Sail Training Day

Posted in Memory by Andy Hall on January 25, 2015

Sail Training Jan 24 2014 720

I had to run an errand at the Texas Seaport Museum Saturday, and realized it was a sail training day. At least they had good weather for it.

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GeneralStarsGray

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Christopher Shelley said, on January 25, 2015 at 7:49 pm

Gorgeous! What can you tell us (or link us to) about this beautiful ship?

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- Andy Hall said, on January 25, 2015 at 7:56 pm
  
  Iron barque Elissa, launched in 1877 at Aberdeen. Called at Galveston (I think) twice during her career as a merchantman. Brought back to Galveston for restoration in the late 1970s and opened to the public in the early 1980s. Sails on a regular basis, thus the need for regular sail training for her crew.
  
  http://www.galvestonhistory.org/attractions/maritime-heritage/1877-tall-ship-elissa
  
  Here are some of my pictures of her from a while back:
  
  Reply
Christopher Shelley said, on January 25, 2015 at 8:00 pm

Beautiful barque, then. But she’s lovely.

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Reed (the original, accept no substitutes) said, on January 26, 2015 at 9:17 pm

Fine looking ship.

(And for some reason I have an urge to make a pun about this ship and nautical knot-tying that ends: “his barque was worse than his bight.” Can anyone suggest a set-up?)

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- Andy Hall said, on January 26, 2015 at 9:23 pm
  
  I’ll pass that one along to some of my Elissa buddies.
  
  Reply
Leo said, on January 27, 2015 at 1:01 pm

I can only imagine what the harbor looked like back in the day of tall ships.

Although not a sailing ship, I can remember going down to the Yazoo River in my youth and looking for the Star of the West when the water was low. I believe the Confederates sunk her in the river to prevent U.S. forces from reaching Vicksburg. Anyway, you could see shapes and something that looked like a mast. I am sure the boat is mostly rotted away by now.

Another interesting side note about the Star of the West is that she was fired upon by cadets from the Citadel just a few weeks after South Carolina seceded.

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- Andy Hall said, on January 27, 2015 at 1:08 pm
  
  “Another interesting side note about the Star of the West is that she was fired upon by cadets from the Citadel just a few weeks after South Carolina seceded.”
  
  By this guy:
  https://deadconfederates.com/2010/07/12/william-stewart-simkins-the-klan-and-the-law-school/
  
  Reply
  - Leo said, on January 27, 2015 at 1:18 pm
    
    WOW!
    
    It’s interesting how things connect in History.
    
    Reply
Leo said, on January 27, 2015 at 1:09 pm

I decided to go check some sources on Star of the West. I was apparently wrong about the Star of the West being used to prevent U.S. forces from reaching Vicksburg. That was the story I always heard growing up in Greenwood. Anyway, she was scuttled by Confederate troops.

Now I know.

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