This was an extraordinary event for me and three other photographers as guests of the crew of the Elissa ~ the ONLY sailing tall ship in the United States. Built in 1877 as a merchant vessel, the Elissa serviced Galveston as well as other ports during her time on the seas.
Elissa is a three-masted, iron-hulled sailing ship built in 1877 in Aberdeen, Scotland by Alexander Hall & Company. She carries nineteen sails covering over one-quarter of an acre in surface area. Tall ships are classified by the configuration of their sailing rig. In ELISSA’s case, she is a ‘barque’ because she carries square and fore-and-aft sails on her fore and mainmasts, but only fore-and-aft sails on her mizzenmast. From her stern to the tip of her jib boom she measures 205 feet. Her height is 99 feet, 9 inches at the main mast and she displaces about 620 tons at her current ballast.
The ship was discovered in Greece as surplus last century and brought to Galveston for restoration. Unlike all of the other ship restorations that have gone on, the Elissa was brought all the way back to sailing condition! In order to maintain this, the ship must be sailed at least once a year to determine her seaworthiness. In 1976, she sailed to New York City to participate in the tall ship parade at the Statue of Liberty. Since then, she has resided at dock in Galveston, maintained by the Galveston Historical Society and the Galveston Sea Museum. This year, we were fortunate enough to be guests of the crew who sailed her out into Galveston Bay and back to dock.
The Elissa features 19 sails comprising 11,500 sq. ft. of cloth. One of the mainsails alone boasts 44 horse power. The ship moves along at quite a nice little clip with just a moderate amount of wind. The sails take a huge amount of work. Just memorizing the miles of rigging requires special training.
If you have the opportunity to be in Galveston, I hope you will be able to share the adventure of the high seas at the Texas Seaport Museum, home of the celebrated 1877 tall ship Elissa. Explore the decks of this floating National Historic Landmark which has also been designated one of America’s Treasures by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Walk Elissa’s decks and imagine the days when daring sailors challenged the world’s oceans. In the adjacent museum and theater, witness the story of Elissa’s dramatic rescue from the scrap yard and her meticulous restoration.
Located in the historic port of Galveston, the Texas Seaport Museum also tells the story of a rich legacy of seaborne commerce and immigration. Look for ancestors with a one-of-a-kind computer database containing the names of more than 133,000 immigrants who entered the United States through Galveston, “The Ellis Island of the West”. Join the Museum’s staff and volunteers as they bring the past to life through special exhibits and educational programs.
4 comments:
Like all the information that you included. I was there, but did not know all of it. I think my favorite shot is of the captain at the wheel. It is an unusual angle and it shows the mass of the mask. Good work.
WOW! How did you find out all that information? Very interesting. I agree with Larry, the last shot is a great perspective...did you shove that second guy to the side? :)
Cindi
Shirley,
A few corrections: 1. Elissa is by far not "the only sailing tall ship in the USA" . . . she IS the only one in the Gulf of Mexico. All others are Atlantic or Pacific based. Here's a link on other tall ships around the US and their activities:
http://www.sailtraining.org/tallships/index.php
2. the man at the wheel is not (referring to note from Mr. Patrick) the captain. He is the helmsman. Just as on Star Trek (which, in turn, took much of ship's activities from the age of sail), the captain decides where to go, and issues orders to the helmsman, who actually "steers" the vessel. The helmsman, as well as all the blue shirts are part of the all-volunteer crew. The officers are all paid professionals, and are wearing traditional white uniforms.
3. There is only one "Mainsail" ("One of the mainsails alone boasts 44 horse power"). It is the lowest sail on the Main (center) mast--also known as the "Main Course". The lowest and largest sail on the Foremast is the "Fore Course" and those two are "the Courses".
For more information, please go to:
http://www.tsm-elissa.org/
Elissa isn't the only sailing tallship. The ASTA directory lists dozens of them both here and abroad. The Coast Guard's Eagle is notable as is the San Diego's Star of India. Tole Mour...
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