Featured Books
Monthly Archives: October 2008
Sailing on the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater from Rick Spilman on Vimeo. The Clearwater is a Hudson River sloop modeled after the distinctive trading sloops that sailed up and down the Hudson in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Clearwater was conceived by … Continue reading
Posted in Current, Lore of the Sea, Ships
Tagged clearwater, hudson river, learning community charter school, seeger, sloop
3 Comments
Talking Like a Somali and Update on the MV Faina
An update on the MV Faina – still being held hostage by Somali pirates. Somali pirates hold whip hand in standoff And a comment by my 12 year old son, Ted. He suggested that he would like to learn some … Continue reading
The Business of Raising Sails on a Maine Windjammer
There are two Maine “Windjammers” currently for sale. This may not be terribly useful information for those of us feeling more than usually penurious in the current economic downturn. Nevertheless there are moments when the idea of chucking it all and making … Continue reading
Posted in Current, Ships
Tagged Ben McCanna, Down East magazine, Maine Windjammers, Rachel B. Jackson, Victory Chimes
1 Comment
Of Blogs and Logs
As this is a nautical blog, I do feel compelled to at least tip our hat to Andrew Sullivan’s recent article ”Why I Blog“, in this month’s Atlantic Monthly . (I do recommend Sullivan’s political blog for the Atlantic - The Daily Dish.) I … Continue reading
The Holy Ground – Songs, Sailors, and Women of Easy Virtue
I am every fond of the Irish sea song “Holy Ground”. The song is about a sailor bound for sea, leaving his lady love and hoping to return. “And still I live in hope to see the Holy Ground once more..” … Continue reading
Posted in Language, Lore of the Sea, Songs
Tagged burning bush, colonial new york, holy ground, irish songs, prostitution, red light district, sea songs
Leave a comment
Divers close in on lost fortune of Ann Cargill, a scandalous star
An intriguing news story. (Thanks to LizMc on the Horatians forum.) According to the BBC, Ann Carghill was “was the Britney Spears of her day.” I think they slight poor Ms Cargill. A Scandalous Star “When the packet ship, The Nancy, … Continue reading
Putting the Oy Back into ‘Ahoy’ – Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean
A friend pointed this book out to me. It looks intriguing and is coming out in mid-November. Jean Lafite was Jewish? Who knew? (Thanks Henya!) From a review in the Jewish Press: Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean: How a Generation of Swashbuckling Jews … Continue reading
Sailor Talk – “Kissing the Gunner’s Daughter” and “Sucking the Monkey”
One of my particular frustrations with the “Talk-Like a Pirate Day” folks is that even if one ignores the very nasty nature of pirates, historical and modern alike, a second and perhaps even great problem remains. The Talk-Like-a-Piraters do such … Continue reading
Posted in Language
Tagged coconut, kissing the gunners daughter, monkey pump, rum, sailor talk, Sir Walter Scott, sucking the monkey, talk like a pirate
2 Comments
Review – Joan Druett’s Shark Island, a Wiki Coffin Mystery
I recently read Joan Druett‘s Shark Island, the second in her Wiki Coffin series of mysteries. A brief review: What makes a mystery work for me is the detective – the knowledgeable outsider, living between two worlds, who can see … Continue reading
Old Salt in The Huffington Post
I was recently published in The Huffington Post. An excerpt: “The Golden Age of Piracy” or Long John Silver in a Tank This morning I was struck by the odd juxtaposition of an announcement for a festival and a … Continue reading
