Upon returning to Presque Isle Bay late this afternoon after an exhilarating sail on the lake (15-20 knot winds!), I was greeted by an unusual sight of two magnificent tall ships under sail. Wisconsin's flagship, the Denis Sullivan, and the brig Niagara were tacking back and forth across the bay. The Sullivan, the world's only re-creation of a Great Lakes schooner, is visiting the Port of Erie for a break on the voyage to her winter home in Florida. She is a 137-foot schooner built in 2000 and is licensed as an educational sailing and scientific research vessel, homeported in Milwaukee. Notice the shortened rig on the Niagara. Her royal and t'gallant masts have been removed in preparation for her annual de-rigging for the winter season.
Very cool! How active is the Niagra now?
ReplyDeleteThey extended their sailing season to get a few more sails in as well as to get in a bit of extra revenue due the state budget shortfall. She's getting ready now to "go to sleep" for the winter. They will remove all yards and most of the upper mast sections, and cover her up in a custom-made canvas to protect the deck from the elements. During the winter, visitors can still board her and tour the ship, and a lot of maintenance will occur as well. Thanks for reading my blog!
ReplyDeleteYou should do an entry where we go back and forth with fake boat names:
ReplyDeleteNeptune's Folly
Catch A Wave
Soupy Sails