Conference unifix::sailing

2152.0. "Bark "Gazela"" by DONVAN::PACL () Thu Aug 04 1994 15:20

    The Barkentine "Gazela" will be in Boston August 12 - 14 at the
    old Naval shipyard in Charlestown (near the USS Constitution) and I
    encourage anyone interested in tall ships to go see her - she will be
    available for inspection (free - though donations are very welcome) 
    during the day.
    
    I have just returned from Nova Scotia having helped sail her there from
    Martha's Vineyard (I was pressed into service as a deckhand while on
    vacation there - not a tough sell).  She is a great boat, still lively 
    despite having worked hard as part of Portugal's fishing fleet from 
    1883 - 1969.  Some more stats....
    
    	- built 1883                	
    	- 177 feet long, 27 foot beam
    	- 11,000 square feet of sail
    	- owned and operated by Philadelphia's Ship Preservation Guild for
    	  primarily educational purposes
    	- 300 tons
    
    Some personal notes on this first (but not last) experience in 
    sailing a tall ship
    	- it's nothing like sailing a smaller boat - while the gaff rigged
    	  main and mizzen, staysails and headsails were understandable,
    	  squaresails are complicated bordering on mysterious
    	- it's dangerous work - I worked the t'gallant on light wind days only
    	  and was overjoyed not to have been asked to go aloft in rougher 
    	  conditions - you can get hurt even with a harness and the more
    	  experienced didn't use them given their constraints
    	- it's hard work - 10 people to raise a gaff, 12 for a yard,
   	  3 for 'humping' anchor chain (bringing it forward before dropping
	  the hook), frequent 'all hands' for sail handling or entering 
    	  anchorages which interupt sleep required by being on watch for 
          1/3 of your time
    	- big boats are a bear to maneuver in tight anchorages and they
    	  take weather differently (I'ld never been seasick after 1000's of 
    	  hours until feeling moderate seas in this flat bottomed boat)
    	- they're a thrill - squaresails are beautiful, 12 knots in a big
    	  sailboat seems almost impossibly fast