The Bluenose II pulled into port here last evening. Sandra and I, having heard about it from the local paper, went down to have a look. I must say, it was quite impressive.
For those of you who may not be aware of it, the Bluenose is a schooner ship. The original, built in March of 1921, was the fastest of her day. She was primarily a fishing vessel, but when the opportunity arose, sailors could not help but to race. She won countless races for seventeen years, remaining undefeated until 1938.
World War II saw sailing vessels phased out of the fishing fleets, and despite protests by her master and many others, the Bluenose was sold in 1942, to the West Indian Trading Company. Adding insult to injury, she was stripped of her sails and set to hauling bananas and similar cargo. She sank in 1946, after hitting a reef off of Haiti.
The Bluenose II was built in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia in 1963 from similar plans to the original. Some of the original shipyard workers contributed to her construction. The hull, sail design and rigging are exact duplicates of the first Bluenose. In 1971, she was sold to the Nova Scotia government for the princely sum of one dollar, and sails as a goodwill ambassador for that province.
The Bluenose is represented on our country's dime, representing a time when Canada was at the forefront of ship building skill and technology.
Most of what you have just read is paraphrased from the pamphlet that is handed out at the gangway whenever the ship (And don't ever let a sailor hear you call her a boat!) makes port. To many Canadians, a lot of the early history is as good as legend. The dates are fuzzy, by my generation remembers hearing the stories, and the Canadian Ministry of Heritage has made a point of documenting the history of our tall ship.
It is always wonderful when a piece of the past comes to call. We take for granted that we can go on the Internet and get all of this information if we want it. It just isn't the same as touching the rail and hearing the timbers creak in the waves. If she is open to visitors today, Sandra and I hope to go aboard. I want to feel the deck beneath my feet, and capture a bit of what those original fishermen must have felt.
Respect history. It's what made us who we are.
For those of you who may not be aware of it, the Bluenose is a schooner ship. The original, built in March of 1921, was the fastest of her day. She was primarily a fishing vessel, but when the opportunity arose, sailors could not help but to race. She won countless races for seventeen years, remaining undefeated until 1938.
World War II saw sailing vessels phased out of the fishing fleets, and despite protests by her master and many others, the Bluenose was sold in 1942, to the West Indian Trading Company. Adding insult to injury, she was stripped of her sails and set to hauling bananas and similar cargo. She sank in 1946, after hitting a reef off of Haiti.
The Bluenose II was built in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia in 1963 from similar plans to the original. Some of the original shipyard workers contributed to her construction. The hull, sail design and rigging are exact duplicates of the first Bluenose. In 1971, she was sold to the Nova Scotia government for the princely sum of one dollar, and sails as a goodwill ambassador for that province.
The Bluenose is represented on our country's dime, representing a time when Canada was at the forefront of ship building skill and technology.
Most of what you have just read is paraphrased from the pamphlet that is handed out at the gangway whenever the ship (And don't ever let a sailor hear you call her a boat!) makes port. To many Canadians, a lot of the early history is as good as legend. The dates are fuzzy, by my generation remembers hearing the stories, and the Canadian Ministry of Heritage has made a point of documenting the history of our tall ship.
It is always wonderful when a piece of the past comes to call. We take for granted that we can go on the Internet and get all of this information if we want it. It just isn't the same as touching the rail and hearing the timbers creak in the waves. If she is open to visitors today, Sandra and I hope to go aboard. I want to feel the deck beneath my feet, and capture a bit of what those original fishermen must have felt.
Respect history. It's what made us who we are.
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