Sad news regarding a a remarkable woman and sailor.
Amanda Ridgely Lake died in her home in Fairhaven, MA on August 19. Ms. Lake was 44. Ms. Lake was only one of a handful of women to ever earn a 100-ton Near Coast Master’s License, allowing her to pilot large vessels in and out of commercial ports. At the time of her death, she taught classes on advanced ship-handling and maritime safety at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy to help others achieve similar licenses. An accomplished sailor of all size ships, Ms. Lake served as Chief Mate and in various other positions aboard the Massachusetts tall ship Ernestina. After age and funding cuts forced the 115-year-old schooner dockside in 2003, she joined the crew of Pete Seeger’s Hudson Sloop, Clearwater.
A memorial service will be held for Ms. Lake on the deck of the schooner Ernestina on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 2:00 pm in New Bedford, MA.