Marlinspike #30

Spring 2021

Number 30

Lewis R. French turns 150!

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MICHAEL RUTSTEIN

People People Tall Ships America’s first — and hopefully last — virtual conference is in the books.

Not that it wasn’t worthwhile! There was a lot of good content, and the convenience and low cost of the virtual event brought in folks who normally would not spend the money. But the conference is one of my favorite events of the year because of the people, not the presentations — a sentiment echoed by everyone, including the organizers.

“It’s not something I want to do every year. It’s not the same. We’ll just say that right out there,” said Tall Ships America’s Erin Short in March.

“But I was pleasantly surprised by how we were still able to maintain the community. There was a ton of conversation going on and we were able to reach so many people that normally couldn’t afford coming to the conference. That was something we saw during crew resource days — both days, the attendance was about 50 to 60 professional crew, both younger, up-and-coming, and also more established crew.

“The community boards were super active. I saw some people creating meetings at 1:00 AM. That’s cool!”

The takeway, Short said, was that there’s value to having a virtual component, and future conferences may well bend over backwards to allow people to participate remotely.

“I do think we learned a lot and going forward, we would love to incorporate more online opportunities for people. We’re not going to do away with it being an in-person conference — we’re people people, we like being around each other!

But we are trying to figure out a way to make it more of a hybrid. That’s something that we can certainly explore.”

MARLINSPIKE MAGAZINE Spring 2021 • Number 30 Michael Rutstein, Publisher Marlinspike is published quarterly for $25

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Fair Winds,

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Michael Rutstein, Publisher

4 b Midcoast Methuselah

28 b Living the Dream?

Garth & Jenny Wells dish on Maine Windjamming

Sailing down city streets each night? We got you.

12 b A Rig for ERNESTINA

32 b 38 b 44 b 46 b

And who better to design it than Capt. Dan Moreland?

16 b Inflection Point Forty years ago, the SSVA changed everything

22 b The Pleasure of Sailmaking ‘Pleasant and comfortable work’ for an Essex winter

Boats, Bars & Beaches Boatyards Name That Boat Show Us Your Spike / Tattoo

And for hopefully the last time — no calendar and no job listings, courtesy of the pandemic!

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Midcoast Methuselah Now an amazing 150 years old, the schooner Lewis R. French has survived pandemics before.

Owners Garth & Jenny Wells talk about the current state of the windjammer industry and their plans for a bounce-back birthday season

M. RUTSTEIN

Marlinspike: Out of the thousands and thousands of schooners built in Maine in the 19th century, the French is the last survivor. What was it that enabled her to last so long?

was 100 years old at that point. And she’d gotten work done, of course, to have lasted 100 years, but that was by far the most extensive rebuild. John Foss tore her all the way down and built her back up.

Garth Wells: We’ve thought about that a lot. I think there’s a couple factors. The first one is luck. So many boats just went up on the rocks during storms and were abandoned. The fact that that never happened probably speaks to the way that she was built, that she was strong enough to withstand that, that she had the captain and the gear to get through the storms and to be anchored in the right place.

But the other part... she’s changed her living through the years, in order to keep herself viable as a business. She began sailing in 1871, carrying cargo, and then in the 1920s, they took out the mast and added an engine. She was a sardine carrier from the ‘20s up to the ‘70s. And then in the ‘70s, when the sardine business was going down in Maine, and the windjammer business was becoming more popular, she transformed back into a schooner. She had 50 years of sailing cargo, 50 years of motoring cargo, and now 50 years of taking passengers out. So, amazingly, she’s been a viable business for 150 years.

MS: Now, the French has come full circle. She started out with no engine, and once again, you’re operating her with no engine. I assume that means you have to pay a more attention to weather and route planning than some of the other windjammers, but I guess it also means that there’s more room for cargo, whether it’s bricks or people. Are there other aspects to running an engineless windjammer?

MS: I saw that she was substantially rebuilt in 1929 after a fire. I guess if she had been carrying a flammable cargo, that might have been the end of her story right there.

Garth: Right — that’s the luck part. That fire actually occurred in Belfast at the dock while they were filling up fuel, probably for the yawl boat or for the docking engine, and they were, of course, smoking while they did that… anyway she sunk there at the dock.

But the owners, the Gray family, they saw that she was still a viable vessel even after that explosion, so they’re the ones who put the engine in her. They said that really saved her, because then she was running bricks up the river into Bangor. She could do three trips a week motoring, where she could only do one trip a week sailing with a yawl boat.

So it kept her economically viable through that transition where all the old schooners, a lot of them, were lost, because they were just too slow. The world was speeding up.

MS: Now, you say she was converted into a windjammer back in the early ‘70s. Who owned her at that point? How extensive was that rebuild?

Garth: Massive. She was owned by the Seaport Navigation Company, which transported sardines, canned sardines, up in Lubec, Maine, the furthest downeast you can get. They sold her to a young man by the name of John Foss, who now owns the American Eagle. He rebuilt her over three years, very extensively, probably 80% of the frames and the whole deck, all the deck structures, and he had to put the rig back into her, so that was a massive undertaking. She

Garth: It’s an entire mindset, running a yawl boat-powered schooner. Just what you can do and what you can’t do, power-wise. You can’t really back down very well; some things like that, you just get used to. There are advantages, too. I can spin in my length very easily by putting that boat perpendicular to our stern and pushing.

But when we’re sailing and the boat’s hauled in the davits, you do not have a quick fallback plan if you suddenly need a push with an engine. The way that you sail the boat has to be altered slightly to know that you have to be able to sail out of whatever you sail into. You can’t just flip that engine on and pump her in forward for 100 yards. So it’s definitely a challenge, but once you’re in that mindset and you think that way, then you just adjust.

The other nice thing is to work on the engine in the yawl boat is a lot easier than most engine rooms I’ve been in. You can get all the way around the boat and all the way around the engine.

MS: And do you have to train a mate to be in the yawl boat each season?

Garth: Oh, yeah. That’s another factor, that it is a twoperson operation. It’s not just your own self, so you do lose a crew member. But we train all the crew members to use it.

For many years, the cook ran the yawl boat, and it just...

It’s like being in an engine room in a submarine. I tell them, “You just watch me. You don’t really make any decisions on your own down there. So even if you think what we’re doing is wrong, you just keep looking at me.”

MS: Jenny, I know you had a lot of sailing experience before you came to Maine, and were sailing as a mate on a windjammer. Can you talk about your path to Maine and to windjamming?

Jenny Wells: The first windjammer that I worked on was the Angelique. I had previously worked on the Spirit of Massachusetts, and on the Amistad. I did that on and off for about five years. I also worked on the Isaac H. Evans as a mate. That was maybe in 2001 or 2002? And then Garth bought the French, and so then I switched my allegiance

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over to the Lewis R. French.

Garth: Great question. I’ve seen a move to shorter trips.

My first year, I’d say three-quarters of our trips were six days, and now, maybe one-third of our trips are six days long, so that has been a change.

MS: And how did you fall in with Garth?

Jenny: The Angelique and the Lewis R. French dock right next to each other in Camden, so all those schooner bums know each other.

MS: You guys have been married now since 2007, and you have two kids.

Jenny: I feel like it’s kind of bouncing back now, where our longer trips now suddenly will be sold out before the shorter ones. It’s almost like a pendulum swinging back more toward the longer trips.

I don’t know what would account for that.

Jenny: That’s correct. I run the office now, so I don’t get out on the boat quite as much as I used to. But I did cook on the French for a year before we had kids, so I was the yawl boat driver also.

Now, I just get out off and on, and our kids go sailing too, sometimes.

MS: I noticed, looking at your schedule, that the fourday trip seems to be your sweet spot.

Garth: We feel like that is long enough that they get a good experience on the boat, but short enough that they can carve out that time among their Maine vacation.

MS: Do you ever swap off But like Jenny said, the The LEWIS R. FRENCH and take a trip as captain? six-day trips do get a lot of in an earlier life (top); the galley today repeat sailors, who sign up Jenny: I have never been earlier. Perhaps people are the actual captain of the ready to not have a vacation Lewis R. French! I do have a where they’re jumping from license; I need to renew it. one thing to the next the But I just decided that for whole time. myself, I didn’t want to be the Certainly the internet has actual captain. I did all the changed not only how people other positions. I’ve been the learn about us, but even what cook. I’ve been the mate. I’ve we do on the boat, in some been the mess mate. ways. It sounds silly, but ten years ago, I was really the MS: That must be helpful only one who knew what the in running the business end, weather was like on a daily having worked in every role basis by listening to the radio, on board. or whoever was around me when I listened to the radio, and now everyone knows what Jenny: Yeah. Actually, it’s interesting to do all the differthe forecast is, even more so than I do sometimes. Every ent positions and put yourself in those crew members’ shoes, passenger has checked their phone in the morning and and know what the mess mate is really going through and knows exactly what’s going to happen, so there’s no way I what the mate is really going through. So yeah, that has can get away with saying it’s not going to rain today. No helped a lot. way! That is a thing.

I’ll see a video of a trip, an old video from the ‘60s or MS: And Garth, you’ve been on the boat for over 20 ‘70s, and it’s so the same, what we’re doing and what the years now, right? experience really is — so the same. It’s getting away, and seeing how this old boat sails, and seeing a bit of the Maine Garth: My first year as the mate was 1998. coast. In some ways, the windjamming experience is exactly the same — just some of the outside stuff is different. But MS: Amazing. How has the windjammer business you can almost go on a trip now and it feels very much like changed since you guys signed on for the first time? a trip from 30 years ago.

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The FRENCH tearing across Penobscot Bay

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MS: Getting back to what Jenny was saying about the swing back towards longer trips, is the profile of your passengers changing at all?

Garth: I don’t think so. I do feel like the shorter trips are younger people now. On the shorter trips, we get a lot of young parents who are getting away for the first time, and their kids are with the grandparents and stuff like that. The longer trips are for more of our hardcore, and I would say there’s a slightly older crowd on the longer trips.

Jenny: Yeah, they just have more time.

MS: And there are no kids on the French.

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Garth: Our rule is that no one under 16 comes out, except for our own kids, who are younger than that. I tell the passengers that they can come because I can actually yell at them. I can’t yell at your kids. No, that’s not proper.

I don’t think the demographics have really changed that much. Do you agree, Jenny?

Jenny: We’ve added some things, like sailing and hiking and kayaking, to try to attract some younger people who want to do several things on their vacation, and now they can do it all on the French. I guess our marketing, in that sense, has changed a little bit. I don’t know that it’s necessary to add those things, but from a marketing standpoint, I think it works.

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Garth: We’re trying to get people to understand that part of a windjamming vacation is being at anchor and using the small boats and going ashore and doing other things. It’s not just the sailing. So it’s just trying to educate people about what the trips are really like.

into Ladona… and the Chimes, the Riggin, and the Heritage were all passed on to new owners. That’s a big chunk of the fleet. You guys are rapidly becoming two of the senior operators.

Jenny: I know!

Jenny: There are people who come every year and all they want to do is be on the boat. For them, they prefer not to go ashore, not to kayak or even to go for a hike.

For them, the getaway and the beauty of the experience is just being on the boat and having the peace and quiet of it.

MS: The Maine Windjammer Association announced in February that the J&E Riggin had changed hands. Did you guys have a reaction to that? I’m sure it wasn’t a surprise to you.

Garth: No, I think that one had been in the pipeline for a couple of years. It’s actually a classic way that one of the windjammers up here transitions. It’s a crewmember that sailed on the boat for a while, and over the course of a couple years slowly but surely worked his way up, and…

The FRENCH on deck...

Garth: We laugh about that. I bought the boat in 2004, and we were always, ourselves and Noah and Jane [Barnes, of the Stephen Taber and Ladona], were the youngest ones. For years we were the youngest ones, and nothing changed at all in the fleet. But then you’re exactly right. In the last few years, there’s been a lot of transition, and I’ll think you’ll see more.

I mean, there’s a lot of owners that were... It was a pretty old ownership group for a while. If I’m the youngest one in there, at 45, that’s not a young group of people! But out of nowhere, I’m one of the older group, and I’m excited for that.

MS: Is there something else going on here? I mean, is the nature of the business changing?

Garth: I don’t think the group is changing. I think it’s just timing. A lot of times, it’s like sort of Garth: And then they bought what John and Annie are doing: it. So that’s usually the perfect your ownership is about 20 years. recipe for success for a transition.

But a lot of those older owners, There’s continuity with the boat Kip [Files] or John [Foss] or and the passengers and the busiDoug [Lee, of Heritage], or Ray ness, so I think they’ll do great.

[Williamson] on the green boats John and Annie have run a great [Mattie, Mercantile, Grace business for 20-plus years, and Bailey]... they’ve done it way that’s the right way for a boat to longer than that. John and Doug’s change hands. ownership is almost 40 years!

They sort of skipped a transition MS: I asked Kip Files [forthere, doing a Tom Brady, and so merly of Victory Chimes] about then they all got into their 60s this a couple years ago, when a and 70s. And then they all put bunch of the boats were on the their boats up for sale sort of at market: “What’s going on?” And ...and down below the same time. he said, “It’s really just a natural For a little while, when the changing of the guard. The boats are just passing into boats weren’t selling, we wondered if there was no new younger hands.” guard of young people to come in. But now that I see that But there’s been a lot of turnover in the last few years. they are selling, I’ve regained confidence. There have always The Evans became the Sheppard… the Bowditch got rebuilt been young people that want to sail; the question is, are Jenny: Both of them did.

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there young people that want to own a boat?

We’re seeing that there are. In this rising generation, there are young people that want to own a boat.

MS: But are there people that want to own a 150-yearold wooden boat?

No matter how long you’ve owned one of these windjammers, you probably still need to be working. Like you said, the boats aren’t selling for cash. They’re mostly being handed on to crew, people inside the windjammer community, on terms I assume are buyer-friendly.

Garth: Yeah. Yeah.

Garth: [Laughs] There are crazy enough people that do.

I’m confident. When I bought the boat, I was 29, and I couldn’t think of anything greater in the world than to own an old wooden schooner. I thought that was the coolest thing in the world. I think that there are still people that want to do that. We’re seeing that with the Riggin, with the Chimes — there are still young people that want to do this for a living.

MS: Talk a little bit about the commitment though that it takes to be the steward of 150-year-old wooden boat that is certified for passengers.

Garth: We’ve done it long enough that I feel like it’s just what we do, but it is a total commitment. I was actually attracted to that, in terms of the decision-making and the responsibility of it. I thought that just seemed so great. I was looking at the owners of the windjammers, and I just thought, “That is the coolest thing. Those guys and their wives are just running a boat as a business.” I was attracted to all aspects of it. I don’t shy away from... I’m not afraid of Excel spreadsheets, and I’m not afraid of a welder. I like that combination of things that you have to do.

But Jenny and I talk about the boat all the time, ad nauseum. If someone put a recorder in our house, they would probably be shocked at how often we talk about wording on the website, or mattresses for cabin six, or LEDs for the running lights, or crew training. We just go on and on, all the time.

It’s nice too, because Jenny has the experience of crewing and being on boats, and maintaining them, and running a paintbrush, and running a yawl boat, so we can talk about it and share professional skills.

MS: Is this a business where you need to work until you die?

Garth: [Laughs] Well, that’s what we all say! But I bought the boat from a family, and he was only about 45 when he sold me the boat, and he had done it for, I think, 18 years.

Jenny: Dan Pease.

Garth: And Dan did not retire. He went on and drove a tugboat until his very recent retirement. So you’re absolutely right. You ask about selling the boat after 20 years, at which point I would be 50 years old. Well, I’m obviously not of retirement age, or in a position to retire financially. So what do I do from there? What do I do that could be more exciting than owning a schooner?

I don’t know. That’s a question we all ponder. We may think, “I’ve had enough of owning this boat,” but what else are we going to do? Although I do believe our group of older owners truly, truly loved — and still love — the boats, all through their ownership, like John and Doug. I don’t think they thought for one second that they wouldn’t run their boats until they died, or were up into their 70s.

MS: Most of the Maine windjammers took a pass on last summer, but it appears everyone plans to offer a full schedule in 2021. How do you expect the pandemic to impact your plans for this summer?

Garth: Well… I think we’ve learned a lot. We know a lot more now than when we had to make the decision about last summer, and we know more about safety, about the

Jenny: I think that might be one of the changes over the years: it’s definitely a yearround job. It’s not just a seasonal job. I don’t know if the internet probably has a huge influence on that, but there is no offseason, even though it seems like there should be. The decisions, and the behind-the-scenes stuff is constant.

MS: I wonder if that’s the reason some of the owners hang on beyond that 20-year period, and end up running the boats for 30 or 40 years.

Because what do they do next? It’s not a lucrative enough business where you could say, “OK, I’m 60, I’m going to sell out now and be retired.”

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virus. I think we can offer a safe trip. We weren’t so sure last year, whether we could. We didn’t really know what we were dealing with, when we had to make the decision.

How do I think it’ll impact this year? I think it’s still far enough away that I don’t know. On the one hand, once people feel a little more safe about traveling, this sort of vacation is exactly the kind that fits into a safe, exciting new thing for them to do to get out of the house. I think that’s what we all are trending toward, because we can see a very small light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. But we will have to change some things on board that we’ve done the same way for years and years.

MS: What procedures are you going to have in place for your ‘21 season that are different from the way you’ve run the boat in the past?

Garth: We’re going to have everybody tested who comes on a trip, or show that they have been vaccinated, if vaccination proves to be effective. So with that, I feel like we can have everybody on the boat and feel good.

to play out.

Garth: I just ordered a set of rapid tests that I can administer, that show results in 20 minutes, and they just came in the mail yesterday. Because wouldn’t it be great to have an effective test as people walk down the dock? And they get on the boat, and then they know that everyone on the boat is negative or vaccinated, and they can all just feel that they’re safe, and they can be comfortable.

You’re on vacation. You want to be thinking, “All right, I feel good about this. I don’t feel bad about sitting next to this person, or getting into a row boat to go ashore, because I know that everyone’s test was negative.” I want that. I want that so badly.

“When someone comes down and says, ‘My great grandfather used to load this boat in Lubec’ and he has a picture of his dad standing on the deck, an old black-and-white picture, that’s just, wow!

That’s what this boat did. And there are still people who are tied to the boat in that way.”

MS: What’s the cost per test?

Garth: If I bought enough for the season, it would be about $20 a test.

MS: That’s not going to fly in the day-sail business, but if you’ve got people signing on for four, five, six days, $20 is nothing.

— Garth Wells

Jenny: That’s going to be a stricter requirement than the state would require. Certain people will be exempt from having to be vaccinated or tested to come to Maine. But everyone, even Mainers and Vermonters and people in lowCOVID areas, will be required to have been vaccinated or to have a test within 72 hours. And we’ll test our crew frequently. We can go into Rockland and get a test now, very easily. That’s the hugest hurdle that we couldn’t get over last year. And we still will do the added safety measures of the advanced sanitation, and the extra hand sanitizer, and face masks to some degree. We’re waiting to see how that’s going

Garth: That’s what we’re thinking, too. It works because people are getting on and staying on with us the whole time.

Jenny: We’re not saying that we’re going to be able to provide testing to everyone, but it could be an option.

MS: OK, enough COVID talk. The Maine Windjammer Association, of which the French is a member — I find that fascinating. Here you’ve got a group of very similar businesses — competing businesses —working together to market their product and their region. Can you talk a little bit about your experience with the MWA? Garth: The value of the association is that it lets us pool our resources and hire a professional to do the marketing for us.

Marketing is a very, very hard thing for us, and I think for a lot of the owners up here, because we don’t have enough money to get a big bang for our bucks, and we don’t have very much knowledge about how to do it. By everyone getting together and pooling our resources, and hiring someone to spearhead that for us, it’s just so much more effective.

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Marketing… you’re never quite sure what’s going to work and what’s not, but it’s so much more effective than if we were all just doing it individually.

And then the other part that’s great is that we all get together, once a month during the winter, or sometimes even more often, to make some of these marketing decisions, and to organize some of the group events, like the Great Schooner Race. We also talk about Coast Guard regulations and all the other stuff that’s going on.

It’s nice talking to other owners, and hearing what other people are doing, because you just learn so much more. Different owners are specialists in different areas. We’re better friends with some people in the fleet than others, but then we’re getting together with everyone during those meetings, and that part of it is so valuable to our success, talking over different issues.

When COVID was an unknown last March and April, everyone would get together and talk about what they were going to do, what ideas they’ve heard, ways to do cleaning, ways to do to testing, ways to do all these things, so that part is super valuable.

Jenny: And it lets us advocate for our industry. We spent a lot of time talking to the state of Maine, which was crafting guidelines for all the industries. With the Windjammer Association, we could have one person do it on behalf of the group. That was a really effective way for us to have a say in crafting the COVID-related guidelines for the industry.

MS: The Maine windjammer operators are in a unique position — all those boats clustered into the same area, with so much in common — and you’ve overcome the idea of competing to work together. I think that’s an amazing model.

Garth: I sometimes think about what it would be like to be the only schooner in Camden. What’s really so great for me, and maybe it’s my personality, is to talk to other owners about how they’re dealing with things. Even little things, like “Those are really cool lights that you have in your cabin. Where did you get those?” That sort of sharing is so valuable. It’d be really hard to be out all by yourself, and

own the only wooden schooner in a harbor full of modern boats.

MS: Obviously, the thing that sticks out about the French — especially this year, because it’s her 150th birthday — is that she’s the oldest windjammer. But what else is unique about your boat?

Garth: I think that the coolest thing about the French is the fact that its entire history is along the Maine coast, and that ties the boat to the area in a way that I didn’t fully comprehend, initially.

People had a personal experience with the boat when it used to be in Lubec, or when it used to be homeported in Boothbay Harbor, or their great-great-uncle used to work on the boat, and they’ll come down and see it.

That connection is just so neat, that the boat has been around that long, and has done so many different things.

When someone comes down and says, “My greatgrandfather used to load this boat up in Lubec with sardine cans” and he has a picture of his dad standing on the deck, an old black-andwhite picture — that’s just, wow! That’s what this boat did. And there’s still people that are tied to the boat in that way.

Jenny: There are still Frenches that live in the area and own their own businesses. We recently drove down and saw Lewis R. French’s tombstone, and all the French brothers, down in South Bristol.

Garth: We were down there to look, because we were going to bring the boat back to Christmas Cove, where it was built, going to bring it back in June. We went down there just to check out the dock and whatnot, and as we’re leaving, I stop to get gas, and next to us is a van that says ‘Lewis R. French, Plumber’. That dude had a hat on that said, Lewis R. French Plumbing, and I had a hat on that said, Schooner Lewis R. French.

MS: Tell me you swapped hats.

Garth: Yeah. So neat! b

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An Old

Marlinspike: Dan, seeing that you spearheaded the 1980s rebuild of Ernestina, formerly Effie M. Morrissey, I thought it was wonderful that the Massachusetts DCR reached out to you for the rig design.

Dan Moreland: That rebuild was an amazing experience.

I was incredibly fortunate — and also fortunate in that back in the 1980s, there were a lot of living resources, a lot of memories, that now only live in me and a couple of other people. We’re it. I was just a young punk in the eighties, but I was a sponge and I knew I didn’t know... I was a squarerigger guy, not a big schooner guy, but I was fascinated.

MS: And 40 years later it’s become your task to design the rig for this completely-rebuilt schooner. Who could be a better guy for the job?

DM: There are certainly very capable people that can design them a nice rig for the vessel, but what they were seeking, quite naturally, is her original, most effective rig.

And that is quite wise, because it’s easy to say, “We’ll improve it.” No, no — easy does it, mate! This was a very evolved rig, highly thought-out. There was nothing random or half-baked about it. It wasn’t guys that went to law school and then decided to buy a schooner or something. These guys, building and rigging and sailing schooners, that’s all they ever did.

There was a very sharp pace of improvement [in the fish12

ing schooners] from the 1870s, 1880s on. Quite a bit of scientific effort had gone into it. There was the Collins Report, there was the building of the Grampus. That was the government, saying “we’ve got to make these boats better.” And they did. They ended up with a hull design which was deeper, more stable, but still carried a lot of fish, and ended up being faster — which of course the fishermen liked — without losing capacity.

Fishing schooners like the Harry Belden and the Carrie Phillips were just immensely powerful vessels. Effie M. Morrissey was just one of those with a clipper bow, basically.

She was a little bit simpler, she had sort of a flatter deadrise, and she wasn’t so hollow. And that makes you faster. It gives you more displacement, but no more weathered surface.

These were very much peak-design vessels, between 1885 and 1905. You can’t beat these vessels. The ones that came later were making room for engines and they were getting sort of complicated, but they weren’t better. In my humble opinion, the peak proficiency in the design of the Gloucester fishing schooner was basically between 1890 and World War One. That’s when they reached their highest and most effective development…

MS: You’re not a fan of the knockabout?

DM: …then they started putting engines in. They just lengthened them in order to keep the same amount of fish hold, they just made them 20 feet longer. So now they went

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d Rig for a New Hull Asked to design the rig for the newly-rebuilt Ernestina-Morrissey, Dan Moreland is relying on research rather than imagination to recreate the original 1894 sail and spar plans. from 105, 110 feet to 125, 130 feet. And that wasn’t driven by anything except that they just made the vessels longer so they’d have the same fish hold, but still have an engine room.

The racing boats, of course, exemplified by the Bluenose, were very big schooners. They were hybrids. The fishing subsidized their racing or some variation of that, but there’s quite a bit of difference between say the Adventure and the Gertrude Thebaud or the Columbia. They look the same, outwardly, but they’re very different vessels in terms of their operational capacity.

I got to know some of the skippers of these vessels. They could tell me about them. Leo Hynes was skipper of both the Adventure and the Thebaud. He described in fine detail how different they were. You can see it on the drawings.

Adventure was a real hard-working fisherman; Gertrude Thebaud was funded to see if they could win a race or two, and then she fished.

MS: Tell me about Effie M. Morrissey’s 1894 rig.

DM: She was rigged in 1894 with a very stumpy foretopmast, a big, long, thick bowsprit, and no engine, in an era when they didn’t really anticipate putting an engine in. Once they started putting engines in, whether they actually put one in or not, they were still thinking about it, and that affected design.

So she was designed as a top-of-the-line fisherman by Mel McClain. He designed a lot of these. He was a fisherman. William Morrissey was in his fifties. Everyone knew this was his last vessel. And he had a lot of say, as a part owner, over a lot of the details, and that was very important for me to figure out in the 1980s, because he was older. He was conservative.

I found wherever I didn’t have an exact detail, and I would do my research and I’d find the most conservative version, if I chose that... later on, I’d find out that that was always the right choice. So conservative was the thing.

Back to the rig. Her masts are something like 80 feet and there’s almost no taper: 20 inches at the deck, 18 inches at the hounds. That’s a lot of wood aloft. Also, it takes a really big tree to make that. I’m going to say you need a 200-foot

tree to get an 80-foot spar with no taper.

MS: Is it true her original lower masts lasted 60 years?

DM: The lower masts lasted till the mid-1950s with no change. And then she was dismasted... I don’t know the details, but I knew Alberto Lopes, a wonderful man, who’s still with us today, in Cape Verde, and he was involved with her at the time. I think it was a rigging failure in heavy winds. Off West Africa, the winds blow hard, and granted, the vessel was quite old. There could have been decay, but I’ve found that if spars don’t rot in the first 10 years, they tend not to rot at all.

It was in ‘53 she got dismasted near Cape Verde. I think something let go in the rig. The rig was also very old. Wire rigs aren’t supposed to last that long. They can, with really good care, but it was 60 years old, right? So if a forestay let go or a bobstay let go… and it’s tough winds around Cape Verde. So she was dismasted, but there was still a lot of life in the hull, so she was pulled up in Mindelo and given a probably 30% to 40% rebuild, but she wasn’t a new boat by any means.

And they were faithful to the original… they really loved her. You can see that in the work they did, because they didn’t change her. They had always replaced in kind and they did that again in 1980.

Bob Bartlett had her from 1925 to 1946, but he’d do a repair, and it was just a repair. Like if the cap rail with a double molding had to be replaced, he’d just replace it with a two-by-six, which is fine. It’s strong. This is a workaday boat. But the Cape Verdeans always replaced exactly like they found it. Pretty much from day one, they honored the fact that they knew they had a special vessel — Henrique Mendes and the people that fixed her up.

MS: Getting back to the original rig, what kind of materials were they using in 1894?

DM: The masts would have been Doug Fir, coming from the West Coast, by train. There was a big trade in this.

Today it’s a big deal to get a big spar from the West Coast,

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13

but back then they were rigging vessels all the time. There were trainloads of these things coming all the time, and very high quality. All old growth, beautiful timbers. Some of her smaller spars could have been local.

I believe she was rigged with hemp, originally, for her shrouds, and then in very short order, we see wire shrouds, but the first photographs seemed to indicate that they’re hemp shrouds. But she was wire-stayed, so she was a bit transitional.

Again, that would be typical of Morrissey. He was very conservative. He went with what he knew; this is what mariners do. So she was hemp-rigged, I believe. The shrouds are very thick and they’re turned back and doubled over the way you would a hemp rig, in this 1894, 1895 photograph.

But soon she was clearly rigged with wire, likely iron wire, because that was what was being used. Apart from that, I see no significant changes up until the dismasting, although it could easily have been that she got new wires at some point.

them more and they had to introduce cheeks and stuff, which also means you have bolts going through the masts, which isn’t good, if you can avoid it.

So they went straight up. Round mast, 18 inches. Then they go square and there’s your cheeks, but no bolts, and very few holes in the mast. The more holes and rusty bolts you put in there, the more likely it’s going to decay.

But I would not have dreamed of shortening the rig for any particular reason. In the South Pacific, I’d probably want a leg-of-mutton mainsail, instead of that 45-foot gaff swinging around, but that’s because you get big swells and light airs. You just modify the sails.

But back to that bowsprit. Bartlett, he was an interesting guy. He loved his vessel, clearly. A bit brutal. He ca. 1990s pounded his way up rivers to get soundings.

There’s rivers on the east coast of Greenland that show 13-foot soundings all the way up the river. He just pounded his way up. He was bold. All sorts of pictures of her hard aground in all sorts of rocks and crazy things.

He broke that 36’ MS: So Bartlett bowsprit off — snapped chose not to modify the it on an iceberg or rig when he took the something. Well, he just schooner to the Arctic. I went out there with a would have thought hatchet and chopped it “I wouldn’t put Kevlar on there any more that maybe the rig off and moved the iron might get cut down. down, shortened up the than I’d put vinyl siding on Mount Vernon.” rigging, and that was it.

DM: Well, there was He didn’t really need 36 no reason to cut it down. [Her lower sails] move her along feet of bowsprit. He now had, I’m going to guess, about 14 just fine. It’s a lot of trouble to cut down a rig. Why would feet left, and it was very stout. It’s still just as thick. He didn’t you do that? She wasn’t a crazy racer. change it. If he’d had a chainsaw, he’d have used a chainsaw, but he used a hatchet, and in photographs for another 10, 20 MS: You wrote about Bartlett running the bowsprit into years, you can still see the hatchet marks on the end of the some ice and having to shorten the bowsprit with a hatchet bowsprit. No one took a rasp out there to smooth it out. at one point. The bowsprit on the 1912 photo you sent me is very long.

MS: Otherwise, as you said, she remained the schooner that was built in Essex in 1894 for a very long time.

DM: It’s very long, and very thick! But back to your earlier point, there would be no impetus to cut down the rig. I’d DM: A lot of these restored vessels got converted to probably leave the topmasts ashore, just like he did, but the power, or changed dramatically, or had big pilothouses put lower rig was the proper rig for it. It wasn’t too high. She on. She got an auxiliary engine installed in 1926 — badly was a working boat. She was not a race boat. installed, according to Bob Bartlett’s last engineer, who actuOn later vessels, like Gertrude Thebaud, the lower masts ally sailed with me on Ernestina. George Pomeroy. I met him are very tall. They’re very tapered, which is another point. in Newfoundland, and then he became my engineer for two One of the things they had to do later on, when you could years and he was awesome. So there’s things you can’t do no longer get these big, big, big, sticks, they started tapering anymore. We don’t get to do that again.

14

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But there was never any conscious, intentional, “Oh, God, let’s change this out” thing. Things migrated, moved around, and when you work in the tropics and put the galley on deck, that’s a good idea. But she was never grossly converted for anything. She was always the vessel that was built in Essex in 1894. That’s kind of neat. And that guided us in the restoration of work we did 90 years later.

We had a hull and a pretty leaky deck, but it was all sound. She was sound. The deck-keeper did a great job, but she sat in Gloucester for eight years without much attention.

So we had a lot of catching up to do.

MS: When you re-rigged the boat in the eighties, to become a sail-training vessel, you tried to put back what had been there in 1894.

DM: Right. I tried to recover the design of the rig, and that’s what I’m doing today. Did I come up with this rig out of my brain? No, no.

I’m trying to reestablish the original rig, per the request of the people that are trying to do it.

There’s a lot of discovery and research in the process, and a little bit of interpolation. Yes, I have to turn that into a design, so that makes me a designer. But this rig isn’t a product of my imagination. It’s a product of research.

schooner knows it’s just for postcards.

But the jib topsail — the ballooner — gives you another half knot, three quarters of a knot, another knot, in almost any conditions. And if you can carry your jib topsail longer...

So she had a stumpy fore-topmast. It’s roughly half the height that you might aesthetically consider the norm, but it means you can carry a jib topsail forever and you can really make her go. You can see it in some pictures, because it’s a little bit unusual, and in the 1902 photographs of Gloucester harbor, you can actually pick her out by this one feature.

My intention in the eighties was to reproduce that, and then after I got off, they put a tall fore-topmast in. Very nice, very pretty, it looked great. She’s got great stability, so it wasn’t a problem. You could put any rig you want in ca. 1890s her — you could put in a lot taller rig, I suppose. But the rig we’re putting in is within inches of the original, which allowed the captain to carry that jib topsail any time.

MS: So given that Ernestina-Morrissey has such great stability, there was no temptation to consider some of the newer, lighter materials that are available?

DM: Oh, farthest thing from my mind. I wouldn’t put Kevlar on there any more than I’d put vinyl siding on Mount Vernon. I wouldn’t dream of it. It’s a very sticky wicket. It’s a swamp when we start thinking we can improve these vessels. Guys like me and Harold Burnham and a couple others have [created rigs] a fair amount, compared to anyone else, but we haven’t done this anywhere near as much as they did back in the 1890s. You know?

Actually, in the eighties, I had my bright ideas. “Maybe it’d be better to do it this way.” And I would try it. Then we made the decision: “Let’s just make it the way she was, as best we can.” And in every case, that was the right thing to do, the right operational thing to do.

She is a marvelous vessel to operate. If you want to improve her, go build a new one! And when you improve her, you don’t really re-establish what she did. You don’t really tap into the knowledge, the wisdom, that’s inherent in the fabric of this vessel. You’re just proving whether your own

“William Morrissey knew that the fore gaff topsail is useless...”

MS: I notice from photos that during her sail training career, she sometimes sailed with both topmasts, and other times without the fore-topmast.

DM: In the eighties, we were in a mad rush. I did a lot of the research, but I didn’t get to effect some of it. So we had two spars laying there. They had a lot more taper than the original, but they were there and we had to go. We put them in, they worked fine. But now we’re actually going to get closer to the original sparring and masting.

One of the things that’s neat about the original design is, she had a short fore-topmast. Short and thick. Her main topmast was tall and skinny, but her fore-topmast was stumpy and she never had a fore gaff topsail in her working days or in her commercial days. William Morrissey knew that the fore gaff topsail is useless. Everybody who sails a big

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Continued on page 43 15

Inflection Poin n Forty years ago, the Sailing School Vessel Act both modernized and regulated sail training and sparked an industry-wide burst of growth Michael Rutstein Coming out of the 1960s, educators were challenging accepted wisdom and embracing new ideas. Students and teachers alike were especially excited about experiential education, on land and at sea.

By the early 1970s, pioneering projects such as Warwick Tompkins’ cruises on Wanderbird, Alan Villiers’ circumnavigation on Joseph Conrad, and Irving and Exy Johnson’s voyages had paved the way for programs that offered both coastal sailing and offshore passage-making in partnership with established, accredited institutions. These included SEA, ORES, and the Seamester programs out of Long Island University.

Less formal voyage-making was still available — Bob Douglas had launched Shenandoah in 1964, and Arthur and Gloria Kimberly’s Romance was active throughout the ‘70s.

But now there were also local programs focused on environmental stewardship, such as Clearwater. There were programs tightly focused on marine science, like ORES. There were Outward Bound-style programs designed to foster selfreliance, self-confidence, and leadership skills. On Lake Ontario, the brigantines St. Lawrence II, Pathfinder and Playfair were “building character through adventure” under the Maple Leaf flag.

In New England, private high schools such as Tabor Academy, St. George’s, and Landmark owned and operated their own vessels, with ambitious sailing schedules. The Flint School in Sarasota operated Te Vega and later Te Quest beginning in 1969.

And then came the 1976 Bicentennial — a true watershed event.

An explosion of interest in the American Revolution prompted the construction of replicas of HMS Rose and the Continental Sloop Providence. The Bicentennial featured over-the-top celebrations, most notably OpSail in New York Harbor, that placed traditional sailing vessels front and cen16

ter in the public eye.

In addition to a dozen international tall ships — even the Soviet Union’s Kruzenshtern made the trip — over 100 smaller vessels paraded at OpSail, including the sail-trainers Bill of Rights, Brilliant, Clearwater, the ill-fated Enchantress, Harvey Gamage, the Canadian brigantines Pathfinder and Playfair, Pioneer, Regina Maris, Roseway, Te Vega, Unicorn, Gazela, and Westward. There has never been, before or since, a more powerful advertisement for the industry.

In the afterglow of the Bicentennial, the first Pride of Baltimore was launched. Elissa and Adventuress were saved from the wrecker’s yard, and new programs began to take shape around them.

Yet despite all the ships and all the publicity, the industry faced crippling obstacles.

The Problem Set The US Coast Guard had no regulatory framework for the growing sail-training industry, creating a variety of issues for those offering education at sea.

Problem #1: Ocean-going sail-training vessels had little choice but to register under the Ocean Research Vessel Act (ORVA) of 1965 as “research” vessels — even those for whom research was peripheral to the mission. The Coast Guard was acutely aware of the difference between “real” research vessels — many of which were funded by the government — and SEA’s Westward, for example.

“Westward’s status as an oceanographic research vessel was tenuous at best,” wrote Lucy Coan Helfrich in 1994.

“Her motley crew — bearded, bare-chested sailors and ‘hippie-looking’ students — came under immediate scrutiny by many a regional Coast Guard commander when she put into domestic ports. Evidence that oceanographic research was

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CLEARWATER

nt BILL OF RIGHTS

ALAN THOMAS

HARVEY GAMAGE

BENSON LEE

REGINA MARIS

J WIGGLESWORTH

YANKEE

K. BALCOMB

WESTWARD

being conducted was scarce; there was no sampling equipment on board save a few plankton nets.

“On several occasions, the Coast Guard came close to shutting down the whole operation.” [1] “The first program, we went from the West Coast to Puerto Rico,” recalled longtime SEA trustee Dick Hawkins, “and the Coast Guard commander on the West Coast sent a note to his colleague in Puerto Rico saying, ‘These guys, I don’t know what they’re doing. It’s a sailing ship, it’s a yacht, and it’s got a bunch of kids on it.’ And the crew had long beards, and they looked scrappy, as we all did in those days.

“When Westward arrived in Puerto Rico, the Coast Guard said, ‘You can’t operate this way!’ They literally put us out of business for a day or so.

“But we had found, in the meantime, a giant winch at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, a wonderful organization which helped us a great deal.

[SEA founder] Cory [Cramer] knew some of the people there, and they offered us the winch, and we shipped it down to Puerto Rico, installed it on the ship and said, ‘See, WESTWARD in we have the capability of conducting serious research.’

“Anyway, Cory talked the Coast Guard into letting us operate.”

“We were in an adversarial position for a while,” conceded former SEA Marine Superintendant Wallace Stark.

“We actually got a letter from the Department of Transportation [thanks to Massachusetts Governor Francis Sargent and former Governor, later Secretary of Transportation, John Volpe] that allowed us to operate as an oceanographic research vessel. Whenever the Coast Guard would board us and ask us for our COI, we produced this letter! The inspecting officer would run off and verify its authenticity, and come back and tell us that we were released.

“Cory felt that they were after us to close us down.”

Problem #2: The vague status of trainees, being neither crew nor passengers, created legal and insurance issues.

1933 First Yankee acquired by Irving & Exy Johnson 18

1941 First Outward Bound program launched in Wales, UK

1947 Second Yankee acquired by Irving & Exy Johnson

“All the students onboard were categorized as assistant scientists,” said Capt. John Wigglesworth — a W5 trainee who later rose to command SEA vessels — of Westward’s early voyages.

But what if an “assistant scientist” were injured or killed?

Did STOs have the same responsibility to paying trainees as the merchant marine did to paid mariners? As cruise ships did to their paying passengers?

Explicitly excluding trainees (and instructors) from seaman status was important for STOs, because the legal test for seaman status relies on an individual’s duties, not on title or employment status. A statutory carve-out, stating that as long as a vessel operates in compliance with the law, its trainees would not be considered Jones Act seamen by the courts, would help make insurance premiums manageable. [2] “We had a lawyer on our board named Paul Perkins, a senior guy at Ropes & Gray in Boston,” said Hawkins.

“Paul and his friends were saying, ‘Hey, you’re not in a good legal position here.’ Every year he would push hard with the the Caribbean board to improve that situation.”

Problem #3: Buying or building vessels abroad was generally more cost-effective. But foreign-built vessels, such as Westward, Te Vega, Unicorn and Regina Maris, were not permitted registration under the US flag and were consequently limited by Jones Act restrictions. They could not conduct commercial voyages between American ports without an intervening visit to a foreign port. This complicated their schedules and itineraries and led to increased travel expenses for both STOs and for trainees.

Regional coastal operations — for instance, Tabor Boy’s long tradition of Gulf of Maine cruises — would not be permitted for a foreign flag ship.

By the tail end of the 1970s, SEA had become very interested in building a new vessel — not in the US but in Spain, where they would get more bang for their buck — and thus equally interested in legislation that would exempt foreignbuilt sail-training vessels from these restrictions.

1952 Adventuress saved from oblivion by ‘Doc’ Freeman

1954 Tabor Boy acquired

by Tabor Academy

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1964 Bob Douglas launches Shenandoah in Maine

1969 Clearwater is launched

There was resistance to admitting foreign hulls from existing Subchapter T operators, however.

“The T vessels did not want a new class of ‘sailing school’ ships competing with their passenger trade,” said Captain Kip Files.

Concerned about cheap foreign hulls running day sails under the auspices of non-profit sail education, able to access grants and donations while not paying taxes, the T operators wanted assurances that terms like “sailing school” and “sailtraining” would be narrowly defined.

Problem #4: The construction guidelines, safety and stability requirements, and inspection schedules we love to complain about today did not exist.

Most of what was on the books had been enacted “in the early part of the 20th century, when the sailing vessels were giving way to steam… Their extinction was expected, and they were, for the most part, ignored when the regulations were being written.” [3] This allowed the Ocean Research and Education Society, for example, to continue sending the decrepit Regina Maris to sea as an uninspected research vessel. [4] Although ORES was running a legitimate marine science program, studying the behavior and migration of humpback whales, its well-traveled 1908 brigantine was on her last legs.

“We joked that she only stayed afloat by the worms holding hands,” recalled Wigglesworth.

“When I sailed on her, we called her the Rigor Mortis,” said Files.

“We were always afraid she was going to sink,” admitted Stark, noting that a disaster on any sail-training vessel had the potential to sink the entire nascent industry.

The shortcomings of the existing regulations had been recognized ever since the 1961 loss of the Albatross. Built in 1920 as a pilot boat, Albatross had been acquired in 1959 by Christopher Sheldon’s Ocean Academy for voyages combining college prep classes and sail training. Sheldon had circumnavigated with the Johnsons.

Sheldon and his wife Alice ran programs for up to fourteen students in the Caribbean and the Pacific. The foreignbuilt Albatross was registered in Panama and thus boarded her classes outside the US; her last cruise departed from Bermuda.

In May of 1961, Albatross was knocked down by a squall in the Gulf of Mexico and quickly sank. Six were drowned, including Alice Sheldon. It was later found that incremental changes to Albatross over the years had seriously compromised her stability. [5] This disaster prompted the Coast Guard to undertake a thorough review of the stability requirements for sailing ves1970 Jim Stoll begins offering programs aboard Te Vega

1971 SEA buys Westward for $90,000

1973 ASTA is formed; Harvey Gamage is launched

sels, a process which was well underway by the time sail trainers such as Cory Cramer began agitating for the creation of a new registry within the USCG regulations, that of “Sailing School Vessel” (SSV).

The Sailing School Vessel Act Cramer believed that creating a new category of ‘Sailing School Vessels’ could resolve the issues that SEA had struggled with throughout its first decade — issues that led Cramer to ink “Public Enemy #1” across the top of his file on the Coast Guard. [6] He wanted to offer a broader curriculum, beyond just “research”; he wanted to be able to acquire and build vessels outside of the US, and start & finish voyages in US ports; he wanted to establish the legal status of trainees, separate from crew or passengers; and finally he wanted a regulatory framework that fit the vessels and voyages typical of the emerging sail-training industry.

For these and other purposes, the Council on Educational Shipowners (CES), “[a] group of interested sailors, ship owners, educators and maritime preservationists,” had been founded as a subgroup of the American Sail Training Association (ASTA). The CES was modeled on the Research Vessel Operators Council that had pushed for the ORVA of 1965. [7] “Cory and the chairman of our board, Dr. George Nichols, got together with this fellow in Newport, Barclay Warburton,” recalled Hawkins.

“Barclay and Cory were a little bit suspicious of each other, I think. But they did manage to get a group of people together to ask, ‘What have we got here? What can we do?

What are our problems?’ Everybody recognized, ‘Yeah, we need our own Act. We need a new regulatory environment that we can operate in.’

“Admiral Tom Weschler was on the [SEA] board at the time. He was a recently-retired three-star admiral who was smart, organized, articulate, deeply experienced — a strong leader with a gentle touch, and a wonderful guy that people listened to. He had a knack for saying the right thing at the right time.

“Anyway, he got up at that meeting and said, ‘This room is full of captains. You’re all captains. And captains are accustomed to telling people what to do, and having them do it, and they’re accustomed to having their own way.’ And he made us see that although Cory wanted to do it his way, and Barclay wanted to do it his way, we had to overcome those differences, and work together, and we did.”

In 1981, Cramer, who was battling cancer, handed the SEA reigns to Rafe Parker and devoted himself to the chal-

1975 Enchantress aka Young America launched

1975 Elissa acquired

by Texas Seaport Museum and Galveston H.S.

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1976 Regina Maris purchased by ORES

1977 Pride of Baltimore is launched; Ocean Institute founded 19

lenge of pushing the Sailing School Vessel Act through the Coast Guard, through Congress, and into law.

It wouldn’t be easy. The Coast Guard remained “extremely antagonistic to the sailing vessel industry.” [8] That antagonism was partly generational; Coast Guard decision-makers of the 1970s had begun their careers during World War II. They suspected these “research vessels” full of “hippie-looking students” were skirting the regulations, and sometimes they were right.

Also, Coast Guard inspectors were uncomfortable both with sailing rigs and wooden hulls, which they were seeing less and less of in the post-war era. And they had been frustrated in their attempts to quantify exactly why the Albatross had sunk, and to craft regulations that would prevent similar losses in the future.

“There was always good faith on the part of the Coast Guard,” said Hawkins. “They just didn’t want to get embarrassed by accidents that would later come back to haunt them. And they wanted to do their job properly.

“The problem was that the Coast Guard had only looked to the kinds of vessels that they were regulating as examples of what they should be looking at. If you’re regulating cruise ships or fishing boats or the big research vessels, that’s not necessarily the same as regulating sailboats. They didn’t have much experience with this.

“So pretty soon Cory said, ‘We’re going to make our own law here.’ He had that in not just the back of his mind, but in the front of his mind, almost from the beginning.”

“Our first attempt at writing a set of regulations that would be viable was done by SEA Captain John Lucas by going through Subchapter T, section by section,” recalled Stark, “and modifying it to something that we could live with. That was the genesis.”

Falmouth attorney Leonard Rose took up the task of crafting the bill; later Perkins and his firm got involved.

Washington DC attorney Tom Mills contributed strategic, lobbying, and staff services. The bill was revised at least five times before it was finally put forward as the Sailing School Vessel Act. It would be sponsored by Rep. Gerry Studds, whose district included SEA’s home port of Woods Hole.

“Studds was an energetic young fellow who grasped the issues quickly,” recalled Hawkins. “He got us before the Transportation Committee that he ran, and looked at the Coast Guard and said, ‘These people have a reasonable idea, why haven’t you done it yet? Let’s get this done yesterday!’

So that was a good impetus.”

Stability Thanks to Warburton and others, the bill was backed in 1982 SSV Act; Traverse Tall Ship launches Manitou 20

1984 Spirit of Massachusetts launched

1986 Soundwaters formed; Lady Maryland built for Living Classrooms

the Senate by both Rhode Island members, Claiborne Pell and John Chafee, as well as Bob Packwood (OR) and Slade Gorton (WA). It passed both houses and was signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1982. But even then, it was a hollow framework that needed to be filled in through negotiations between the CES and the Coast Guard.

Under the SSVA, a ‘Sailing School Vessel’ was now defined as a vessel of less than 500 gross tons, carrying six or more individuals who are sailing school students or sailing school instructors, principally equipped for propulsion by sail even if the vessel has an auxiliary means of propulsion.

Sailing school students and instructors were excluded from the definition of “seamen” for purposes of statutory and common law seamen’s remedies.

SSVs were excluded from the definition of “merchant vessel” or “merchant vessel engaged in trade or commerce” and were exempt from the statutory requirements which bar foreign-built hulls from conducting commerce between U.S. ports. The registration of foreign-built vessels as SSVs was now possible.

Finally, SSVs were exempt from existing regulations requiring the inspection and certification of passenger vessels, and a new set of regulations was proposed that were specific to SSVs. The details took some time to hash out, since the CES found the Coast Guard’s proposed stability requirements to be unrealistic for sailing vessels.

“We got the Act passed,” recalled Stark, “and then there was the arduous task of sitting down with the Coast Guard representative, Lt. John Astley, and coming up with something that would be acceptable to them.

“Stability was the key. We had to debunk the myth of the Albatross. We had to show why it rolled over and why our ships wouldn’t.

“The Beebe-Center report on stability, which was what the Coast Guard used, was really way too conservative,” insisted Stark. Strict adherence to its recommendations would have led to overly stiff vessels, prone to snap-rolling — the antithesis of the sea-kindly designs best suited for sail training.

“We were eventually able to show that,” said Stark, citing contributions from all-stars such as Rod Stephens of Sparkman and Stephens, and Irving Johnson — both SEA Trustees at the time.

“I think SEA and others ended up spending $100,000, between legal help and naval architects and engineers, to win the legislative battle.”

Negotiations over the final wording were further complicated by two unfortunate events in 1984: the sinking of the British-flagged Marques off Bermuda with American stu-

1987 SEA launches purpose-built SSV Corwith Cramer

1988 Bay Shore Center gifted Clyde A. Phillips; Niagara, Pride II launched

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1988 Call of the Sea begins sailing on Seaward

1989 Grays Harbor launches Lady Washington

dents on board, with loss of life, and of the Isaac Evans, a Subchapter T vessel, in Penobscot Bay. While research eventually showed that the Marques would not have been certifiable under the proposed stability rules, the CES might have been stymied but for the considerable political firepower they brought to bear.

“Although young, small, and inexperienced in the political arena, the sail training groups effected a thorough and sophisticated effort,” asserted Philip Sacks, in a 1995 case study.

“The sail training industry effectively consolidated its membership in order to present a unified posture… built both grass-roots constituency and high-level technical support and political access … [and framed] their agenda into one of education, marine preservation, and the need for appropriate regulations in order to avoid having the issue framed solely as a matter of safety.” [9] In the final rules, published in the Federal Register in 1986 (three years after the passage of the SSVA) the stability requirements had been amended, “based primarily on the recommendations of the American Sail Training Association.”

As Stark summed up: “We were able to carry the sail plan that would allow the ship to be a passagemaker as opposed to a motorsailer.”

A New Era

Chris Richm mond crichmond d@allenif.com ENDORSED BY

AllenIF.com/tallships | (8 800) 439-4311

With the Sailing School Vessel Act on the books, the modern era of sail training had begun in the United States.

“For us,” said Hawkins, “it was fabulous, because we were building a ship at that point and it ended up being the first ship that was built under the new regulations. And that was a path to permanency. Before that, I think we were asking ourselves: ‘Will we hang on a little while and then peter out, because it’s just too difficult to operate in this regulatory 1992 Los Angeles Maritime Institute founded

1996 Picton Castle arrives in Lunenburg

1996 Ocean Classroom Foundation begins sailing with Harvey Gamage

environment?’

“And now we were saying, ‘Hey, we can operate in this environment, because we’ve got a place in it. And as we go along, we’ll learn from the Coast Guard and they will learn from us as to what we all need and what’s the best route to take. And we’ll look at our mistakes and analyze them, and

1998 Seamester is founded; acquires Ocean Star 1999

Continued on page 42 1998 BaySail begins operations with Appledore IV

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1998 Alabama acquired

by Black Dog Tall Ships

2000 Discovery World launches Denis Sullivan; Amistad launched 21

The Pleasure of Sailmaking GORDON

By Harold Burnham As a boy of fourteen I wound up jumping ship from my family’s Friendship sloop Resolute and sailing with our friend Bob Phaneuf and his friends aboard his Phil A new suit Nichols-built sloop, of sails Surprise. Bob and his friends seemed to enjoy sets beautifully having a sober young boy on Burnham’s along with them who 2003 schooner could sail the boat and navigate.

FAME I learned a lot from those guys, and I just loved Surprise. Like her owner, everything about Surprise was big, from her enormous chest-deep cockpit to the end of her long hogged-down bowsprit. One aspect I was particularly fond of was her large, low-slung, hand-sewn, vertical-cut canvas mainsail. That sail was a real driver and when I was sailing on other boats I could pick Surprise out as a speck on the horizon. From that experience I learned that despite all the labor that goes into building a hull, the sails are what people see first.

My father made several sails for Resolute. I used to think that this was to save money. I have come to realize that he just took great pleasure in making things himself and in learning, but it was torture to my mom’s home sewing machine. Of the several sails my father made, the last was a jib that just never 22

GRANT set right. In fact it never set at all. It was flat and it constantly flapped, despite being re-cut several times.

I think that the experience discouraged him, but I didn’t learn from his mistake.

My first sail-making venture also involved torturing my mom’s sewing machine, and I think I eventually killed it. That first sail was for a Beetle Cat that I had rebuilt.

I remember going to Hood Sail Loft in Marblehead to buy some sail tape. The folks there were very kind, they listened to me and were very happy to help me out. Looking back, I think they were just happy to see a kid trying to make a sail. I remember that they offered me a job.

The sail I made set all right, although not as good as my older Beetle Cat sail. The heavy cloth I used didn’t stretch like the cloth on the existing sail, which I roughly copied for the design, and the boom swung only inches above the coaming. There was nothing to do but re-cut the foot and put in new reef points. Since the sail had three sets of reef points and all of them had to be repositioned, when I was done it looked as if someone had shot the sail with a machine gun.

Fortunately, another thing I learned from my father was

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how to laugh at my mistakes. I sailed the boat that way for years until I eventually sold her with that sail on it.

Many years later, I was building the Chebacco Boat Lewis H. Story for the Essex Shipbuilding Museum. As I was finishing the boat, there was no money for sails, and I had no sewing machine. A friend of mine and of the Museum had temporary possession of an old Singer 107, and we agreed that If I borrowed the machine and made the Story’s sails, I could keep the machine until its rightful owner needed it.

With the 107 in hand, I bought a copy of The SailMakers Apprentice from the museum store. This was a worthy investment and a valuable resource. I still keep a copy handy for reference and to lend to younger folks who help me out from time to time. For the Story’s sails I also bought a thennew material developed by North Cloth and Nat Wilson called Oceanus.

Oceanus turned out to be exactly what I was looking for in a sail material. Oceanus looked, felt, worked, and handled like canvas, but did not mildew like my old canvas sails. It is strong and holds up well. For many years now I have worked with it exclusively.

The sails for the Lewis H. Story came out very nice indeed, set very satisfactorily, and orders for other sails followed. Every year since I have made one, two, or three sets of sails. While that hardly makes me a sailmaker, two or three sets of sails every year for 23 years does add up to quite a body of work. Many of these sails are for the boats I have built, rebuilt, or worked on and none of the sails I have made have been production.

If the project is local, I generally measure the boat and the spars myself. If it is for a customer from away, I have them measure the spars as well as send me photos of the various parts of the boat. I enjoy carefully drawing every sail before we build it and usually in conjunction with the boat they are on. Occasionally we see problems that need correcting, better ways to rig the boat, or make recommendations for changes in the spar plans, and we wind up building the spars as well. All of this leads to a final product that works the way the owner wants and looks as I envision it.

I have heard people say that traditionally-cut Oceanus sails do not perform as well as modern sails laid out and cut by computers. To those who believe this, I would say first that the people I’ve heard the most about this from either own the computer cutters or have just bought sails from those that do.

Second, there are many factors involved in how boats sail. With a lifetime of building and racing traditional vessels behind me, my experience leads me to believe that the sail’s size relative to the boat, shape, and position are as important as what cloth they are cut from. Whether or not the vessel’s bottom is clean, and the size of propeller and aperture are both important factors, and often the most critical factor in what makes a boat go is who is driving it.

A roll of Oceanus

Repairing a jib The Singer 107

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SSV OLIVER HAZARD PERRY is the largest civilian Sailing School Vessel in the United States. Launched in 2015, the PERRY is the first ocean-going full-rigged ship to be built in the U.S. in over 100 years. Commodore Perry, a native son of Rhode Island, was the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812.

The PERRY can accommodate up to 49 people overnight and up to 75 for day sails. The PERRY is the official flagship and tall ship ambassador of the state of Rhode Island.

Photo by Onne van der Wal

All “real” sailmakers know this, and that is why the most successful ones often race with their best customers and volunteer to take the wheel when things are tight.

While I am a traditionalist, I believe in using modern materials where they make sense. I use plywood decks, and Oceanus is woven from Dacron fibers, which are stronger and hold up better than cotton. On the other hand, my opinion is that those white computer-cut hard Dacron or carbon fiber sails look as out of place on a traditional boat as a giant spoiler would on the back of a Model A, and they increase performance about as much.

As sailmaking for me is supplementary to my boatbuilding and charter businesses, I don’t keep secrets about it and I have taught classes on sailmaking for the Essex Shipbuilding Museum, Lowell’s Boat Shop, and the Gloucester Maritime Heritage Center. I have also had several eager apprentices, including my son Alden, who started working with me at a very young age and in recent years built sails for his own Friendship and for a customer’s Friendship. Aaron

Snider built several sails for me, including a set for the schooner Isabella. Chuck Redman built the Ardelle’s first set of sails; a set of sails for the Fame, a set for a Friendship sloop and a set for a No Mans Land boat.

John Emmet, who has really got the bug and works full-time for North Sails, also has done a lot of sailmaking in our shop.

Along with Susannah Winder and Katherine Dench he built a set of sails for a catboat, a set for the Fame, a set for a friend’s cat yawl and a set of sails for my old sloop Chrissy.

Incidentally, I horse-traded that set of sails for Chrissy for the schooner Sylvina W. Beal and while I will reserve judgment on whether or not that was a good idea, it certainly has changed my life and am grateful to John for his part in that.

After over a hundred sails and more than twenty Burnham’s years, I did eventually Essex, MA loft return the 107 to my friend’s grandson and purchased a new-to-me Singer 111 from Parisi’s Sewing Machines in Danvers, Mass. Over the years Parisi’s has been instrumental in keeping my machines going and me in business. The pulse of the needle in the work is music to my ears.

I am also grateful to my customers as I consider it a privilege to work for them and sailmaking a most enjoyable work. I keep the wood stove going (which is suspended above the loft floor) and the radio on. As pleasant and comfortable as the work is, the real satisfaction of sail making comes from watching one of my boats develop from a speck on the horizon as they come into view. b National Heritage Fellow Harold Burnham’s current project is the 1911 sardine carrier Sylvina W. Beal. For more info, visit schoonerardelle.com.

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Keeping our maritime heritage alive—one story at a time ...

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Sea History explores exciting Age of Sail stories, the plight of historic ships, opportunities to preview maritime art and exhibits, up-to-date book reviews and so much more.

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Our customers are our best sales team: schooner.org in business since 1997 schoonerfame.com in business since 2003 schoonerardelle.com in business since 2011

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Living the Dream?

Do you spend your nights sailing your vessel up narrow creekbeds, down city streets, and over waterfalls? You’re not alone.

After Capt. Perry Davis of Alert posted about a dream he had last winter — a dream eerily similar to ones I have had — we reached out to followers of the Marlinspike facebook page to see if all schooner captains were wrestling with the same nocturnal dilemmas. Lo and behold, it appears that these dreams, or some variation on them, come with the territory.

started thinking about the power lines, and that’s when I would wake up.

Richard Bailey This is common among mariners. Mine was vivid: sailing ‘HMS’ Rose through a five-story urban setting.

Seems like an older city, narrow cobblestone streets, balconies with laundry. We’re braced up pretty sharp, but the tip of a yardarm occasionally catches a piece of laundry; old ladies are yelling at me.

Maybe in Italian?

Suddenly the street Ts ahead: gotta make a sharp right turn. Hands to the braces, lively now. Helm hard to starboard! Sparks are flying from the 6” thick steel worm shoe on the paving stones. I usually wake up before anything really catastrophic happens. I won’t say my heart wasn’t pounding...

Gordon Laco I’m sailing up a channel, barely laying the course... rocks and forest on both sides, open water ahead. Lifts let me come more toward the middle, but leeway and headers press her down to the starboard, leeward side.

I can see the end of the channel ahead... I think we’re going to make it without taking a jog on the other tack to reset. Sort of a recurring comfort dream.

The dream I’d really call my comfort dream is this: it’s a Saturday morning and I’ve arrived at Adelaide and Jarvis Streets in Toronto, and I’m opening the old Tom Taylor Co. Chandlery where I worked when I first came out of university.

From 1932 until 1984, one of the world’s grandest marine outfitters. I ran the rigging department. My late uncle Con ran it before me from WW2 till his early death in ‘72. In my dream, I’m opening the door and I can smell the place, the floor creaks, and everything is like it was.

Jesse A. Briggs My first year running the A. J. Meerwald gave rise to similar dreams. The Meerwald was in the street where the students would get on board. I would then drive down the street to the boat ramp. Everything would be fine until I 28

Lily Heyns Have driven the Manitou through the streets of Traverse City, getting as mad at pedestrians not respecting right of way as I do at jet skiers.

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Chris Welton I’ve sailed Californian along a bike path across Palos Verdes, through the streets of Coronado, and slalomed down a ski slope. That was easy. Steaming Medea through downtown San Pedro was tricky because of the delay in ringing orders to the engine room when we hit traffic signals while going uphill. I was amazed at her ability to bend around corners.

Kay LaLang I sailed When and If southeast down Whitehead Street in Key West, very nervous that there would be Conch Tour Train traffic by the Southernmost Point. Luckily there wasn’t. Came about and carried up South Street on a starboard tack. I was trying to get to the airport on South Roosevelt.

Warwick Brown Usually sailing tops’l schooner Enterprize up stream in a creek that gets smaller and smaller, Sometimes we make do without water; other times the ship magically shrinks !

Christopher A. Sørensen I actually had this dream last night. We were sailing up into a cove where there was a pioneer village/native village. I kept giving orders to heave to, drop anchor and lay aloft to furl, but instead we just drove straight up the beach, and through the village; living history enthusiasts spilling to port & starboard like so many bowling pins.

Robert Walther I sailed my Seawind ketch Patience down the rows of East Palatka potato fields, and was amazed at how neatly she threw the dirt aside in the row.

Tom Ward Yep, ran a red light at a very busy intersection in my hometown because we couldn’t get the yards backed in time.

What a mess.

Henrik Karlsson I dreamt I sailed down a waterfall with the Marité.

Reminds me of the morning we came into New York through Hells Gate and I had calculated the tide wrong...

Mark Smith I was a docent on the now-scrapped schooner Wawona. I had a recurring dream, when she was still afloat, that we were sailing her across Puget Sound as she slowly sank under our feet.

Douglas Tyson In one of my more vivid versions I was sailing the Nathaniel Bowditch (now Ladona) down a hill toward an intersection. Luckily the light turned green and the cars

moved and I was able to sail her through the intersection and up the hill on the other side.

James Thayer I dreamed that I was conning Californian through San Diego’s Little Italy. The crew was really sharp, executing perfect uphill tacks. Unfortunately, the wind kept picking up just as traffic started to get heavy and we were forced to weave back and forth to avoid overrunning vehicles that were slower than we were. Eventually, I decided that the most prudent action was to heave-to in a vacant lot until conditions eased.

Mike Merriman I always dream I’m sailing in a river that’s very shallow and eventually run aground. However the other night I then towed the boat with my bicycle through a warehouse that built robotic dogs, cats and mice until I got a flat.

Ben Clarkson I have this dream often... sailing a schooner on the trickle in a roadside gutter.

Kurt Schultz I was recently sailing as Chief Mate aboard the schooner Wolf on a hurricane relief supply trip to the Bahamas. I dreamt that on my watch I had somehow gotten her ashore and was trying to sail her down the roads back to the harbor while trying not to take out any street lights or stop lights!

My best schooner dream, though, was aboard Appledore II, heading up the Keys on our way to Maine. In my dream, I was home (but my house was different) and the street was flooding and my house started flooding and floated away, bucking up and down as I tried to steer her away from trees.

Then I woke up (bouncing around in my focsle bunk) and realized that the storm we were expecting hit us earlier than expected!

Keith Wells I used to dream that I was running my shrimp trawler on the roads, dragging the nets through the ditches on each side. Was a lot of shrimp in those ditches!

Brett Merrill Taking a ship up an ever-narrowing body of water until it’s barely enough to float a bathtub toy.

Kevin Kirkendoll I worked on offshore tug boats and I would dream we would be towing the barge down a city street and it would be smashing everything.

Paul Morse A few times a year I am sailing either Bill of Rights or

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What Would Freud Say? What do these dreams mean? Is there more to them than meets the eye? We asked Dr. Larry Posner, a clinical psychologist from Massachusetts.

Marlinspike: Is it common for people with the same jobs to share the same dreams, especially if the jobs include a certain degree of responsibility or stress?

Dr. Posner: Intuitively, the answer would be yes. Your dreams usually contain vestiges of or images from how you spend your day. If you spend your day on the ocean, you're going to have that. I did a literature search to see if there's anything about shared dreaming in occupations. I couldn't find anything. But it makes sense that people who share the same experiences would share some of the same dream imagery.

MS: What do you make of the juxtaposition of on-the-water responsibilities with driving experiences, like sailing down a city street, or docking the schooner in a parking lot? That was common to a lot of the dreams we collected.

DP: Dreams, if you go back to Freud, are either fears or wishes, most likely fears, and you're working through some kind of anxiety. Running a boat is... you can't not pay attention. It's pleasurable some of the time, and other times, it's stressful.

Let's say the dream consists of two elements. One is what they call the vestiges of the day: familiar images, people you've met, things you've experienced, that makes up the content of what's going on. Then you've got what would be the process or the psychological function, which is the mind trying to cope with the anxiety associated with that.

Driving a car down a roadway, even though we do it very automatically, also has its own anxieties and dangers: you could hit somebody, somebody could hit you, you could slide off the road, whatever. So, it's analogous. And yet these dreams of MAX HALBER STADT going down roadways or dry creek beds, this is not where boats go. You can't sail a boat those places.

I think it's a reflection of anxiety and the mind's attempt to work through that anxiety. That, of course, is one of the theories: that dreaming is a way to manage anxiety. Some people even claim to find solutions in their dreams. I didn't see many solutions in these dreams!

MS: In most of them the situation is getting steadily worse, and just when disaster is imminent — you wake up!

[Laughs] You were telling me that the fields of psychiatry and psychology have steered clear of dream interpretation in recent years.

DP: Google [dream interpretation] and you’ll end up with a psychic who will tell you that if you dream about being on a boat, that means you're going on a journey. It's glib.

The key is, what does the dream mean to the dreamer? Listening to what you're saying about being a captain, there can be a fair amount of anxiety associated with keeping the vessel, the crew, and the passengers safe.

I'm not sure people work things out in their dreams. That's sort of more theoretical. Now, with neuroimaging, we find dreaming helps memory consolidation. That doesn't give you any insight into the dream, unfortunately.

MS: If you were the Psychologist Laureate to Tall Ships America, what would you say to these sailors?

DP: I think the layman has an idea that when you get on the water, you're just lazing around, with your feet up, drinking rum, and it's relaxing — but not for the captain.

He or she has a lot of responsibility, it can be stressful. It takes a toll on your psyche. The fact that you're dreaming of having to negotiate your boat in a place where you're not supposed to be, or you can't go, is a reflection of the natural anxiety that you feel about managing the sailing experience.

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Tree of Life down a steep hill. I always have to make a 90 degree turn at the bottom of the hill. I usually wake up before having to tack!

Chris Welton Had a similar dream that I took a sportfisher to the diesel shop at Golden West College for a tuneup and had to cut across the tennis courts to get there. Props tore up the tennis courts and the people playing started throwing their racquets at me. They were incredibly rude.

Daniel Richard Walls Long ago I dreamt that I sailed Lady Maryland on the marshland waterways under the Baltimore Beltway like an everglades fan boat.

Becky Wright Dreamt about trying to park a schooner in a parking lot, jibing and tacking in circles to get lined up right.

Rick Bates I dreamt that I sailed Appledore into downtown Newmarket, NH several times. The dream always ended the same way: overhead wires and mill buildings prevented us from changing course and getting out of there. I always woke up just then.

J Todd Mennillo One in particular stands out, sailing Gleam uphill around a big mill building (like “The Foundry” in Providence) and taking a hard left onto a beam reach, careful not to ease the boom out into the telephone poles off to port. A well-executed jibe and downhill at excessive speed with great trepidation about what to do at the bottom of the hill! Then I woke up and it was just so real in my mind that I can remember it like it was this morning — and that dream was 15 years ago!

Sharon Dounce It was a college campus with a waterfall and the creek was maybe two feet deep, then into a building, like a Disneyland ride. Kalmar Nyckel has never been anyplace cooler. Bizarre!

Aaron Lincoln I was sailing my schooner, Olad, down the freeway in Maine. But the wind was coming from the wrong direction for me to get off at my exit to go home. It was a reoccurring dream for the entire first year I owned the boat.

Jesse A. Briggs On the last day of the season on the Victory Chimes, one of our deckhands told me she had dreamed that the Captain let her dock the Chimes. She said she did fine, but put her on the wrong dock. I told Kip [Files], and as we came into Rockland Harbor, Kip went over and told her to dock the boat. Her eyes got so big! We had a good laugh on that one!

John Eginton I rolled over in bed and opened one eye to check my watch. 0900. I closed my eye and pondered several issues: namely, who I was, where I was, and what 0900 meant to me.

Suddenly, both eyes popped wide open as I realized that a) I was the captain of the schooner Mystic Clipper, b) we were docked at Block Island Boat Basin on a three-day cruise, and c) 0900 was precisely the time I had told everyone we were getting underway!

I leapt out of bed, threw on a shirt and some shorts, and charged up on deck. Trying to act like nothing was amiss, I started barking orders. The crew sprung-to, taking the gangplank and chafe gear, and in minutes we were steaming across Great Salt Pond toward the harbor entrance. People were looking at me funny, which I could well understand when I caught my own reflection in the binnacle. My shirt was buttoned diagonally, and I had a serious case of bed head. No time to worry about that now. I went to log our underway time, then checked my watch: 0710.

I did a double take. 0710. I shook my head. I shook my watch. 0710.

Mortification as I realized that I had misread my watch earlier. Thinking I had overslept by two hours, I had gotten us underway two hours early!

Some timorous souls informed me that about a halfdozen of our passengers had gone ashore for a pre-breakfast stroll, and they were still on shore. Moreover, the dockmaster, my friend Dave Todd, had come aboard for a visit and a cup of coffee, and had failed to make his escape before we were underway. There was nothing to do but to swallow my one molecule of remaining pride, turn around, and get back to the dock to retrieve our passengers and return the dockmaster.

We were getting near the harbor entrance, and I thought “If I’m going to turn around, I had better do it soon, because the road’s getting kind of narrow.”

ROAD? I stepped the taffrail and looked down to see a trail of sparks shooting out from Mystic Clipper’s skeg as it dragged along the pavement.

“Is this a dream?!” I shouted.

It was. b 2XU 0LVVLRQ dŚĞ ŽďũĞĐƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƚ ƐƐŽĐŝĂƟŽŶ ŝƐ ƚŽ ĨŽƐƚĞƌ͕ ƉƌŽŵŽƚĞ ĂŶĚ ĞŶĐŽƵƌĂŐĞ Ğ ƚŚĞ ĞŶũŽLJŵĞŶƚ͕ ƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶƐ͕ ĂŶĚ Ě ƉƌĞƐĞƌǀĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƐĐŚŽŽŶĞƌƐ ďLJ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƟŶŐ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ĂŶĚ ŽƌŐĂŶŝnjĂƟŽŶƐ ƚŚĂƚ ƚ ĂƌĞ ŝŶ ƐLJŵƉĂƚŚLJ ǁŝƚŚ ŽƵƌ ŽďũĞĐƚ͕ ďLJ ŵĂŝŶƚĂŝŶŝŶŐ Ă ƌĞĐŽƌĚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞƐĞ ǀĞƐƐĞůƐ ƉĂƐƚ Ɖ ĂŶĚ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ͕ ĂŶĚ ďLJ ĐŽŽƌĚŝŶĂƟŶŐ Ě Ě ŝŶ ϭϵϳϮ͕ ƚŚĞ Ś Ě Ě ĐƌƵŝƐŝŶŐ͘ &ŽƵŶĚĞĚ Ă ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ ŽĨĨ ƌĂĐŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ƐƐŽĐŝĂƟŽŶ ŝƐ Ă ŶĂƟŽŶĂů ŽƌŐĂŶŝnjĂƟŽŶ ǁŚŽƐĞ ŵĞŵďĞƌƐ ĂƌĞ ŽǁŶĞƌƐ ŽĨ ƐĐŚŽŽŶĞƌƐ͕ ƐĂŝůŽƌƐ ĂŶĚ ŽƚŚĞƌ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ĂŶĚ ŽƌŐĂŶŝnjĂƟŽŶƐ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚĞĚ ŝŶ ƉƌĞƐĞƌǀŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽŵŽƟŶŐ ƚŚĞ ǀŝƌƚƵĞƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƐĐŚŽŽŶĞƌ ƌŝŐ͘ zŽƵƌ ŵĞŵďĞƌƐŚŝƉ ŚĞůƉƐ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ LJŽƵƚŚ ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ Ăƚ ƐĐŚŽŽŶĞƌ ĞǀĞŶƚƐ͕ ƌLJ ŽĨ ŽĨ ŵĞƌŝĐĂŶ ^ĐŚŽŽŶĞƌƐ ƌƐ ĂŶĚ ŽƚŚĞƌ ƚŚĞ ƐƐŽĐŝĂƟŽŶ͛Ɛ ZĞŐŝƐƚƌLJ ƐƐŽĐŝĂƟŽŶ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐ͘ :ŽŝŶ ƚŽĚĂLJ Ăƚ ŚƩƉ͗ͬ​ͬǁǁǁ͘ ŵ^ĐŚŽŽŶĞƌ͘ŽƌŐͬũ ͬũŽŝŶ͊

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❂

❂

VELA was launched in Thailand in July, picked up her first class in the Maldives, spent Christmas in Cape Town, and crossed the Atlantic to pick up her second class in the Caribbean. All said, she covered 16,000 nautical miles in her first seven months afloat.

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Despite the metaphorical and physical headwinds from COVID19, the newest addition to the sail training fleet is off to a flying start.

On July 2, 2020, STV Vela was launched from the Marsun Shipyard into the Chao Phraya River near Bangkok. Vela is the sister ship to Argo and the third vessel in the Sea|mester fleet (the third being Ocean Star, formally of Ocean Navigator fame).

Due to COVID, only three of the Sea|mester build staff and operational crew were on hand for the launch, rig stepping, systems commissioning, and sea trials. Travis Yates, Jonathan Cross, and Ben Ferraro, along with enthusiastic and proud members of the Marsun team, stepped the rig — with a fantastic mix of Thai, English, and hand signals — the day after the launch. By July 5 Vela was ready for acceptance trials.

After a couple days of sailing sea trials down the coast of Thailand and some hectic nights anchored just outside the shipping channel in the Chao Phraya River, it was time to find a way to get the first student crew aboard Vela.

The Sea|mester Fall 2020 student crew of 24 was initially signed aboard to sail from Bali to Cape Town. But with Indonesia closed to tourists and Thailand’s borders closed tight to all travel, plans were put in place to deadhead Vela to Singapore, and have the student crew fly in on Seaman’s tickets to join the vessel there.

Within days of Vela being cleared for departure from Bangkok, however, the news came that Singapore was closing to all nonSingaporean-flagged commercial vessels. With Malaysia following Singapore’s lead, the closest commercial port open for crew transits

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became Male in the Maldives — 3000 nm away! age of 10 at the Erie Yacht Club. She began sailing tall ships After an 18-day passage down the Gulf of Thailand, in 1997 when she was appointed Chief Mate of the through the Malaccan Straights, and halfway across the Appledore IV. Other leadership positions include captain of Indian Ocean, Vela and her build/delivery crew pulled into the Boston-based schooner Roseway, chief mate of the Pride Male with two weeks to spare before her first student crew of Baltimore II, relief captain of LAMI’s brigantine Exy was due to move aboard.

Johnson and captain of the tall ship Unicorn.

The 90-day Fall Sea|mester voyage would see the crew “It’s an honor to be joining MMA and captaining the sail Vela 4500 nm to Cape Town, completing 12 credit hours Ernestina-Morrissey. It’s hard to beat the beauty and of university work while learning to SCUBA dive in the grandeur of tall ships,” said Krihwan.

Maldives and Seychelles.

“I’ve sailed on a few Grand Banks As Vela was nearing South Africa Fishing Schooners, the Lettie G. to wrap up that Fall trip, Sea|mester Howard and Roseway, over the years realized that the Spring trip might not and love the way they sail so effortlessbe able to start in Cape Town on ly. They are amazing sailing vessels,” January 15 due to the potential of a she said.

COVID flare-up in Europe and South With the Ernestina-Morrissey, Africa. Instead of starting in Cape Krihwan is eager to start a sail training Town and finishing in Antigua, the program from the ground up and help decision was made to start in Antigua integrate the schooner into MMA’s on a 90-day voyage that would sail curriculum. within the Northern Atlantic and “This is such a special opportunity Caribbean Basin. not only for me, but for the cadets,” she Just before Christmas, Vela and the said. “Working with these historic vescrew arrived in Cape Town as planned. sels helps individuals become far better Ten of the 24 students remained aboard sailors.” and were joined by three Sea|mester She also will have an important alumni to sail with the professional role in teaching the cadets at the crew on the 7500 nm delivery across Academy and mentoring them to the Atlantic. Nine days after arriving in become leaders.

Cape Town, Vela was underway yet “One of my favorite aspects of sailCapt. Tiffany Krihwan again. ing a tall ship is seeing the crew and After 34 sunsets and a 24-hour fuel stop in St. Helena, students personally grow from the experience and witness Vela and crew pulled into Falmouth Harbour, Antigua on their confidence in themselves develop during their time January 30. There, she joined Argo and Ocean Star in the aboard the ship.” same port for the first time. Thanks to COVID 19, Vela has Krihwan will be relocating to the Cape Cod area with gotten a huge jump start on her sail-training career, racking her 11-year-old daughter. In her spare time, she plans to up over 16,000 nm in her first seven months! continue the restoration of Mahanna, her wooden 30’ Tahiti At the time of writing in mid-February, Vela and the Ketch.

Sea|mester fleet are all underway again on 80/90-day voyThe Ernestina-Morrissey is a Gloucester fishing schooner ages. After all, there is no better place to be than at sea in originally launched in 1894. She is undergoing a historical these difficult times — on a good ship with a great crew. renovation at Bristol Marine Shipyard in Boothbay Harbor, ★ Maine. MMA hopes to incorporate the Ernestina-Morrissey In Febuary, the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in three areas: sail-training and leadership training for cadets, announced Tiffany Krihwan would be the captain of the K-12 STEM programming, and community outreach. newly-rebuilt Ernestina-Morrissey. The schooner is expected ★ to arrive at the MMA’s Cape Cod campus in the fall.

What’s the last job you’d ever ask for? Scrubbing the Krihwan joins the MMA staff from Discovery World in bilges? Rebuilding the head?

Milwaukee, where she was Director of Marine Operations How about trying to plan Tall Ships Challenge events in and Senior Captain of the Denis Sullivan, a 19th-century the not-quite-post-COVID world?

Great Lakes schooner.

Luckily, Tall Ships America has Erin Short on the job, “We’re adding a proven leader to our ranks, and I’m and this is not her first rodeo. Still, even the irrepressible looking forward to seeing Captain Krihwan at the helm of Short admits she doesn’t have all the answers for this sumthe Ernestina-Morrissey,” said Rear Admiral Francis X. mer and beyond.

McDonald, President of the Academy. “We’re excited to have “Officially, we rolled over our 2020 ports into 2021,” a Captain of Tiffany’s sailing experience, leadership skills and Short said earlier this month. “But we are taking a cautious passion for our program aboard.” approach. Our priority, obviously, are the ships and the crew A native of Erie, PA, Krihwan took up sailing FJs at the and the public. We’ve had numerous conversations with our 34

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ports: Boothbay Harbor; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; and hopefully one other port, maybe Newport. Obviously, it all depends on the vaccination rollout and how safe we can make these events.”

Even with this modest schedule, the potential for events in three different states raises the prospect of encountering different rules in different ports — a prospect Short hopes to nip in the bud.

“It’s all about communication between the ports, the ships, security and volunteers. We want to make sure that as the ships go from port to port, the guidelines are consistent.

“So we are being very clear and we have an agreement.

The ports are totally on board with making these events as safe as possible. It’s about spacing, creating quarantine areas on site, sanitation stations, limiting the amount of people on board, and working with the ships to help maintain a consistent standard.”

Asked if this represents the ‘new normal’ for tall ships events, Short merely laughed.

“I’ve been really cautious about using the word normal.

In my mind, a normal event is 25 ships at the dock and two million people.

“I just started discussions about 2022 on the Great Lakes, and people are cautiously optimistic. We are being very conservative when it comes to the size of the festivals. I don’t think we can have 25 ships at the dock. From a financial standpoint, from a planning standpoint, I just don’t think that’s possible.

“But even if we have a scaled-back event, it would really be supporting local vessels, supporting the Great Lakes communities.

“Having been trapped in my apartment for the last year, going out and socializing is a big deal and I think it’s still going to be a big deal in ‘22. People will be hungry for an event, to be outside and see the tall ships and feel like the world is back to normal. I think we can respond to that, but we need to be responsible. And the ships will be back [on the Lakes] in 2025 for the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal.”

Will scaled-back events mean scaled-back appearance fees?

“Great question,” said Short. “The ports and the ships are both going to have to be flexible. Instead of just collecting an appearance fee, it’s going to be about using your ship as a venue, creating events onboard the ship that can be ticketed. These are things we’ve been talking about for a long time. Now’s the time to see what works. We have to be more creative.”

Short is also looking ahead to a possible Gulf Coast visit in 2023 and an Atlantic coast event in 2024 — and of course the nation’s Sesquicentennial in 2026.

“They’re looking to do a year-long event building up to 2026, and the Erie Canal event represents a wonderful opportunity to kick off the 250th celebration in the Great Lakes in ‘25 and then roll that into 2026. We are looking to have events on all the coasts in 2026. The planning has been going on at least since last year.

“And then,” added Short, “I think the 2025 is also the

Necessity, they say, is the Mother of Invention, and at one point during this COVID winter we needed to make Mai Tais.

Emptying the liquor cabinet and freezer, we created a drink we call a ‘Hermaphrodite Brig’ because it is neither a Mai Tai nor a Pina Colada, but combines the best qualities of both.

Dump the following in a blender: Two lime fruit popsicles One lemon fruit popsicle 2 oz. Orange Curacao 2 oz. Amaretto 2 oz. Creme de Banana One heaping tablespoon of Cream of Coconut 12 oz. seltzer (orange and black cherry both work) 6-8 oz. rum Blend & serve over ice. Makes four strong drinks.

Nutmeg makes a good garnish, but small fruit slices on a tiny plastic sword are always fun, too. — MR

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for AMAZING GRACE

Schooner AMERICAN EAGLE Bald-headed schooner in the Maine Windjammer trade. 1930, oak on oak. Located Rockland, ME. COI for 56 daysails, 28 overnight. SOLAS, PSSC. Asking $750,000.

Schooner MYSTIC WHALER 110’ steel schooner, built 1967. 97 tons. COI for 60, 15 cabins sleeping 34 overnight guests. Asking $680,000.

Schooner BAY LADY 85’ LOA steel hull launched 1987. COI for 87 + 3.

Located San Francisco, CA. Business purchase also an option. Asking $425,000.

Schooner COLUMBIA II Steel replica of Gloucester fishing/racing schooner from 1926, built by Eastern Boatbuilding, 2014. Four en suite staterooms for up to twelve guests. Asking $14,500,000.

Schooner RUTH Grand Banks-style schooner built in steel to a Tom Colvin design, 2014. Located Barbados. Asking $2,500,000.

Schooner ALLIANCE Three-masted schooner, 1995, steel hull built by Treworgy.

COI for 49 daysails, 12 overnight. Located Yorktown, VA. Boat and business for sale. info@sailyorktown.com

Schooner AMAZING GRACE 58’ LOD ferrocement schooner, built 1991 by McQuiston & Sons in San Diego. New engine, rigging, electronics.

COI for Lakes Bays & Sounds, 33 + 2. Located San Juan, PR. Asking $450,000.

Schooner WIND DANCER 63’ LOA Colvin-designed steel schooner, 1988. COI for “21 souls, total.” Located Grand Haven, MI. Asking $240,000.

TREE OF LIFE

Topsail Schooner WINDY 148’ custom steel hull, 1995, COI for 150, 36 overnight. Located on Navy Pier, Chicago. Ship and business for sale, or ship only. Asking $2,100,000.

Tallshipwindy@aol.com.

Schooner ATYLA Wooden hull built in Spain, 1984. EU certification for 24 trainees & crew. Located Spain. Asking 1.2 million Euro ($1,433,000).

Schooner HALIE & MATTHEW 2006, fiberglass hull. Located Maine. COI for 100 on deck, 50 overnight. Asking $1,250,000.

Schooner TREE OF LIFE Cold-molded Covey Island Boatworks hull, 1991. 70’ LOA. Circumnavigated twice, never held a COI. Located Newport, RI. Asking $775,000.

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Schooner CAPT. KIDD 55’ steel schooner, 2000. COI for 28. Located Seabrook, TX. Asking $190,000.

Schooner RED WITCH Cypress hull built by Nathaniel Zirlott in Alabama, 1986.

77’ LOA. Current COI for 49. Located Kenosha, WI. Asking $149,000.

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anniversary of the US Navy,” raising the prospect of celebrations in ports with large bases, or in Annapolis, home of the Naval Academy. ★ Greencarrier AB has taken over ownership of the Swedish historical replica Götheborg and plans to sail it to China next year.

“We see the ship as an excellent platform to promote Swedish business and culture, which is something we as a company want to contribute to, but also enable increased focus on sustainability issues,” says Stefan Björk, owner and Chairman of Greencarrier AB. Greencarrier is a logistics company with a global focus and with a strong representation in China.

“Götheborg does her best GOTHEBORG is when she sails, and [the transfer of ownership] is in accordance with the foundation’s purpose,” says Claes G. Berglund, chairman of the Foundation Ostindiefararen Götheborg.

“The costs of [maintaining and sailing Götheborg] are too high for the Foundation to handle. We have been looking for a solution for a long time, and feel great confidence and gratitude for Greencarrier.

“With this agreement, the ship can continue to fulfill an important function and be involved in marketing Sweden abroad.”

The plan is to carry out limited sailings during 2021, and to sail for China in April 2022 via the Mediterranean, the Suez Canal, and India. The ship will host a limited number of passengers. Arrival in China is scheduled for October 2022. ★ South Street Seaport Museum has launched a Collections Online Portal featuring over 1,300 pieces on virtual display available now at seaportmuseum.org/collectionsonline.

“For decades we have gathered objects that reflect New York through the lens of its origins as a port city… Our city is a city on the sea; the collection, a small percentage of which is now available online, is a magnificent illustration of that,” said Captain Jonathan Boulware, President and CEO. The online collection is comprised of a searchable database of selected works from the Museum’s permanent and working collections of over 28,500 objects.

Among the eight sets of collections featured in the initial release of the online portal are: Clipper Ship Card Collection A unique type of advertising ephemera, cards were

printed as announcements that a particular ship, often a clipper ship, was about to sail. The Seaport Museum’s collection includes 450 cards.

Conza Howell Silhouettes Artist Conza Howell (1902-1987) created hundreds of silhouettes of seamen in New York City during World War II. In 1943, Howell was invited by the United Seamen’s Service (USS) to provide “entertainment of a quiet nature” for seamen during their New York port stays. One night a week she would make silhouettes of sailors that they could send home to their loved ones.

Fairchild Aerial Surveys Inc. Collection headed to China This collection includes almost 300 black and white aerial photographs taken from 1925 through 1960. The bulk of the collection covers ships in and around New York Harbor, including barges, lightships, tankers, ferries, tugboats, floating drydocks, ocean liners, and Hudson River excursion vessels.

Ocean Liner Ephemera Dated ca. 1860s-1960s, these items were everyday paper-based objects such as menus, programs, tickets, luggage tags, and advertisements.

Ship Models The models in this collection include all kinds of vessels from tall ships, merchant and fishing vessels, to the working vessels of the harbor, such as tugboat and lighters, as well as ocean liners.

Thomas W. Kennedy Collection Kennedy was an amateur photographer at the turn of the 20th century, who had a love of maritime subjects, especially fishing craft, which became the chief focus of his work.

His photographs depict South Street, New York Harbor, and other port cities along the East Coast. The Museum holds a collection of 133 original silver gelatin dry plate negatives dated ca. 1890-1915.

Additional virtual highlights of the South Street Seaport Museum collections include Navigational Instruments and Shipwright Tools, Scrimshaw, Ship Components, Ship Models, Tattoo Collection, and Maritime Reference. b Do you have a newsworthy item for Boats, Bars & Beaches?

Contact us at Marlinspike1812@gmail.com.

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CEIBA

JEREMY STARN

From the Jungle Shipyard in Costa Rica, Jeremy Starn writes: “It’s dry season now at the AstilleroVerde shipyard located on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. It hasn’t rained in months and that’s pretty ok with the crew at SailCargo, Inc. “Working outside, surrounded by protected mangroves, a team of 40+ people are building a 45-meter wooden cargo ship that will sail goods along the Pacific Americas.

“Now that the framing is finished, the team building Ceiba is focused on the interior of the ship. Interior fairing is nearly complete as the ‘tween-deck beams are being installed at a rapid pace. The ‘tween deck separates the levels of cargo, of which Ceiba can carry about 250 metric tons.

“Tropical hardwoods, sourced sustainably from the local area, are used with traditional shipbuilding techniques aided by cutting-edge engineering.

“Along with Ceiba’s 14 sails, the ship will also have an auxiliary regenerative electric engine, which is being designed by the company’s engineers. Carbon emissions from the project are offset by an inhouse tree-planting program run by their non-profit community-focused organization, AstilleroVerde.

“By the completion of Ceiba, SailCargo’s first ship, the 38

company aims to be carbon-neutral.

“Visit our website at sailcargo.org to learn more, or watch videos of the progress on YouTube by searching SailCargo, Inc. “Ceiba will be operational in 2022, and hopes to demonstrate that a carbon-neutral shipping company can not only be competitive, but can inspire global change and bring awareness to an often overlooked industry. The company is funded by private investors who support sustainable businesses and a re-thinking of how international trade can evolve.

“Contact info@sailcargo.org to learn more.”

H “Quite a bit still going on at Maine’s First Ship in Bath, Maine, on the banks of the Kennebec River, and some of the most exciting stuff doesn’t even involve building the ship Virginia.

“Over the past few months construction has begun on the dock that will serve as Virginia’s home once she is launched. Volunteers built the head of the dock, and Chesterfield Associates, headed by Dave Allen, and New Harbor Marine Construction were brought in the build the dolphins. The floats will arrive like some kind of giant erec-

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tor set from Custom Floats of South Portland to be assembled by MFS volunteers. The aluminum ramp will be built

by Dock Works from Winterport, Maine.

“On the ship herself, the bulk of the work has involved building bulwarks and caulking and paying the seams on the deck. The whiskey plank is nearly fitted and ready for installation, and tanks for the engine room are currently being fabricated.

“With the spars done, spar-maker (and maker of many things) Fred Gosbee has undertaken to turn a large chunk of elm into a windlass barrel. Rigging continues apace with the last of the standing rigging being fashioned and the yards fitted out and dressed.

“Pandemic and economic collapse notwithstanding, the volunteers at Maine’s First Ship continue to make steady progress toward the goal of having a pinnace named Virginia once again sailing the coast of Maine.”

H “It has been a busy winter at Burnham Boat Building.

The Coast Guard has approved structural plans for the Sylvina W. Beal and we have cut a lot of wood,” writes Mary Kay Taylor.

“Despite all of our progress, we have decided to delay laying the new keel until Labor Day 2022, with a projected launch in 2023.

“Our major aim for this project is to help keep the tradition of wooden shipbuilding in Essex alive, and we want to

see this project benefit our community and engage and inspire others to value our rich cultural heritage. With the current state of the world, we’ve decided to wait until we can welcome people into our boatyard more readily and share this project with a wider community.

“On another note, we received a Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council that will allow longtime Ardelle crewmember and soon-to-be captain Katherine Dench an opportunity to learn the traditional art of wooden boatbuilding and rehabilitation.

“KD has been working on a variety of projects. In addition to helping with the Beal, she is working on her own design of a 55’ sloop boat modeled after the Venus of Gloucester. The original Venus was captained by one of her ancestors and was known for sailing Rudyard Kipling to Gloucester and introducing him to the Gloucester fishing industry.

“You can read more in our blog, Time, Tide and the Rehabilitation of the Sylvina W. Beal at SchoonerArdelle.com or register for KD’s monthly zoom presentations through the Essex Shipbuilding Museum’s site, EssexShipbuilding.org.”

H Christian Cabral, Shipyard Manager at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, reports that his team is preparing for the beginning of railway season. Each member of CBMM’s fleet requires an annual haul out, during which

SYLVINA BEAL

VIRGINIA MarlinspikeMagazine.com

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shipwrights perform routine maintenance and address preventative maintenance items.

First on the railway is Winnie Estelle. Winnie, CBMM’s century-old buyboat, works throughout the spring, summer, and fall, taking museum guests on trips to explore the Miles River and greater Chesapeake Bay. As a commercial vessel, she is inspected annually by the Coast Guard during its annual railway service, and then begins her season on May 1.

Following Winnie, the remaining members of the floating fleet are hauled, inspected, painted, and maintained.

Notable projects this season include repair work to Rosie Parks’ centerboard trunk, a mechanical overhaul on Old Point’s Detroit Diesel engine, and the reinstallation of the Potomac River dory boat’s diesel engine.

In addition to CBMM’s own fleet, shipwrights are performing additional work on Calvert Marine Museum’s converted bugeye Wm. B. Tennison, including replacing its running rigging, and pulling and servicing the mainmast.

Alongside the railway, CBMM shipwrights continue the restoration of the 1912 river tug Delaware. Fleet Shipwright Michael Allen and Shipyard Education Manager Jennifer Kuhn will spend the spring and summer leading the shipwright apprentice team in finishing up the installation of 68 bent frames, 16 sawn frames and all flooring.

Afterward, the team will turn its attention to planking — removing two planks at a time, fitting and fastening one, then lining off the next plank.

CBMM Marine Mechanic Josh Richardson, is continuing the rebuild of Delaware’s Gray Marine Detroit Diesel.

H Joe Connor, lead shipwright at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and construction manager on its build of the new Maryland Dove, reports that his team is currently operating in three groups — the planking crew, the deck crew, and the riggers — and that guests visiting CBMM will observe a flurry of activity through the spring.

Already, garboard strakes have been installed and the ship’s hull has been lined out for exterior planking. These planks are spiled for shape, steamed to fit, and finally fastened to the hull with treenails. Planks below the waterline are made from angelique and those above are white oak.

The deck-framing crew has completed the deck beams and is now working on carlins, stanchions, hanging knees, lodging knees, and deck houses to complete the structure for planking.

The rigging crew, meanwhile, is 90% done with the spars and has moved on to fabricating blocks. Next up for them will be the standing rig, while the sails have now been finished by Traditional Rigging Inc. in Maine.

CBMM’s shipwright apprentices have been helping to fabricate bronze clench rings while learning the ropes of green sand metal casting.

H FUEL delivered Shenandoah to the Henry B. duPont 40

SHENANDOAH

MARYLAND DOVE

MARYLAND DOVE Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport in November upon receiving the donation of the historic ship from Captain Bob Douglas. Weeklong voyages on Shenandoah have been a rite of passage for more than 7,000 young people and 10,000 adults over the past three decades.

This winter’s work ensures that Shenandoah can resume experiential learning for nationwide learners in 2021 and beyond.

The Mystic Seaport Shipyard staff, led by Chris Gasiorek, have been busy rebuilding the stern with new

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Sperry Sails is working on a new suit of sails for SHENANDOAH

FRIENDSHIP

ERNESTINA

quarter knees, a new sternpost knee, a new section of the sternpost, a new stern circle, and a new aftmost deck beam.

The new timbers are made from laminated sipo and are being painted and bedded with tar before installation.

All associated hull and deck planking is also being replaced as a necessary step in the rebuild.

New sails are being built by Sperry Sails in their new and loft space on Padanaram Harbor. The sails are Oceanus with traditional vertical and miter seams. The edges are hand-roped with beige POSH line. The corners are finished with traditional brass clew-irons.

H Thanks to the generosity of the Lenfest Family, work on the Ernestina-Morrissey continues at Bristol Marine’s Shipyard in Boothbay Harbor, ME. In the accompanying photo, Kevin Danfelser is painting around the final pieces of trim being installed along the bunks in the foc’sle. The trim is oak and mahogany.

See page 12 for an interview with Capt. Dan Moreland, who supervised the 1980s rebuild of Ernestina in Gloucester, MA and is designing the rig for the newly-rebuilt schooner.

His goal is to re-establish the original rig of 1894.

Ernestina-Morrissey is expected to be completed, rigged, and delivered to Mass Maritime in the fall. MMA has hired Captain Tiffany Krihwan, most recently master of the Denis

Sullivan, to operate the vessel (see page 34).

H As noted in our last issue, Friendship is back at her berth in Salem, Massachusetts after an extended shipyard repair period ( July 2016-April 2019).

A major project to repair/replace portions of her deck, transom, frames, beams and bulwarks, has been postponed several times and no start date is available. Despite this, work on the ship has continued throughout the year by the crew and interns from the National Park Service Traditional Trades Apprenticeship Program. Her lower masts were stepped this fall after five years out of the boat.

This spring, Salem Maritime will advertise the post of Ship Operations Supervisor, i.e. Captain and Supervisor for Friendship. This position is a permanent full-time federal job in the WS-10 pay series, approximately $35/hour and full federal benefits. Those interested are advised to go to USAJOBS and familiarize themselves with the application process for federal positions, prepare a resume, and watch for the official posting.

Inquiries can be directed to Jeremy Bumagin, who will supervise and previously held this position, jeremy_bumagin@nps.gov, 978-360-2080. b Got an update for Boatyards? E-mail us! Boatyard updates get lots of hits on our popular facebook page.

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standards of safety and professionalism than existed before,” wrote Sacks in 1995. “The process, although tremendously contentious… resulted in a win-win.” [10]

INFLECTION POINT Continued from page 21 we’ll learn how to properly run the ships.’

“For SEA, adhering to a program of strictly oceanographic research had become an untenable limitation. A larger applicant pool, not just science majors, was needed.

“Our original collaborators at Boston University were in the Biology Department, but they had a liberal arts perspective. Dr. George Fulton, head of the Department, was first to propose “Sea Semester” as the name of the new course.

He and his colleagues felt the real magic would be to offer everybody, science and non-scientists alike, a chance to study the sea in a multidisciplinary setting. So, to marine science we would add navigation and seamanship plus another course that combined policy, history and mankind’s general relationship to the sea.

“It turned out to be even more important than we originally thought — getting rid of that oceanography limitation.

Without a diverse curriculum and college credit, SEA would not have survived.”

STOs were not only free of the expectation that they were engaged in research. They were able to build and operate foreign hulls. The status of their trainees had been defined so as to exclude Jones Act obligations. And suitable construction, safety, and inspection guidelines had been established, along with stability standards that would allow for real sailing.

The 1980s subsequently saw a rapid expansion of STOs and the building of numerous vessels, including the Corwith Cramer, Manitou, Spirit of Massachusetts, Lady Maryland, Niagara, Pride II, and Lady Washington. While most were wooden hulls, designed for Subchapter T rather than SSV certification, the SSVA was nevertheless an endorsement of sail-training programs of all descriptions — a rising tide that floated ships and programs of all types and sizes.

A variety of existing vessels, such Westward and ‘HMS’ Rose, were upgraded to meet SSVA regulations. Rose had largely languished as a dockside attraction after the Bicentennial, but once she received her SSV certification, she began a successful second career as a sail-training vessel.

In 1981, shortly before the passage of the SSVA, ASTA listed 46 organizations offering sail training; 26 had sailing vessels of their own. By 1995 the ASTA Directory listed 111 sailing vessels.

In short, the government’s establishment of clear standards for the industry — prompted and guided by that industry — benefited everyone involved, and led to a steady expansion of both vessels and programs.

“Overall, the fleet is much safer and operating to higher 2001 Sultana, Robert Seamans launched

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2002 LAMI launches twin brigantines Irving and Exy Johnson

2002 World Ocean School acquires Roseway

Hanging Together The SSVA was a major inflection point for sail training in the US. The booming popularity of sail training could not have been sustained if Cramer and the CES hadn’t cajoled Congress and the Coast Guard into creating a viable regulatory framework.

Despite the libertarian impulse shared by many sailors, sail training as an industry, in our litigious society, could never have thrived without the government regulation provided by the SSVA. The government, especially in the form of the United States Coast Guard, is not ‘Public Enemy #1’ — it is an essential partner.

Still, the positive impact of government regulation depends on those regulations being drawn up in partnership with industry. This is what the CES accomplished with the SSVA, and this is still seen today as one of the important functions of associations such as Tall Ships America and the Maine Windjammer Association.

Forty years ago, the passage of the SSVA led to an industry-wide boom. Today, as we emerge from a year-long pandemic, government regulation is once again a determining factor: limiting our operations in the pursuit of public safety, and at the same time keeping struggling STOs afloat with massive financial assistance.

The lesson of the SSVA is clear: if we find common ground and work together, presenting a unified front to the government and to the Coast Guard, we can all benefit.

“One of the things that Cory recognized,” summed up Hawkins, “is that the old adage is true: ‘We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.’” b [1] Helfrich, Lucy Coan. “A History of the Sea Education Association, its Campus, and its Founder, Corey Cramer” in Spritsail Magazine. 1994.

[2] Pskowski, Rebecca. “The Sailing School Vessels Act of 1982 and the Legal Status of Sail Trainees” in the Tulane Maritime Law Journal. 2016.

[3] Sacks, Philip A. “The Sailing School Vessel Act of 1982: How a Small Interest Group Influenced Lawmaking: A Case Study.” 1995.

[4] Kerr, John. Dreamers Before the Mast. 2017.

[5] Parrott, Daniel. Tall Ships Down. 2003.

[6] Helfrich.

[7] [8] [9] [10] Sacks.

Michael Rutstein is the publisher of Marlinspike.

2004 Scarano finishes Friends Good Will for Michigan Maritime Museum

2005 Virginia launched

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2007 Spirit of South Carolina launched

2008 Hull is purchased for Oliver Hazard Perry

ERNESTINA-MORRISSEY Continued from page 15

He’s first-class. Hannah Gray and Harold Burnham have done a great job. When she’s all done up, it’ll be amazing to see. Second place will be pretty far away.

bright idea works or not. Can you rig her in Kevlar? I suppose you could, but I wouldn’t dream of it.

MS: So the rig you’re designing now is going to have that original fore-topmast…

DM: She was sail training for many years without a foretopmast, and the plan is to have the stumpy fore-topmast.

This is why they got me. They could’ve gotten someone else.

They got me to re-establish the rig as designed by those that knew what they were doing, back in the day.

If someone wants to change it later, it’s none of my business, but there’s a historic preservation element here that should not be cast aside. That’s the way she was. I don’t think I’m more experienced than William Morrissey. I’m the go-to guy now, but not compared to him. I think that we wander into a swamp, with landmines all around it, when we start improving things, or thinking we can.

It’s arrogant as hell to think we can improve these vessels.

These are smart, thought-out vessels. They were high performance. They look old-timey and cute and charming and romantic, but they were finely tuned vessels. Lots of wisdom in how everything worked, how everything fit. That was one of the great experiences I had, discovering that. I have much more to gain by reproducing it, than by executing my own notions of what might be an improvement.

MS: And will the Coast Guard sign off on those topsails, on the approved sail plan?

DM: They should do. They did in the 1980s with taller stuff, when we got ocean certification for SSV with full topmasts, so I don’t know why they can’t do it again.

I mean, she’s deep, she’s heavy. Look, the Harvey Gamage is a great vessel. The Spirit of Massachusetts was a good vessel.

Ernestina-Morrissey is an order of magnitude bigger, even if she’s not that many feet longer. She doesn’t have any more bunks than the Harvey Gamage. She’s only five or six feet longer, if that, than the Spirit. But she’s an order of magnitude larger. Skippers of Spirit would sail with me and say, “Wow, this is a different boat. It looks the same, but it’s not.”

She’s big, strong, and powerful and that’s all good, but you have to be up to it. I was lucky. I could grow into her.

Things took time and I had had a lot of seafaring and shipyard time behind me, but not a lot of big schooner time, so she taught me how to sail her, and that was pretty cool.

MS: Have you been to Boothbay Harbor to see the hull as it exists now?

DM: I’ve seen photographs. I haven’t left Lunenburg in a long time, what with COVID, but it’s obviously a beautiful job. David Short has done a tremendous job in the shipyard.

MS: Would you like to drive her, at some point?

DM: Drive her? I would never dream of driving her. I would be happy to sail her sometime, but I’d never drive her.

I could, if they want me involved at some point. If I can be of service to the next skipper, I’d be happy to do that.

There is an order of magnitude difference between her and her nearest psychological competitor or equivalent. Even though she doesn’t really look bigger, she is different.

Mass Maritime is going to get something very, very powerful. I hope they realize that it’s not just another 110-foot motorboat with a ticket. This is a very different thing for them. And I hope that they get that, because if they don’t get it beforehand, they’ll get it during the process.

I mean, the Navy gets it. If you’re going from the Executive Officer of a destroyer and you’re going to be Commanding Officer, even though you’ve been on that same ship for three years, they send you to the Surface Warfare Officer training school, and put you through a four-months training program, even though you just got off that ship. I think that type of thinking would be valuable at this point.

This is ancient technology, but to them it’s brand-new technology and it cannot be trifled with.

MS: You’ve called Ernestina-Morrissey one of the bestdocumented vessels of her era. That’s got be a huge help in your task.

DM: She’s probably about the best photo-documented 19th century American sailing ship. There’s quite a few pictures in 1912, before there was any real change [to the original rig]. She was in National Geographic in 1912. There’s a bibliography on this vessel which is probably two inches thick. During the Bartlett years, a lot of photographs, obviously. And it’s all spread out over a lot of archives and museums and what-not. It still isn’t collated. It would be a job to put it together. It should be put together.

MS: There’s wonderful material there. It really should be a book. It’s not an article — certainly not this article — but it should be a book at some point.

DM: Well, it’d be fun to do, if I can get around to it before my mind completely melts out my ear.

It was the most amazing experience. My board was the Schooner Ernestina Commission. We talked about overall conceptual parameters, and then it was left to me to execute.

And that is how it should be, in a way. They set the tone — “here’s what we want to do.” The goal we were trying to achieve was a collective goal of people that were just wonderful, and they saw the big picture of what this vessel should and could be. b

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A popular feature on the Marlinspike facebook page is NAME THAT BOAT, where readers are asked to identify tall ships and sail-training vessels of the past & present.

A

How many of these vessels can you name?

8/9 — Admiral of the Ocean Sea 7/9 — Commodore 6/9 — Captain 5/9 — Master & Commander 4/9 — First Mate 3/9 — Seaman, Able 2/9 — Seaman, Ordinary 1/9 — Swabbie 0/9 — Tourist ANSWERS: A) Gazela, B) Moshulu, C) Shenandoah, D) Bowdoin, E) Adventure, F) Constitution, G) Gulden Leeuw, H) Amistad, I) Europa.

B

C F

ALISON SHAW

D

M RUTSTEIN

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THAD KOZ

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E

G

H

SEAN ELLIOTT

GEORGE BEKRIS

I

ZA

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From left to right. There is my everyday sheath for a 6” Drew marlinspike and Knipex miter shears with a modified table. A 6” Osborne marlinspike. 18” marlinspikes, one with a welded-on handle for wire splicing to improve leverage. Another 18” marlinspike that has a large swollen grip. I don’t know who made this one. I think it’s European. It does have a very comfortable grip. There’s a wooden handled awl, a pricker, another Drew marlinspike with a wooden handle a Drew marlinspike with a composite handle, a 20” Drew and an 18” Drew. There’s a Spyderco Assist 2, a couple of Sheffield World War II Royal Navy issue rigging knives, one that’s been used for about 30 years. There’s a Leatherman Signal and a Damascus rigging knife that I made.

There’s an old Wichard glow-in-the-dark handled rigging knife that I used along with a ground-down ship spike as a marlinspike and a belaying pin for a heaver to rig Nina (the one that came over from Spain in 1992). Sort of a bet and sort of a joke with my old boss and mentor Dave Hiott. I just found that knife in an old ditty bag the other day. Pretty funny! Brings back a lot of memories. — Matt Otto

My sailmaker rig.

Scissors (doubles as a hammer), needlenose pliers, Swedish fid, calipers, and a staple remover.

— John Emmet

The knife and sheath that my father made on his first trip to Greenland on the Morrissey under Bob Bartlett in 1935. I believe he made six trips to Greenland with Bartlett. During World War II he was executive officer on the schooner Bowdoin. He always kept this marlinspike with the knife, but I do not know the origin of it.

— David C. Nutt

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Tall ship was inked in Lisbon, Portugal at Queen of Hearts and represents racing across the Atlantic. It says “come sail away” in the banner.

Prawn was done at Gunners in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and represents my time spent on a prawn trawler.

Octopus was done in Bali at Lumina Tattoo Studio, and though I genuinely just thoroughly appreciated the artist’s talent, it also represents the intelligence of a species to adapt to their surroundings.

There are two swallows, one done in Nova Scotia and one done at a shop in Australia; you can’t see the second in the photo.

The schooner is Blue Clipper. — Olivia Ferguson

Star knot on the elbow. It was done in 2001 by a guy in Bangor, Maine. Came out of Ashley’s Book of Knots. It’s old. Now I do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and am sure to use it for elbows and black eyes by accident.

— Eric Nelson

Here’s perhaps the first tattoo of the new brigantine Matthew Turner. I took the photo when Alan Olson’s (Call of the Sea founder and visionary behind Educational Tall Ship) granddaughter Natalie came to volunteer with shipbuilding, and was so inspired that she got her first tattoo.

Natalie also has sailed aboard our schooner Seaward in California and Mexico. — Sylvia Stompe

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There’s more to

Salem than Witches

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