Sea History$3.75 the Art, Literature, Adventure, Lore & Learning of the Sea
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No. 109 NATIONAL MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY WINTER 2004-2005 SEA HISTORY$3.75 THE ART, LITERATURE, ADVENTURE, LORE & LEARNING OF THE SEA THE AGE OF SAIL CONTINUES ON PICTON CASTLE Whaling Letters North Carolina Maritime Museum Rediscover the Colonial Periauger Sea History for Kids Carrying the Age of Sail Forward in the Barque Picton Castle by Captain Daniel D. Moreland oday the modern sailing school role of education, particularly maritime. ship is typically a sailing ship op- For example, in 1931 Denmark built the Terated by a charitable organization full-rigger Danmark as a merchant ma- whose mission is devoted to an academic rine school-ship which still sails in that or therapeutic program under sail, either role today. During this time, many other at sea or on coastwise passages. Her pro- maritime nations commissioned school gram uses the structure and environment ships for naval training as well, this time of the sailing ship to organize and lend without cargo and usually with significant themes to that structure and educational academic and often ambassadorial roles agenda. The goal, of course, being a fo- including most of the great classic sailing cused educational forum without neces- ships we see at tall ship events today. sarily being one of strictly maritime edu- These sailing ships became boot cation. Experiential education, leadership camps and colleges at sea. Those “trained training, personal growth, high school or in sail” were valued as problem solvers college credit, youth-at-risk, adjudicated and, perhaps more significantly, problem youth, science and oceanography as well preventers. They learned the wind and sea as professional maritime development are in a way not available to the denizens of often the focus of school ships. These ships covered and heated pilot houses with a are typically fine vessels producing often voice tube to the engine-room to call for impressive results. increased or reduced RPMs depending on In contrast to the modern Sailing the weather. Sailing ship crew, from the School Ship the Sail Training Ship, of yore Captain to the cabin boy, were the engi- PHOTO BY DANIEL D. MORELAND was quite different. Originally these ships neers (and stokers, wipers and plumbers) were owned and operated by commercial of the sailing ship. The rig and the sails and think way ahead. These sailing-ship shipping companies to train their appren- were their engine, and they had to keep it seafarers not only had to make do with tices who hoped to become steam-ship going with canvas, twine, wood, wire, bits what they had at hand, but they had to officers. These ships were devoted to the of steel and iron plus their wits, determi- succeed. The alternative was unthinkable. infusion of practical maritime arts and nation, and know-how. They had to plan These characteristics are desirable in any leadership, discipline, and organizational position of leadership. These traits in a skills as required of the accomplished pro- Captain Arthur Kimberley making Picton leader or team member save time, money, fessional seafarer in the course of ocean Castle’s first suit of sails. Kimberley sailed as property and, most of all, lives. voyaging. It wasn’t so much that seamen a young man on the full-rigged ship Abra- Not only were professional sailors were “trained to sail” but that they were ham Rydberg, a cargo-carrying sail train- trained in this manner. Many young men “trained in sail” or “under sail’ as the phrase ing ship. Later, as owner and Captain of the (and some women) ran off to sea in com- might have it. Toward the end of the age brigantine Romance for 23 years, Kimberley mercial sail never intending to make a life of sail, several steam-ship companies es- and his wife Gloria made two circumnavi- of it. They sailed for many reasons but we tablished their own cargo-carrying sailing gations and numerous voyages to the South might lump the motivations under ad- ships for the purpose of training their fu- Pacific in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s with pay- venture. Their lives were richer for their ture officers. The four-masted barque Port ing apprentices—Dan Moreland was Mate experiences at sea. If they wrote of their Jackson comes to mind, but there sailed on Romance’s first circumnavigation. adventures, as did Richard Henry Dana, quite a few others. These sailing ships were Herman Melville, Alan Villiers, and even commonly typical cargo ships of the pe- a young Irving Johnson, then our lives riod with the addition of extra quarters ashore were made richer as well. for their apprentices. Proudly maintained, As the age of sail wound down and these vessels served as showpieces for their berths on sailing ships dwindled, oppor- steamship companies. Cargo was king, tunities to sail cropped up in new capaci- however, so they had to pay their own ties. A number of ships and enterprises way—often just barely. Until the mid- developed to take young people to sea 1950s, a few European seafaring nations under canvas. The full-rigger Joseph Con- still required their merchant officer candi- rad, barquentine Cap Pilar, and schooner dates acquire a portion of their sea-time Wanderbird all made deep sea passages under large tonnage sail. with young apprentices in the 1920s and In time, especially during the so- 30s. Most famous of all was the schooner cialization of education in the 1920s and Yankee under the visionary and enormous- 30s, many governments took over the RICEL CROCKETT COURTESY ly capable Captain Irving Johnson and 24 SEA HISTORY 109, WINTER 2004-2005 his wife Exy. After WWII the Johnsons clipper sailing converted another fine vessel into the ship lines, Picton that became known as the brigantine Yan- Castle is not kee. That ship and the Johnsons’ voyages, simply a con- as well as the work of others, make up the version. When bridge that links the age of sail to the mod- the question is ern sail training era in North America. asked, “a power Much of what the crew or trainees vessel into a sail- get out of sail training are simple truths boat, how can absorbed during their new life at sea in it be?”, recall COURTESY OF TOM WARD OF TOM COURTESY the course of serving the ship and their that the famous Tom Ward minds his helm in rough weather on Picton Castle’s first world voyage. shipmates—not from formal instruction. British clipper- These things are extremely difficult to ship Tweed was converted from a steamer. All hands live in open foc’s’le-type berth- quantify in our Quarterly Profit & Loss Rigged and refitted for deep-water voyages ing areas and sleep in pilot bunks. There world. Over the long term, however, these in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Picton Castle is neither air conditioning nor private qualities make themselves clear. These val- has made three voyages around the world cabins—fresh water is limited. Her sails ues internalized at sea are often lumped since 1997. The ship embarks on her next are cotton canvas hand sewn on deck by under “character-building”, it seems for circumnavigation in May of 2005—crew her crew. Every wire aloft supporting her lack of a better term. Perhaps a term, fallen are signing up now. masts and every length of manila line that from currency of late, could be applied to Picton Castle is a sail training ship of trims her 12,500 square feet of sail is put in that which the challenge discussed above the old school. Her program is the ship place and cared for by the very hands that attempts to describe: Citizenship. We don’t and the voyage. She is a cargo-carrying sail this ship. If a yard needs to be replaced have to like everybody, but for a ship to get square-rigger of about 560 tons displace- or should the ship’s launch require a new across an ocean getting along and resolving ment making long, transoceanic voyages, plank, it will be Picton Castle crew that do problems are essential. Re- the job. Watches are four sources onboard are finite: hours on and eight off. In conserve them, husband port anchor watches are them. Good sail training set so that much of our fosters good citizens—in a time is free to explore, ship, in a boat, in the home but the security, safety, or town and in our greater and well-being of the ship community. herself are always our par- amount priorities. If we Picton Castle don’t take care of the ship, Preserves the Legacy the ship can hardly take Much has naturally care of us. The ship always been made about preserv- comes first. Always. ing the great historical On Picton Castle’s cir- ships of the world that cumnavigation our crew survive. The story of Pic- become acquainted with ton Castle is about one ship islanders and villagers in PHOTO BY DANIEL D. MORELAND BY PHOTO that, through her voyages the ports and islands we Hands bending on sail underway. and even her renaissance, is visit. Windows into near preserving the historical skills and even a principally a world circumnavigation in inaccessible worlds are flung open by the way of life. From the historical preserva- the tropics. She sails with a large crew of welcome of the people we meet along the tion perspective this may be no less signifi- apprentices led by a small core of experi- way. Traditional dances, kava ceremonies, cant than saving historic ships themselves. enced and dedicated young professionals. feasts, climbing to waterfalls and volca- Picton Castle is an 180-foot barque- This gang works the ship and handles the noes, trading for carvings, baskets, and rigged vessel built of riveted steel in Eng- cargo of educational supplies and trade spears in the jungle, paddling dugouts land in 1928.