My View of Life on the Dock
With hurrying home from Boston after a full day of editing on the Monarch film project, I didn’t have time to write a longer post. It was a tremendously productive day. My film doesn’t just show Gloucester’s wildlife in a beautiful light, but highlights the natural beauty found all around Cape Ann.
Without jinxing the project I feel hopeful we will have a documentary by spring. No dates have been decided as of yet, but I am getting pretty excited to premiere the final cut!
Now she’s living a life of adventure and love as the cutest little first mate, on the Tall Ship Lynx.
Alex Peacock, who’s been around boats his whole life, became the Lynx’s permanent captain this past winter.
Most days aboard this replica of a privateer used in the War of 1812 are spent voyaging — from its summer base in Nantucket, Massachusetts, to its winter home in St. Petersburg, Florida, to far-flung destinations including Hawaii, Mexico and other beautiful places — with the crew talking to history lovers, or engaged in some other kind of interesting and challenging pursuit.
Shortly after landing the choice gig, Peacock decided to head to a local animal shelter to fulfill what the 28-year-old says is a tall ship tradition.
“It seemed like the right time to get a buddy,” he told TODAY while sitting on the floor and feeding Leeloo some of her favorite treats (Greenies, for those who like such details).
Peacock and a few crew members headed over to Friends of Strays, a nonprofit shelter in St. Petersburg. That’s where they met Leeloo.
Leeloo was at the shelter, waiting to be adopted, because she’d had the good fortune to be found wandering loose in the vicinity of Friends of Strays community relations manager Clair Wray.
Additional snapshots from Gloucester’s snowy day winter wonderland event.
Beacon Marine Basin Dusk
Rocky Neck Smith’s Cove Twilight
Perhaps you’ve noticed the towering masts and proportionately large flag of the ship currently docked at Rocky Neck Marine Railways. They caught my attention this morning when at the Fish Pier taking photos as the masts are almost as tall as those of the Schooner Columbia. The flag and masts belong to the tall ship Lynx, a privateer inspired by the original tall ship that battled the British during the War of 1812. That war ship was named the Privateer Lynx.
The Lynx is a square topsail schooner. Her port of registry is Portsmouth, New Hampshire and her homeports are Nantucket during warmer months and Saint Petersburg, Florida during wintertime. She is on her way to Portland and is scheduled to depart Gloucester on Monday. The Lynx is an educational organization devoted to hands-on programs that teach the history of America’s struggle to preserve its independence during the War of 1812. You can read more about the ship on the Lynx website here.
Hunter, the Lynx’s cook (left) and Jonathan, from the Liberty Star. The Liberty Star is undergoing some repairs at the Railways, on her way to the Virgin Islands for the winter.
The fifteen stars and stripes flag flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 and is the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the “Star Spangled Banner.”
This was the only U.S. flag to have fifteen stripes. Two stripes and two stars were added for Vermont and Kentucky when they became states. Congress had a change of heart and in 1818, proclaimed that one star for each new state would be added on the 4th of July following the state’s admission to the union and there would be thirteen stripes representing the thirteen original colonies.
Photos of the Lynx under sail courtesy Google image search
The Harbor this morning at daybreak, with the Lynx on the far left, docked at the Marine Railways
Liberty Star at the Railways
From wiki – A privateer was a private person or ship that engaged in maritime warfare under a commission of war. The commission, also known as a letter of marque, empowered the person to carry on all forms of hostility permissible at sea by the usages of war, including attacking foreign vessels during wartime and taking them as prizes. Captured ships were subject to condemnation and sale under prize law, with the proceeds divided between the privateer sponsors, shipowners, captains and crew. A percentage share usually went to the issuer of the commission. Since robbery under arms was common to seaborne trade, all merchant ships were already armed. During war, naval resources were auxiliary to operations on land so privateering was a way of subsidizing state power by mobilizing armed ships and sailors.
It is always a treat to go over to the Railways.
Here are a couple photos. Love the Squawking Seagull.
Submitted by Al Bezanson
Sighted at the Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta #PANERAI off of Marblehead August 8th. #FREEBRADY #SCHOONERGREENDRAGON
There were thumbs-ups galore from the participants. Here’s the reaction of Allesandro Pagani and his crew in NINA during a close encounter in the race.
Katherine Richmond gave us a quickie professional lettering job with the house paint at the Gloucester marine Railways an hour before launch last Friday.
The Green Dragon Tavern was the meeting place of the Sons of Liberty. On the night of the Boston Tea Party it was mysteriously empty.
“The truth shall set him free schooner or later!
-Al Bezanson
Good Morning Gloucester 