glasgow.
After six days at sea, there was an air of anticipation among the 45 Sea Trek participants on board, a mere shadow of the feelings the 19th century immigrants must have felt approaching the harbors of either New York or New Orleans after 30 to 40 days at sea.
In these calmer waters, many Sea Trek participants who had not previously done so plucked up courage to don harnesses to climb the rigging to the main mast. Ted Johnson, 68, was the oldest to do so.
At noon, as the ship sailed between the incredibly charming islands of Bute on the port side and Great Cumbrae to starboard, the pilot came on board to guide the ship toward the port. Sheltered from the wind in the channel between these islands, the water was calm and the warmth of the summer air could be felt.
A sense of quiet tranquility descended as passengers studied their first close view of land on either side of the vessel. Small fishing vessels and pleasure yachts sailed close to the Sorlandet, arms waving in friendly greeting to the great three-masted vessel. Two tugs appeared and helped guide the ship to dock. It finally arrived at 2:40 p.m. to lie alongside the Mir, which had arrived that morning.
Meanwhile on land, preparations were in hand for Friday evening's and today's Sea Trek port entertainment.
The Strathclyde Police Piped Band greeted the ships' arrival and entertained the hundreds of people touring both ships by the quayside.
The tall ships, part of the Sea Trek 2001 expedition recreating the 19th century emigration of thousands of Latter-day Saints to America, leave for Liverpool this evening after a massive fireworks display at the dock.