I dream... of a ship!

[LadyBarbossa]

OK all... Coastie kinda was the bug starter here, so Coastie gets some credit here.

With her talk of wanting a certain vessel but not enough funds to obtain it, purchase it, commandeer it, etc.... she's looking for donations.

Now... again, she was the bug.. got me looking at vessels... looking at just any type of sailing vessels led to looking at wood vessels. Finally that led me to look for pirate ships for sail.

Yes... I admit it.. I'm a fool at the moment... following a dream that may never come true.. but, hell! Who knows!

Oh, I found this lovely little pirate vessel for such a lovely price! But there is NO way I could buy her all by m'self. Let alone her upkeep either.

Bulgarian Pirate Ship for sale

Adorable, is she not?

my question for some of ye who have vessels, how a poor young lass such as myself who would like to see this vessel sailing the waters of Lake Michigan for events like the Tall Ships fest, Port Washington Pirate Fest and whatever else may come up and use the ship for little ventures like parties or whatever.

Would obtaining donations from corporations or businesses or federal funding be possible? What about upkeep? How to go about that...

I'm no brilliant person, but it would be wonderful to have something for the midwestern crews to have an actual ship for us to use. Wouldn't you agree?

[Coastie04]

One minor adjustment to your post. I'm not a she. I'm a handsome, dashing, rogue (just do a search for 'Coastie' in the gallery and there's a few mug shots of me). As for affording it, I can only dream right now. However, for me long-term goal, I'd love to own one, run her as a sail training vessel, hopefully give college credits to the participants for classes such as meteorology, biology, etc., and sail the world. It might be a few years yet (heck, I owe the Coast Guard at least 4 more), but it'll happen one of these days. Good luck with yours. And if Royaliste has any advice about owning, operating, and maintaining his ship, please post as I'll appreciate it too.

Coastie

[Asukaru]

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a way to get coporate funding.

I'm curious now too.

[Zephaniah W Nash]

Corporate funding is possible, but often with various limitations.

Remember, though, I'm coming from a theatrical background, so how much anything I can say here will be applicable is questionable...

I've seen productions that cost in the neighborhood of the buying price of the ship that a corporation or company (or more than one) covered at least the majority of, in return for advertising and such. So, you might have to hang a particular flag during anything you do, or something along those lines.

One show in particular cost pretty near the same amount, and a local boot company (okay, they really just embroider boots from another company) covered about a quarter of the total cost and supplied boots for the show (it was a Western musical, of all things), and required a sponsorship mention in the program, and a sales booth in the lobby, plus mention in any ads or stories in the media. They got another partial sponsorship from a hat company, for some of the cost, and so on...

Depending on exactly what you're going to do with the ship, there's the possibility of setting it up as a non-profit organization, which will help with taxes and the such, making upkeep at least a little easier.

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

That is a good lookin piece of pyrate gear. If I were single again, I believe that would have to be my next bachelor pad! :) I could see livin on the lake in that one fer certain! No more than buyin a home.

Capt. Bo

[the Royaliste]

I don't 'surf' this site much, and seldom post in the bilge here,but I saw this and decided to add some.....Don't look at foreign built vessels with any aspirations of corporate or financial gain, nor any purpose other than sailing,as...The Jones Act enforced by the coasties prohibits any coastwise trade with one, I know as mine is. That said, if you have any teaching or learning plans with said ship, the only feasible route is brand new construction to meet all the subchapters the CG requires for said ventures. that'd be around 4 to 7 million roughed out and certified. Forget all that 'corporate sponsorship' stuff, as it ain't real. Ships are built by raising tons of funds, and launching them.A good example is Lynx, or Kalmar Nyckle. Most left coast foundations are basically in the 'get the grants' business. If a few students actually learn something in an afternoon or morning daysail, I'd be impressed. Gray's Harbor got a good deal on the 'Chieftian, but she needs a ton of work, and she's a steel shallow draft vessel. Used ships are out there, a list includes Bill of Rights, American Pride, Kai'luani, hell, I'm all ears if you've a lot of cash as I'm tryin' to raise 3 mill for the same type purpose. There's a great debate amongst sail-trainers whether daysailing or weeks at sea train the best. I'm up for finding out. As far as the stlye we set as pirates, well..since we can't do 'charter daysails' by law (altho we never wanted to), we do Tallship events, reenactments, and all the fun stuff, 'cuz..not all treasure is silver and gold, eh?....We are taking trainees on all legs of the Tallships Challenge 2006, and the few we take surely leave the deck as beginning sailors.....Our 'dome' over our head as it be,is 'Privateer!'..a 501 © (3) non profit organisation teaching history through period sailtraining and maritime reenactments and events....

[Rumba Rue]

I don't know about what the rules are in your area Royalist, but in Dana Point, CA., the Lynx and several others offer day sails to the public for a fee (just ask Black Hearted Pearl) some of which occassionally have a few pirates onboard for fun.

[Coastie04]

Rumba,

The difference is that Lynx was built in the U.S., whereas the Royaliste was (I think) built in Canada. I do know she's not an American hull. However, Royaliste, didn't you get some sort of waiver? I know you were working on it about a year ago or so.

The law in question dates back to the Civil War era. It was a time when iron steamships were becoming more and more popular throughout the world. America was a bit behind in this department, because we had an abundance of trees to use, unlike European countries that depleted much of their forests building up their navies and other shipping. So, since the rest of the world jumped on the technology of using iron for ships, the U.S. didn't because we were building some of the best wooden ships (just look at the U.S. achievements in shipbuilding: USS Constitution style 'heavy frigates', Baltimore Clippers, and many of the wooden 'extreme clipper' ships were built on our shores as well-see my pictures of the Cutty Sark in the gallery to appreciate how beautiful they really were). So, with the advent of iron and later steel, the U.S. made laws to protect the American shipbuilding industry by outlawing foreign-built hulls from engaging in domestic trade. That's one of the reasons that large cruise ships always make at least one stop in a foreign port. Even up here in Alaska, they usually stop somewhere in Canada to pass this requirement. Then, it turns to international trade instead of domestic. Even after American shipbuilding turned to steel, the laws were kept in place due to cheaper labor, and thus cheaper boats, being built elsewhere. Today, most of the large merchant and cruise ships are built overseas, so the laws allow atleast smaller vessels, such as fishing boats, ferries, charter boats, most things on the Great Lakes, ect. to feed the remains of the U.S. shipbuilding industry.

Well, that was my history lesson for the day. I might be off a bit on some of the details, as it's been a while since I looked at any of my references, so this came from the best of my memory and has some personal bias in it as well. However, I do know that many of the tall ships we see around are U.S. built vessels, such as the Lynx, Californian, Lady Washington, Hawaiian Chieftain, Swift of Ipswitch, and Pilgrim (to name a few you might see in CA).

Coastie

[Arthur Richards from Kent]

well now! How about being a non profit organization and getting corporate america to buy it as a write off?

[the Royaliste]

Coastie...We didn't get the Jones Act waiver, so under our attraction vessel status and our passenger allowance, we operate as OUIPV, formerly known as a six pack.Licensed capt., No bucks, but hell, we're still sailin'...Rumba, 'what he said'..we're built on the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence...

..the rest of ye....All of us out here are doing a hard slog to windward to stay afloat..Lynx, the Lady, Spirit of Dana Point, we're all chasing a very elusive dollar with humongus overhead( the ins. amt. for our upcoming Chicago appearance is 5 million dollars in coverage!..our agent is havin' a ruff time with the rider)...there is no 'corporate anybody' out here helping us sail, just mostly youngsters and oldesters with a gleam in their eye and the wind in their hair with a dream.....And we are all out here in the dark night as well as the day,transiting our ships to help all of those who wish to appreciate the great age of sail, in heavy seas, and crappy storms, just like homeland security, but without the budgets!!!...I've always heard the 'big non profit to avoid taxes line, but hell, you have to have made money to owe money, mates....My overhead in repairs and maintainance are also astronomical, 10 K average the last three years, and that's without the upgrades to help you stand against the sea( 7K in new eletrics and electronics)....Spare change, anyone??..(click the Paypal button on my website)

[HarborMaster]

I have too agree with Capn' Glen., I been workin and savin a long time for my venture., I hope to get it soon., It wont be as grand as the Royaliste but itll sure be mine. ., I have a new name for you Capn' Glen., and its a compliment after my own thinking., "The Realiste".., Theres alot of respect in there for you as well. Yea it takes a lotta bux and Pepsi .,Nike and Coke arent part of it., that is a dream. Just hard work gettin it and keepin it.

Kinda reminds me of that cool song Neil Young did ., "This Notes for you"

[the Royaliste]

One has to be a 'realist' in the arena of Tallships, mate.....'Tis a real ocean poundin' on the hull, and real batteries goin' dead, and real new diesels quittin' at the wrong time (i.e. Irving Johnson in the harbor where we reside), and all of that is during a 'good days' sail'.... ..as for that, with six carronades mounted, we have one more pirate film next month, I have an elbow replacement, then we tear Royaliste apart and ship her to Cleveland for the Tallships Challenge and the Eastern Voyage....To all you midwesterners, here's your chance, mates!...(we're just finishing up the new 8'X10' Royaliste black 'jolly' for the summer, so you'll know it be us from a long way off,eh?)

[Skull pyrate Carter]

so, wait. If i went down to home depot and bought ALOT of wood. And then put said wood together in the form of, say a pirate ship, I wouldn't be allowed to sail her? and how much wood would I need? I'm just sayin, you know. I bought a piece here and there... it'd take a while, but rome wasn't built in a day and all that.

[blackjohn]

I don't know how they do it, but I've always admired the operation the Sultana runs...

http://www.schoonersultana.org/

And they seem to be doing well enough to put forth another venture...

http://www.johnsmith400.org/index.php

[the Royaliste]

..*Large Grin*.....Easy question....The Orange store doesn't sell anything hard enuff or big enuff to build a ship....All junk wood in a shipwright's world...fireplace fodder..Now, if you were to shop at Handloggers or Edensaw Woods (two hardwood suppliers), and invite the Coast Guard over to watch every fastener you install in the event you care to invite anyone aboard with you, you might stand a chance. People build ships every day, it just takes huge amounts of cash,skill, and regulations. Bear in mind that we use woods that run upwards of 14 dollars a board foot in many cases. Also, the wood necessary for structural knees and futtocks are large and THICK,so..they are made from specific parts of a tree. I make an excursion every once in a while to the Northern Plains (Minnesota and the Dakotas) to hack out parts with a chainsaw, store them properly for several years, and then use them...Are you ready for some wierd long range planning?..Then I say go for it, just don't believe in a myth...Now, if'n ye make it, and your ship's complete, you still need to watch the horizon, 'cuz we're out here, loaded for bear, and keepin' a weather eye open!!

.....and Blackjohn, We'll be sendin' a round RR two over to the Sultana this October on RR way down the ICW, and we've already scheduled a raid for the 400th at Jamestown, so we're glad for another new 'target'!(That'll coincide with Tallships Challenge 2007 northbound)..

[Dorian Lasseter]

I don't know how they do it, but I've always admired the operation the Sultana runs...

http://www.schoonersultana.org/

And they seem to be doing well enough to put forth another venture...

http://www.johnsmith400.org/index.php

This wee bit may have something to do with it....

"Research funded by a grant from the National Geographic Society Expeditions Council"

I suppose they're doing something right, or know the right people to get reasonable sized grants.....

[Zephaniah W Nash]

Most of the information in the posts after mine are the reason I put in the caveat "I don't know how well it will translate from theatre," or however it was I put it.

I know there are a lot of theatre companies out there that survive completely on gov't, corporate, and private grants - with actual ticket sales barely being a drop in the ocean, so to speak. Some of these budgets must be getting at least near the neighborhood of the budget to support a ship.

I also may be looking at it from a point of view of a bunch of smaller projects all linked together, rather than one large project all at the same time.

The various laws presented would be a huge obstacle, that I hadn't thought of.

I would be shocked if there weren't loopholes for those in the know, but I ain't one of them in the know...

[Rumba Rue]

If there's a lawyer, there's loopholes....