Tall Sails Adventure

David Crockett Clipper Ship Postcard

2019-05-25T20:26:00.002-07:00

The celebrated A-I Extreme Clipper Ship!

Ahoy Sailors! Coleman's California Line for San Francisco is ready to set David Crockett off to sail! Say what? It's sailing now!? Oh yeah, I forgot - that was over a hundred years ago, but still a great read as we imagine how it was!

The year was 1853 in the cool weather of October, when the David Crockett was launched. Imagine the thrill of those old Clipper ships setting sail the first time.

The great David Crockett sailing clipper was rapidly loaded at the piers, and ready for departure with her first Captain; Joseph Spencer.

Rigged with double fore and main topsails, and three sky sails. 218' long she was!

David Crockett Ship Story

Yet as great as she was, that was considered to be only a medium-sized Clipper!

Grand she was though, as it was admitted by all to be one of the fastest sailing ships!

Known for always delivering her cargoes in perfect condition and order! Amazing, considering the storms those old Clippers must have endured.

With excellent ventilation and three decks, the David Crockett was compelling to the merchants seeking a secure ship for their cargo.

Not many years passed before she was sold and sailing different waters.

As many other Clipper ships, she has a history worth reading. So sail on over to learn more about the history of the David Crockett Clipper!

Hmm, I wonder if Captain Spencer wore crocodile leather boots? 😉

Davy Crockett Ship Info

Pirates of Sea of Thieves in Cursed Sails

2018-08-09T20:25:00.002-07:00

Arrr... The Sea of Thieves, with bad to the bone-rattling pirates are ready to set sail into the ocean blue! As they prepare for battle against anyone who would resist their destruction, the men cowardly hide!

And, if that weren't enough, a new free 'cursed sails' update has come to the Sea of Thieves! With cursed cannonballs, the doubled-sail Brigantine, and alliances to tackle the skeleton crews! Share your gold, but beware of mutany! Hoarding the gold could prove to drive your ship down! Arrr!

Clipper Ship King Philip Resurfaced

2018-08-08T14:29:00.002-07:00

If you're in the San Francisco area you may have had the opportunity to see the clipper ship King Philip resurface at times when there is a low tide! This occurred in prior years in May, and also in 1983.

Though much of the ship is no longer intact, it is said that the King Philip Clipper ship is "the most complete remains of an American medium Clipper."

The wreckage wasn't one that contained treasure as the ship was empty when it ran aground in 1878.

Considering the King Philip first set sail in 1856, she had time to develop a rich history before the fateful day she broke apart.

Set sail if you wish to read the full history of the King Philip Clipper.

How to Tie an Anchor Hitch Knot for Sailing

2018-08-08T13:52:00.000-07:00

When it comes to sailing, one better know their knots! The anchor hitch knot is necessary for doing just that - anchoring and attaching a line to an object.

Sail on over to Apparent Wind to view a very cool animation to see how to tie an anchor hitch knot.

If you prefer to watch a video for instructions with Captain John to tie the anchor hitch knot get a grip on this one:

Great Tea Clippers Speed Machines History

2018-08-08T10:39:00.002-07:00

History presents us with great clipper ship adventures. They sped through the waters to deliver the goods, and win the race against time. Fierce trade winds drove their sails as they clipped the forceful waves.

"They were fast and sleek and 150 years ago the great tea clippers ruled the waves. Battling the elements, they raced to deliver their valuable cargo from China to the fashionable tea drinking sets in London."

Tashmoo White Star Line Message in a Bottle from 97 Years Ago

2013-09-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

Imagine the thrill of finding a message in a bottle from nearly 100 years ago! That thrill of a lifetime is owned by a diver exploring the St. Clair River in Detroit, where the treasure remained all those years!

The message in the bottle was written on a Tashmoo White Star Line ticket. The Tashmoo was a side-wheeler steamboat, first launched in 1899.

The young girls who wrote the message cruised on the Tashmoo to go to the park, and now nearly 100 years later their message in a bottle has finally been discovered!

Message in a Bottle Found 100 Years Later

Tashmoo White Star Line Side-Wheeler Steamboat

Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides

2011-01-08T00:07:00.000-08:00

Coming to theaters this Summer in 3D! The Pirates of the Caribbean action adventure movie, "On Stranger Tides" will be sailing in to entertain us once again, so practice talking like a pirate and getting into the mood for another Johnny Depp pirate movie. Arr!

Popeye the Sailor Man and Olive Oil, Oh My

2010-10-31T22:49:00.000-07:00

A rare sighting of Popeye the sailor man, with Olive ~~Oil~~ Oyl! OMGosh!

Could hardly believe my eyes - lol. My friend and I ran into Popeye and Olive Oyl while shopping near Puget Sound. Hey, where's the spinach? (Oops, that's "Olive Oyl" to be correct!).

Popeye the Sailor Man with Olive ~~Oil~~ Oyl

Mermaid Tells Her Tale

2010-08-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

If mermaids really lived, they might be much like this mermaid: Hannah Fraser.

Without air tanks, this mermaid swims down 50 feet into the ocean! Even the best of swimmers find it difficult to swim with her!

Whales, sharks, and other fish swim beside her as if she is one of them. Her dream to become a mermaid began early in life, and it seems she is swimmingly living her dream! This is one amazing mermaid!

Sailing Magazines Sail Boat Resource

2010-05-13T19:10:00.000-07:00

Sailing Magazines, Yachting and Cruising Magazines, and Wooden Boat Magazines...

Your updated resource for sailing magazines, boat and yacht magazines, wooden boat magazines, cruiser magazines, and more! You can even locate the RC radio controlled Sailboats Magazine and RC Sailboats from this resource! You'll find digital sailing magazines, sailing magazines delivered in your mail, and sailing magazines online.

As you visit the various magazines keep in mind that some of them may offer a boat giveaway, free sailboat, free boat plans, free online games with boats, or free boat games! You may also find some boat show news, or you can do a search for boat shows coming to your local area. Let's sail!

Sail Magazines, Sailing Magazines, Sailboat Magazines, Sailing Magazines Online

Blue Water Sailing Magazine

Blue Water Sailing is also known as BW Sailing. A sailboat cruising magazine, Blue Water Sailing Magazine was designed from the start to offer great sailing stories from cruisers around the world and to provide real world solutions for offshore sailors who need to fit out their cruising boats to meet the rigors of the ocean.

Seahorse Sailing Magazine

Seahorse Magazine has developed over 25 years into a forum for debate, influential opinion, and is truly an International magazine. They are the official publication of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC). Also recognized as Seahorse Sailing News, Seahorse Sailing Journal, Seahorse Sailing Publication, Seahorse Marine Yacht Sales, Seahorse Sailing Newspaper, which of course contain Seahorse sailing articles! Did I miss any?

Soundings Magazine

Soundings Online Magazine has everything from sailing and boating articles to classified ads to buy or sell a boat. Some people think of Soundings Trade Only, when they look for Soundings Online Magazine. If the sailboat itself isn't enough to own, they also have waterfront property listings too! Here's their sailboat section.

Sail Magazine

Sail Magazine, Sail Boat Magazine, or Boat Sail Magazine, (whichever you prefer) is full of Sail Magazine archives to search to your hearts content. Sail Magazine has everything under a sailing deck and more. With their sailing magazine online you can even use their 'Ask Sail' section to ask a sailboat expert your questions!

Cruising World Magazine

Cruising World, Yacht Cruising World Magazine, or Cruising Magazine gives you the opportunity to snoop through sailing destinations, learn lots of information from their sailing how to sailboat cruising magazine section, and much more!

SA Sailing Magazine

South Africa Sailing Magazine, "Published monthly, SAILING is Southern Africa’s premier specialist sailing magazine, featuring latest news in the sailing community, reviews, and expert advice from our panel of writers."

Sailing Today

Sailing Today offers their magazine in two formats: Delivered to your door or their digital version. Both are sure to please your sailing appetite. They also have great sailing videos on their site.

Sailing World

As you would guess, Sailing World Magazine, another great sailboat cruising magazine has much to offer, but they also have an expert section which covers the following: Sailing Rules, Sailing Technique, Boat Speed, Sailing Tactics and Strategy, and Winners Debriefs. Some people refer to it as Sail World Magazine.

Sailing Magazine

Sailing Magazine is described as, “The Big One, full of beautiful pictures and instructive material on all aspects of sailing. SAILING, founded in 1966 by an avid Great Lakes sailor, is the sailor’s magazine. It's the oldest continuously published sailing magazine in the United States." Sail sailor to this sailing magazine online!

Sailing Breezes Online Magazine

With a name like Sailing Breezes, it's difficult to resist the temptation of sailing on over to their online sailing magazine. With racing news, waterfront classifieds and more, you'll have plenty of things to keep you busy as you sail through Sailing Breezes Online Magazine.

48 Degrees North or Forty Eight Degrees North

With this sailing magazine online, 48 Degrees North has a unique layout compared to many of it's competitors. From the home page you can view their past months magazine covers and begin your online sailing magazine adventure!

Sunset Magazine

Sunset magazine, known for it's travel and outdoor living stories, also features stories about sailing! Sail on over to read about the Transpacific Yacht Race from Los Angeles to Hawaii, and how chasing a sailing dream began for one lady as early as the age of one!

RC Sailboat Magazine

Radio Controlled RC Sailboat Magazine is a fun place to sail to! Radio controlled or RC Universe has forums and user reviews for RC Sailboats. If you don't have the opportunity to acquire a full sized sailing vessel, why not get an RC Sailboat for fun?

Small Sailboat Magazine

For a Small Sailboat Magazine, sail on over to Small Craft Advisor. Small Craft Advisor Magazine says, "We test sail and evaluate sailboats of all types, from the smallest daysailer to the biggest trailerable cruiser."

Boats Magazine

BoatU.S. Magazine has over half a million readers, and is stated to be the largest-circulation boating publication. They are the Boat Owners Association of the United States. Before you subscribe to their boats magazine, you can ~~sloop~~ snoop around and look at some of their featured articles with full sized images, on pdf.

Catamarans & Multihulls

(Update: This article originally linked to "Catamaran Magazine", of which the link no longer works. I chose to update this with a link to Multihulls from Sailing Magazine).

The word 'catamaran', although colloquially associated with a high-speed boat, has its origins in South Asia. It is an anglicized form of the Tamil phrase "kattu maram" (which translates literally as "tied wood/log") for a raft. "Catamaran" has multiple evocations-South Asia, the shared colonial history of South Asian nations, the contribution to English of South Asian languages, the sense of adventure in setting out on a raft, the energy of movement, the turbulence of the oceans."

One thing to keep in mind is that every good raft might need a sail! Hey, I had to throw a raft in here somewhere! For fun I also wrote a catamaran story some time ago.

Caribbean Compass

When you live near cool-sailing waters, the warmer waters of the Caribbean are quite tempting. Caribbean Compass Magazine will make you feel like you're there, even if you're not!

Yacht Sail Magazines, Yachting

Yachting Monthly

Yachting Monthly is at the heart of the British yachting market and is for people who actively sail their boats - whether cruising across the channel, around the coast or further afield in blue waters.

Yacht World

Yacht World Magazine, or Yachting World is the worlds oldest sailing magazine. Their magazine coverage includes blue water cruising, global sailing epics, international yacht racing, superyachting, international events and charters. PassageMaker, a trawler magazine has their boat sales search powered by Yacht World.

Super Yacht World, also known as SuperYacht World

SuperYacht World Magazine is the International magazine for superyachts of distinction! In addition to subscribing to their magazine you can ~~sloop~~ snoop through their gallery of super yacht photos, which are truly luxurious.

Yacht Practical Sailor

Practical Sailor Magazine features articles, reviews, books, tools, techniques and more. Time to set sail!

Sailing Catamaran

Established in 1989, the Catamaran Company offers their sailing catamaran magazine, called Multihulls.
At the time of this writing, they even offer one free magazine to get you acquainted with their sailing catamaran magazine!

Wooden Boat Magazine, Wooden Boat Magazine Classified

Wooden Boat Publications

For everything you ~~wood~~ would need to know about wooden boats, wooden sail boats, antique boats, or antique wooden boats, this wooden boat magazine online is a great resource. Love Chris Craft? You'll also find Chris Craft wooden boats for sale, wooden boat plans, and wooden boat construction plans.

Sailing With a Waterproof Camera

2010-05-04T23:06:00.000-07:00

Imagine for a moment that you're planning a sailing trip. You're packing your gear and have everything prepared to go, including your camera.

You're excited about the photos you'll capture while on your sailing trip, but wait! Suddenly you realize your camera is not waterproof!

Oh my, that's a disaster waiting to happen - for your camera that is, and for the potential photos you shoot.

What you really need is a waterproof camera, which you could use underwater too! Now imagine again your upcoming sailing trip, and the fun you can have taking photos from the boat deck as the water is splashing up, and not having to worry about the water damaging your waterproof camera!

When it's time to set anchor you could even hop into the water and capture underwater photos to amaze your friends. With a waterproof camera you can add a new adventure to your trip, and who knows, you might even capture an award-winning photo, and much better than the photo I took above!

Clipper Ship Old Spice Game

2010-05-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Clipper ships carried spices, teas, wool, and other goods worth trading and selling, and became the inspiration for many merchants, thus one day Old Spice was born.

Known for its clipper ship logo, they now have a clipper ship card game. The players travel aboard the legendary, Old Spice clipper ship.

The Old Spice clipper ship game will surely get your ~~scents~~ senses moving. Gotta love those old clipper ships!

Funny Pirate Attire Humor

2010-04-30T07:00:00.001-07:00

Pirate Head - Arr

Pirate attire can be fun to wear to pirate themed parties, or to maritime festivals. Along with the fun of dressing up, comes humor from comments.

Here's a funny comment from a fellow dressed up in a pirate costume, which I thought you would find humorous...

"I tried to make my costume really authentic by hacking off my right leg. But... couldn't find a really good looking peg. Should have thought of that first."

Pirate Treasure

LOL - Hope he's not referring to his leg, rather than his pant leg! Argh! Perhaps I should add a peg leg to my pirate attire costume list?

Clipper Ship Mary Rose Sunken Treasure

2010-04-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

Clipper ships represent design and craftsmanship respected by all. Adding to the respect for their craftsmanship, comes fascination over the rebirth of a clipper ship when it's recovered from the depths of the sea.

Suddenly, a clipper ship then becomes known as 'sunken treasure', and a new curiosity will evolve around the clipper ship.

The clipper ship Mary Rose, captivates sunken treasure enthusiasts as she reveals her secrets, which were hidden beneath the sea for more than 450 years from the Tudor era, and discovered 20 years ago.

Gold coins, cannons intact within the barrels, and the contents of sailors pockets are only a few examples of artifacts recovered from the Mary Rose.

The collection of over 20,000 items from the ship will be in museum display in 2012, and represents over 28,000 dives to recover her treasures.

Enjoy exploring the Mary Rose's sunken treasure, and you may also wish to explore the clipper ship Stad Amsterdam before you sail off from here!

Marina's Around the United States

2010-04-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

Marina's are always interesting places filled with colorful sails, vintage boats, and wonderful yachts. At night the marina lights dance on the water, as the boaters anticipate sunrise to launch their boats.

In that I live in the Puget Sound region there are quite a few Marina's nearby, which I will feature here on Tall Sails Adventure. From there I'll take you around the United States to other marina's so you can sail off to a marina of your choice.

For marina's in Europe, sail on over to read our European marina information. Be sure to sail back to Tall Sails Adventure to see the featured marina's around Puget Sound, and then around the United States. Happy sailing!

Sailing to Marina's in Europe

2010-04-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

Sailing or boating in Europe provides many opportunities to discover and explore a large variety of marina's.

If you're planning a sailing trip, you'll want to know where the marina's are located and what amenities they may offer before you set sail.

For a complete directory of every marina in Europe, the Mediterranean sea, Adriatic sea, and the Aegean sea, Marina's Directory Europe (sorry, but the link has been removed as it is no longer a working site) may help you plan your trip! Their marina search is designed by mariners, so the information is dedicated to serving your specific nautical needs. Their marina list features 31 countries, so you're sure to find a marina in a location you plan to sail. Just imagine - you could be sailing in places like Spain, Italy, or even Morocco!

Dolphins Surfing and Leading Boats

2010-04-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

Surfing and dolphins go together!

Dolphins are not only playful, but intelligent, so perhaps it was the dolphins who really invented surfing!

Take a moment from the high seas of life and relax as you watch these dolphins surf, play, and lead boats through the waves.

Sailing Nautical Style Boat Window Decorating Tip

2010-04-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

Planning to invite friends on your sailing trip? Sailing vessels and boats with living quarters are no different than a home in regards to wanting an appealing decor, and especially if you're going to be entertaining.

Well, okay - perhaps I'm biased since I love decorating - lol. However, everyone likes to have appealing surroundings, on or off the water.

Port Window Crochet Style!

Here's a sailing nautical decorating tip for your sailboat windows, or port windows.

Boat windows are sometimes not that easy to decorate, and with this idea you just may solve one of those challenges.

Yeah, I know what some of you guys might be thinking, but you have to admit this idea really fits nice with a vintage or antique boat. I especially liked this look surrounded by all the warm wood.

As they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words." so I much prefer to share this idea with you from the photos.

Several years ago I attended the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Show, which is where I saw the boat expressing their nautical creativity!

Here's the wonderful boat sporting this idea on their windows. I would have loved to have seen the interior of this boat, so if you're the boat owner and want to invite me aboard, I would love the opportunity - lol.

Unfortunately, when I attended the boat show it was already rather late in the day so I really didn't get a chance to get the information I would have liked to have for each of the boats.

That's why I failed to get the name of this boat! Thought I had another photo showing it, but I haven't found it. If you know the name of this boat, and/or website belonging to this boat, please let me know!

Although I have lots of photos from the Port Townsend Wooden Boat show, I have yet to share them with you, simply because I've been caught up in some other things with life! Let's just say the last several years of my life have not exactly been smooth sailing! But, I'll get those photos and stories posted here soon, so that gives you another reason to return to Tall Sails Adventure, right!

Adventuress is Sailing through Restoration

2010-04-07T18:03:00.000-07:00

As they say, "Good things take time!" and it certainly is true with a time-consuming project of restoring a sailing vessel like the Adventuress! Haven Boat Works in Port Townsend, Washington is busy preparing the luxury schooner Adventuress, for the 2010 sailing season. When it comes to restoring a vessel of this size, many volunteers have also contributed endless hours to prepare her for the first day back out to sea. But this restoration adventure isn't just that! They're preparing for the Adventuress' 100 year birthday!

Did you know you can enter to win a free sailing excursion upon the Adventuress? If you want to enter you'll need to quickly! Otherwise, you may miss out on a terrific opportunity!

SeaWorld Trainer Killed by Killer Whale Tillikum

2010-02-25T12:23:00.000-08:00

Sadly, forty year old SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau, was attacked and killed by SeaWorlds killer whale Tillikum. It's reported that Tillikum pulled her into the tank by her ponytail. Due to the whales aggressiveness they were unable to rescue Dawn, and her death resulted from injuries and drowning. Prior to this incident, the killer whale Tillikum had taken the lives of two other people, which also brings the question of whale captivity to mind once again.

Mermaids from the Flight of the Conchords

2010-02-24T05:55:00.000-08:00

Mermaids from Flight of the Conchords is a fun musical video, and the vocals are great. It will only take about a minute and a half to surf into this adventure featuring mermaids.

Gainey Swept from Barque Picton Castle Deck

2010-02-23T10:46:00.000-08:00

On December 8, 2006 Laura Gainey was sailing on board the Barque Picton Castle.

As the ship rode the rough waves in the storm near Cape Cod, Laura was not tethered to the ship, nor was she wearing a life jacket. Tragedy struck when she was swept off deck from a rogue wave!

Only moments before she was swept off by the wave, she was ordered to go below deck, but she never had the chance to comply as the wave took her to sea.

Sadly, Laura's life was lost at sea as they were unable to find her. Years later her story is in the news again, February 2010 - as her father Bob Gainey resigned from his position with the Montreal Canadians hockey team.

As some have reported, the loss of Laura's life could have potentially been prevented if she had she been tethered to the ship, or at least wearing a life jacket.

I guess the best lesson here is that we should never underestimate the power of the high seas, as any of us can be caught unprepared. Even so with the right preparations and precautions the worst can occur.

Rough Seas Strait Pilot

2010-01-18T22:58:00.000-08:00

When you can't be out at sea the next best way to experience the rough seas is by video. Have a great trip at sea as you listen to the music, and enjoy the waves from the sea tug! If you like the music from this rough seas video, you'll probably also like Into the Ocean!

Pirate Bay Pirate Cove Oregon

2009-12-29T12:08:00.000-08:00

Avast! Have you a good day ye old pirate? It seems that some places in the world get lost online. One such place is the pirate bay known as "Pirate Cove". Pirate Bay is actually not a place from what I can determine, but Pirate Cove is.

In the sea of the Internet it seems the place, "Pirate Cove" is drowned out by the many searches made for "Pirate Bay", which has nothing to do with pirates of the Caribbean or any other sea, or maritime pirates. So, just to clarify, we are talking about Pirate Cove here, not the Pirate Bay in regards to pirated music etc. - lol.

Now that we have cleared the murky waters, just where is Pirate Cove? Arr! Not difficult to find in the world we live in today, as we have reliable maps and even pirate maps to follow. Pirate Cove is in Depoe Bay, Oregon. Just feast yer pirate eyes on this here map so you can see where Pirate Cove is.

View Larger Map
But of course there isn't just one Pirate Cove in the world, but today I'm writing about the Pirate Cove in Oregon. So, for those of you who may have forgotten the name Pirate Cove and perhaps confused it with Pirate Bay, now you know where the location is, if you're looking for the one in Oregon. Happy sailing! Arrr!

Antique Clipper Ship Model Nautical Shadowbox

2009-12-11T17:15:00.000-08:00

Antique clipper ship models, and nautical items make great gifts, and bring a nostalgic look to any decor. I love nautical treasures, and every once in a while you find some very unique clipper ship decorative items to enjoy. This nautical shadowbox is a wonderful example of a difficult to find nautical treasure!

The clipper ship shadowbox is very interesting, and in that the clipper ship is encased within a shadowbox, you wouldn't have to worry about dusting the clipper ship model!

It's a fine treasure indeed, and one that I wish I could own. The images of the clipper ship shadowbox have been used by permission of Mastadon Trading from his eBay listing, and I thank him for allowing me to share this unique item with you! (Update RE: 'Mastadon Trading' - the link I originally provided to the sellers store is no longer an active store, so I removed the link).

The shadowbox measures 20" x 15" x 3".

This 19th century antique clipper ship model would be a difficult item to find again! It's not uncommon to see clipper ships in a bottle, but you don't see them very often displayed within a shadowbox.

Safely displayed from within a shadowbox is really a good way to preserve a clipper ship model, and the sails would remain in pristine condition. It also provided an interesting background for the model, rather than having it simply sitting on a stand. It makes it all the more realistic displayed like this.

I imagine you've enjoyed this sailing treasure, and for now must sail off to another project for the day! Happy sailing!