“There’s precious little to say between day and dark,
Perhaps a few words on the implacable will
Of time sailing like a magic barque…”

Allen Tate (1899–1979), U.S. poet, critic. “The Oath.”

Maritime history came alive at the 2007 Charleston Maritime Festival and Tall Ships Festival. Swaggering pirates told stories, growled menacingly and posed in front of seven tall ships lining the quay. In the midst of this authenticity, a cargo ship passes through the shipping channel, blocky and large enough to span the length of the bow of one tall ship and across to the stern of another. A cargo ship is impressive, no doubt. Unloading each tank in less than 60 seconds, it’s a streamlined approach to shipping that is fascinating to watch. But a tall ship is far more mysterious and intriguing to behold.

An impressive sight, it’s easy to imagine an entire town gathering to watch one arrive in the harbor. Nothing can match the exhilarating feeling of seeing a tall ship sailing in all of her fully rigged glory. Today’s cargo however is knowledge and training, instilling confidence and teamwork in youth and guest crew members with each voyage. The American Sail Training Association is the umbrella organization for the educational efforts here, as each races on to Nova Scotia.

The Spirit of South Carolina is the newest ship in attendance. Modeled after the Frances Elizabeth, a schooner built in Charleston in 1879, Spirit’s two masts stand 90 feet tall, and she weighs 150 tons. Seven years in the making, Spirit is the educational ship built by the SC Maritime Foundation, a non profit sponsor of the event. New directors Brad and Meaghan Van Liew have truly worked hard to bring education to life with this vessel and the event. Undergoing finishing touches before beginning duty as an educational vessel, Spirit of South Carolina will soon be on the water, sails billowing with the rest of the fleet.

The largest ship docked here is the Gloria, a three masted barque with two square rigged masts and a steel hull. Hailing from Cartagena, Columbia, she flies an imposing flag at the bow of her 249 foot hull. Built in Bilbao, Spain, the Gloria trains Columbian Naval Academy cadets. She cuts an imposing figure in the water with sails fully rigged, cadets standing on the rigging.

The ship hailing from the farthest port is the INS Tarangini. Christened for the Hindu word ‘tarang’, “the waves;” Tarangini is also a barque with three masts, and two square rigs. Her 177 ft steel hull carries 7 officers, 43 sailors and 30 naval trainees. 1000 square meters of sail fill her masts when she is underway.

The war sloop of the event is the Spirit of Bermuda. Based on the Royal Navy’s patrol ships built from 1810 to 1840, these once patrolled the waters from Nova Scotia to Jamaica. Spirit is also a sail training vessel, holding 24 students in her 112 foot hull in addition to crew.

The Prince William arrived on her first visit to Charleston harbor fresh from a voyage to the Azores. The Tall Ship Youth Trust owns the British brig; her patron is none other than the Duke of York, Prince Andrew. With a hull length of 196 ft and 147 ft masts, she is based on an 18th century model.

The Schooner Virginia, a handsome, two masted gaff-topsail knockabout schooner, is an educational vessel and goodwill ambassador for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Launched in 2004, she is Pilot ship, modeled after a schooner that sailed from 1917 to 1926 on the Chesapeake Bay by the Virginia Pilot Association.

Pride of Baltimore II is a Baltimore Clipper ship, the American ship privateers that fought in the War of 1812. Privateers ran the British blockage, bringing supplies, ammunition to the American troops, and attacking enemy ships to disrupt trade. Her namesake is the Chasseur, nicknamed Pride of Baltimore for a heroic voyage to Great Britain during which she captured or sank 17 British ships. Pride two boasts 157 ft of hull weighing 185 tons. Four 8-ton cannons are on deck, to salute ports of call. She has nearly 1,000 square feet of sails that over the last two decades have logged over 200,000 miles, and visited 200+ ports in 40 countries.

One of the most impressive ships is the Barque Picton Castle. Registered in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, the three masted barque with two square rigged masts will debut in the new reality adventure show, “Pirate Master” May 31 on CBS. Her humble beginnings North Seas fishing trawler quickly turned into a dramatic career as a minesweeper during WWII. This is not her first famous gig, for in 1998 she served as the flagship of the United Nations Year of the Ocean. Picton is on her way to Nova Scotia from the Caribbean. “Pirate Master” was filmed during 33 days as modern day pirates sailed in search of treasure. Her normally white hull was painted black in keeping with the pirate theme.

The long lines snaked around the walkway to each ship, but the looks on the kid’s faces said it all. There is wonder in wooden boats, large and small. Beautifully crafted kayaks, canoes and sailboats in all sizes and bottled were on display. For those with a penchant to sail, Ocean Sailing Academy gave hourly rides on Jazzy, their a 30ft sailboat. Sandlapper Tours also went out daily from the dock, taking folks out to see the ships from the water and get a feel for the flora and fauna, an eyeful of beautiful sunset, and a ghost story or two.

Missy, our Sandlapper nature tour guide, invited me to sail with her CORA race crew on the Temptress to watch the Parade of Sail. Her stories of sailing for 18 months on a tall ship are mysterious and intriguing, and the opportunity to sail again twice in one weekend had me quite sold on the plan. All in the name of a good story.

As the crew of 7 came together to maneuver Temptress around, it was a great demonstration of teamwork. The effort and flawless precision it takes to get a 30 ft sailboat on course is magnified with a tall ship. As the sun went down, all but the Spirit of South Carolina paraded from the harbor with sails filled.

It was then that Missy shared the most poignant story, about a friend of hers lost at sea. She pointed to the cabin where her friend was standing when the 26 ft rogue wave washed her overboard, never to be seen again. Even with modern day technology, the risk involved in sailing these vessels fosters a unique camaraderie in this family of tall ships. A tear slid down Missy’s cheek as she waved goodbye to her friends onboard each one. Regret for the loss of a friend mixed with a longing to be on one of the ships sailing toward the horizon was obviously playing yo-yo with her heart. For now, Missy’s mom can relax, knowing that her daughter will not go sailing on a tall ship on a whim for 18 months again. At least not today. But as the aspiring new science curriculum coordinator for the Spirit of South Carolina, it won’t be long before she does.

There is regret. Always, there is regret.
But it is better that our lives unloose,
As two tall ships, wind-mastered, wet with light,
Break from an estuary with their courses set,
And waving part, and waving drop from sight.
Philip Larkin (1922–1986), British poet. “Love, we must part now.”

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