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Posted

I will be taking an introductory sailing trip aboard the Gazela out of Philadelphia tomorrow. This is in prep to becoming volunteer crew, lots of painting and scrubbing and general maintenance to be done over the winter. I think she is beautiful.

Gazela_of_Philadelphia.jpg

Posted

Aye, Mate Grace: Mate Jannet and I envy ye!

Philadelphia be where I was birthed, wayback in '51, by the way...

:)

Capt. William

"The fight's not over while there's a shot in the locker!"

Posted

oi.she's a pretty one.

not as piratey as the Royaliste,but a beauty none-the-less.

Capt Weaver

"No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned. A man in jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company. "

Dr. Samuel Johnson

Capt Weaver's Pirate Perversions

Posted

Well, it was a great time. The ship guild put us to work so fast your head would spin. There is also a 1901 tug that they have restored that always needs work, so we spent the day scraping paint off of this in prep for some new paint. Then I cleaned up the work room, where they have every tool imaginable including a small forge, while husband banged together giant chains for some project and drilled wood for something else. Once out on the gazela, more work. The boat is beautifully restored and just had all new decking put in. What especially impressed me was how long it took to actually depart, and how long after we pulled into dock until all was finished. We got out for approx. a 4 hour trip. The goal really was to turn her around as there is work needing doing on the other side of her. It was also an instructional cruise on raising and lowering the sails. I felt like I was in French class in high school where they only speak French, forcing you to learn it. I could go on an instructional cruise like this every weekend for 2 months and still not know the proper name for all of the lines and such. I wanted to pitch in, but was hesitant because I feared pulling the wrong thing and causing everything to go wrong. But they needed every hand, including the new volunteers so I was forced to pitch in. I felt very clutzie though, and was not securing ropes clock-wise, or tossing them starting with the right ends, and things like this. It is alot of work for the crew to take her out like this, as they are woefully short of truly experienced hands. The two or three folks on-board who really knew what they were doing were constantly moving, plus trying to get us to do the right thing. I am hoping that by spending more time in the boat house and doing projects on the gazela, some of the terms will come easier, and next time we are out, when a command is shouted I will at least know what direction to head to. What I need is a photo with all the names of the ropes and sails and parts of the sails on it.

They took her to several expos, and trips of one to two weeks this summer, plus weekend outings. I would love to get in enough volunteer time to be eligable for one of these.

Posted

Good for you pirate gal, jumping up and pitching in! Don't let the technical stuff overwhelm you- remember every crewman and every captain had a first time they set foot on deck!

I'm "in the same boat" as you are, struggling to soak up as much as I can every time I'm aboard the Royaliste. I'm fortunate to have a patient and good-humored captain. And every time I come aboard I learn a little more, do a little more and hesitate a little less. It is a big learning curve, but SO worth it.

-Claire "Poison Quill" Warren

Pyrate Mum of Tales of the Seven Seas

www.talesofthesevenseas.com

  • 3 years later...

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