SIDE VIEW
My thanks to the folks with the BOUNTY Foundation and the Maritime Heritage Foundation for the announcement of the Tall Ships arrival and they’ve promised us that Jack Allen, the 18th Century Seaman, will be well rested and soaked in brine for our September program.
Who among us doesn’t admire the vision of a tall ship, man’s ultimate effort to tame the wind from wild spirit to beast of burden? Who among us would have ever thought that we’d be lucky enough to see that vision become a daily reality on the St. Johns River? Who among us would have ever thought we’d have the opportunity to be part of a welcoming fleet to two such vessels?
Okay, enough with the rhetorical questions. The point is, we DO have the opportunity to sail (okay, more likely motor) in the company of the famous replica, HMS BOUNTY and the sailing vessel VOYAGER, a 110 foot schooner currently home ported on the great lakes (sorry, Eric, although I do find it an honor to sail along side you and Julie). Even better than that, the opportunity will be taking place on a SATURDAY. For the vast majority of us, that one fact makes this an achievable dream. Mark your calendars for the weekend of October 11. With luck, and weather permitting, we can gather toward Mayport and escort the BOUNTY and the VOYAGER, along with a couple of over-excited fireboats to the downtown area where they will be docked. More on this as it approaches but make SURE you set that weekend aside.
Dreams of vessels and voyages are the common bond that brings us all together in our quest for whatever adventure we seek. For some of us, being the first around the buoys is the pinnacle of success. For others, blue water and passports are the goal being reached for. Even others dream of doing both. What makes us such a unique group of folks is that most of us are willing to share the secrets of success. Some of us are even willing to share the precursors of failure, and the penalties involved. After all, if you do it right the first time, you won’t have learned much. While sometimes the failures are fun, and almost always instructive, the August program is one of successes.
While most of us in NFCC dream of sailing across oceans to distant, and in some cases unknown lands, there are a few of us that have actually achieved that dream. Peg and Don Campbell, long-time members and definite blue water veterans will be presenting memories of their voyages across the Atlantic and into the seas FAR to the North. Between slides and Don and Peg’s eloquent delivery, I’d be willing to bet that we’ll be able to smell the North Sea salt air and sense the accomplishments ourselves. Without putting pressure on the Campbells for their very welcome indulgence to my pleading, I’d settle for a few drawings and the opportunity to hear about places I’ve never been and the thrill of getting there.