Square Riggers and Schooners

Good Morning Everyone. Amazing how Jen was just talking about Irving Johnson sailing aboard a square rigger and here I am in Texas aboard another square rigger. So, for those of you who haven’t heard the term, these vessels are named for the way the sails are set from the masts, square to fore and aft centerline. They do not go up wind nearly the way a schooner does. A schooner, like Mary Day, is fore and aft rigged. There are a few fore and aft rigged sails aboard a square rigger but don’t let that confuse you. Elissa has 3 masts. 2 of these are square rigged, the main and the fore. The after mast is called a mizzen and it is fore and aft rigged. This combination makes Elissa a barque, as opposed to a full rigged ship (square rigged on all 3 masts), or a brig (a 2 masted square rigged vessel). Half way in between are vessels rigged as barquentines and brigantines. It can all be confusing. The schooners in the windjammer fleet were all designed for coasting (sailing relatively near shore) and were designed for shorthanded maneuvering. Elissa sailed across the ocean with a crew of 12. Mary Day would have sailed coastwise with a crew of 2, or 3 if they had a cabin boy.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Comments

Hail Mary

My heart is heavy with sadness as I write this particular blog. Since the beginning of August our dear friend and cook for the last 12 years, Mary Barney, had been struggling with cancer. I have intentionally respected Mary’s privacy and I apologize to you for not sharing any news about Mary’s health sooner. On Monday afternoon Mary passed away very peacefully at home, surrounded by friends and “family”. Her departure was as graceful as the rest of her life. Many people, including Jen, have been doing heroic work to support Mary these last few weeks. Oddly enough Mary was never very excited about transitions though this was about the fastest transition she ever made. And as I struggle to let go of Mary I realize I am terrible with transitions as well. We used to joke about how we liked things just the way they are, thank you very much, so why change what is working already even if it might be less labor intensive. Hard works is its own reward. I used to joke about getting Mary a Cui

Swimming Anyone?

Good morning everyone. Winter is still here in New England though it seems to be taking a rest these days. We have enjoyed a little bit of a thaw. We still have snow covering our field but it is thinning out in the sunny patches. Mary Day rests comfortably in the harbor, bilges dry, cover intact, waiting for the crew to return. Another busy week has passed so I will get you up to speed on everything that is happening here at the global headquarters. Jen is putting the finishing touches on year end taxes. Blockfest 2008 is finally finished. The blocks have received quite the massaging. And while we have the off-white paint out we are starting in on the lifeline stanchions, the davits, and a few other miscellaneous parts. Alex asked me last night how we were doing with our pace. We are doing great but in the back of my mind I know that there is never enough time to do it all. Having perfectionist tendencies is a curse. I want to do it all and know we will never have enough time. There se

Fall Maintenance

Good morning everyone. The sun has been kind to us these past few days and the crew has been spending much time aloft prepping and painting the mast heads and tarring the rig as part of our annual fall maintenance schedule. They were a little silly on tar fumes by the end of the day hence the rat board dance moves. Am I the only one who is reminded of Willy Wonka's little friends at the sight of the crew in their tyvek suits? Schoona-loompas? The smell of tar, after all, is what we sailors live for. Extracted from the stumps and roots of pine trees through dry distillation pine tar will cure what ails you especially some skin conditions and any emotional maladies from being too long away from the sea. All we know for sure is that Mary Day’s rigging is kept hail and hearty by coats of tar mixed with boiled linseed oil. Notice that I specified boiled linseed oil and not raw linseed oil. Tar mix with raw linseed oil will not “kick”. Don’t ask me how I know this… just take my wo

Sailing Vacations
A Maine Windjammer

Search This Blog