In response to our post, Tall Ships Hit By Slumping Economy, Will from the Tugster blog and Captain Peter from Nautical Log commented about the potential synergies of tall ships carrying cargo in addition to passengers. Well great minds, and all that. An example of what both these gentlemen were referring to took place last weekend in Ballyvaughan, Ireland in County Claire, at the Festival of the Valleys, which “celebrate[s] the very best of traditional Irish and Mediterranean culture and cuisine. This unique event … merge[s] the unique environment of the Burren with glorious splendour of the Mediterranean.” Fittingly enough, the wine for the festival was delivered by the Ketch Bessie Ellen, one of the last remaining examples of a West Country Trading Ketch, from the festival director’s own vineyard in the Languedoc-Rousillon area of southern France.
yes yes yes . . . may this be the shape of things to come. let’s do it. may your wineskins always be full. need crew to run the first load of fingerlakes wine to nyc, i’ll sign on. i’ll even row.
Ramming speed, Will.
yay! This company has been doing it, too: http://www.ctmv.eu/en/home.html
However a friend who imports spirits said that wine does not like getting sloshed to and fro. I wonder how the wine is upon arrival? is this true?
Will, the bad news is that they probably wouldn’t let you sample the cargo during the voyage.
Christina, I worked for a liner company which carried a lot of French wine in containers. I suspect that the wine got sloshed around quite a bit but would do so for a shorter period than on a sailing vessel. Of course, so far most sailing deliveries have been over short distances so there may not much of a problem.
Having checked with family members who are wine experts and growers I am told wine travels fairly well. The worst way is by air, next by truck were it can absorb petrol/gasoline/benzine fumes. Best by sea as long as it is well stowed and lashed. That reminded me of the Wilhelm Wilhelmsen ships carrying aquavit across the Line. For 200 years now ‘Linie Aguavit’ makes the trip from Norway and back. The label has the ships name and dates of the passage. Take a look and take a sip or two!!
Good Watch.
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