 The
Ernestina’s second trip to the U.S. was made
in 1950 with thirteen immigrant passengers and
fourteen crew members. She arrived on July 18
after a 38 day passage. Henrique Mendes taught
his passengers some basic English phrases and the
Pledge of Allegiance. They had fresh vegetables,
lobsters, live pigs, goats, and a cow on board ~
and a good cook, Michael Rosario.  They
celebrated the saints days and everyone's
birthday, the young sailors making cakes and
serenading the passengers. A romance began
between Arnaldo Mendes and his wife-to-be, Maria.
They were married in 1953.There are stories of
hurricanes and dismastings, dead calms and other
challenges of crossing the Atlantic under sail
with such captains as Pedro Evora, Lucino Fortes,
Arnaldo Mendes, Joao Baptista, Ricardo Lima
Barros, Nonauto Brito Raimundo and, for the last
voyages to the U.S. in 1964 and 1965, Capt.
Alexander Fortes.
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