Been swamped with this move and so over-overwhelmed. So I've been enjoying a little Pokemon Black and Zelda Wind Waker to relax. Ah :) My plushie Wobbuffet sits nearby looking upset by all the chaos. He's looking forward to finishing this move and settling down in a quite place. As for tonight...more baseball :D ( Read more... )

River: Let's go!Even though I may be shy in conversation, I leap at the opportunity for adventure! So, one sunny day in DC, I hopped on board a little schooner with a smile. I was ready for training to become a member of the ship's crew! I didn't know a sail cover from a standing line, but I was eager to learn. I listened attentively as the ( Read more... )

Some of my favorite non-fiction books:

Two Years Before the Mast [R H Dana] (1840) 19th century US sailing industry ( Read more... )

I stumbled on this today while working on a project:

THE CHRISTIAN SAILOR.

What vessel are you sailing in?
Pray tell to me its name?
Our vessel is the ark of God,
And Christ, the captain's name.

chorus
O hoist every sail to catch the gale,
Each sailor plies his oar,
The night begins to wear away,
We soon shall reach the shore. ( the rest of the song )

"In my younger days, I applied for a midshipman's warrant, which thanks to my stars, I did not obtain. Now nothing could induce me to wear damp linen all my life, roll about a ship in the day and breath the same air a the whole night, as seafaring men are compelled to do."


( Read more... )

This evening we took the Spirit out for a trip to stretch her legs. The temperature was perfect. There wasn't any wind, but it was very calm and lazy out there on the river. We raised sail, practiced man-overboard, and discussed ship-board procedure. It's been so long since I've handled lines that I forgot how to coil them when not in use! I'm ( Read more... )

I attended schooner training from 5:30-8:30 this evening. It was really thorough, clear, and productive. We raised sail at the dock since there was hardly a breath of wind and found that there were some batons, lines, and equipment that needed to be replaced. The new skipper is determined to scrub up and spruce up the boat so she looks better ( Read more... )

Ones that I've just finished
Captain Nash De Cost and the Liverpool Packets by Sawtell (This was a great little piece that gave me a picture of the NY-L'pool packet trade. I have a great deal of respect for Captain De Cost.)
Schooner Captain by Shaw (I finished this one today. I had a hard time putting it down. It's a really nice read if you're ( Read more... )

This evening, a warm wind kicked up as grey clouds gathered across the sky. I thought for sure that we'd have a storm. My right ear started hurting about then - could it still be sensitive from the respiratory infection that I had last November? It's almost as if my inner ear was aware of the sudden drop in air pressure ( Read more... )

I once thought that all ships were basically similar, but the more I read and see, the more I see that the different rigs have completely unique visual personalities. Here are a couple types that were popular in 19th century America:

Sloops fore-and-aft rigged, 1 mast vessel
Gossoon
Columbia

Schooners fore-and-aft rigged, 2+ mast vessel
Foam
( Read more... )