Up to Speed In the last 12 months, Capt. Tiffany Krihwan has broken ERNESTINA-MORRISSEY out of the yard, toured the Gulf Coast, set that giant mainsail for the first time in years, and brought the old girl back to Cape Ann Marlinspike: We’ve all had busy summer seasons, but I don’t think anyone has been busier than you since you accepted this job as master of the ErnestinaMorrissey. Tiffany Krihwan: I’ve definitely been busy! I wish it was busy sailing; a lot of it has been office work, sitting at the desk a lot, reviewing drawings and plans and making sure stuff ’s submitted to the Coast Guard. You can have a lot of things on paper, but then once you start putting ‘em in actual use, finding out what works, what needs to change a little bit… it’s been a lot of that as well. MS: Can you tell us a little bit about your decision to move east and take this job after so many years in the Midwest with the Denis Sullivan? TK: When I got furloughed from the Denis Sullivan, they had told me that they were going to bring me back in the New Year, but during that time period, nobody really knew what was going to happen. So when they advertised for this position, I applied for it and was one of the finalists. When they offered the job to me in January, I sat on it for a little bit, which they were fine with, waiting for me to give them an answer, and I waited to see if I was going to be called back to the Sullivan. I wasn’t. So I decided to take the position. It was bittersweet. Coming out here to this vessel was really wonderful and a whole new experience. But leaving the Sullivan… I put a lot of my heart and soul into that vessel, keeping it going over all those years. This was not the way I wanted to end my career with Sullivan.
the boat was still up in the shed up at Boothbay Harbor. Can you tell us a little bit about seeing her for the first time and the process of breaking her out of the yard? TK: I had seen her in New Bedford many years ago, just alongside, but never had been down below, or even on deck. When I saw her in the shipyard, I was really impressed at how big the vessel was. A vessel always looks bigger out of the water, when you’re standing underneath it, but I was just in awe of how big this vessel is and slightly intimidated, too, by her size! I was also impressed with her shape. When you see a boat out of water, at least for me, I can kind of tell how it’s going to sail and I could tell she was going to sail really well. MS: How does she compare with the Denis Sullivan in that respect? TK: [Laughs] They’re definitely apple and oranges. They’re not the same beast. To give you an example, when I was captain of Roseway and we were sailing in Boston Harbor. I would say, ‘Please, could I just do six knots today?’ Because she was always wanting to go eight knots, 10 knots, short tacking in Boston Harbor. When I was on the Sullivan, I would always think, ‘Can I please just get up to six knots today?’ Getting back onto a Grand Banks fishing schooner, they’re just such good sailing vessels. They’re very different. The Sullivan’s a really steady boat in heavy winds and heavy seas, with those smaller sails, because of the three masts. But on this vessel, you have a giant mainsail, something to really always consider when you’re doing sail settings and how much you’re going to set.
MS: When you took the Ernestina-Morrissey job, MarlinspikeMagazine.com
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