“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”

The classic quote above is what the Water Rat said to the mole in Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows. Less well known is what the old Sea Rat said to the Water Rat, trying to persuade the Water Rat to sail south for the winter: “I shall slip on board, by boat or along hawser; and then one morning I shall wake to the song and tramp of the sailors, the clink of the capstan, and the rattle of the anchor-chain coming merrily in.  … And you, you will come too, young brother; for the days pass, and never return, and the South still waits for you. Take the Adventure, heed the call, now ere the irrevocable moment passes!”

The South still waits for us at Call of the Sea, and we are heeding the call and making preparations for an adventurous 2023. There is much to do, for we are planning on taking brigantine Matthew Turner on her first ever long voyage next year!  We expect to spend around $200,000 on getting the Turner ready to sail to Mexico next year, as well as making her and the schooner Seaward sound for another season taking youth out on the Bay.

Haul out is a yearly process for many tall ships, and is called by many names: yard, dry dock, etc. It’s necessary because almost half the ship sits underwater for the rest of the year, and it’s often the only way to access a majority of the hull and keel without putting on a scuba suit! This year, our haul out cost something like $80,000 for a total of five days.

In this season of Thanksgiving, we thank the volunteers and crew who maintain and operate our vessels and continue to serve our community– especially those who would not otherwise have an opportunity to learn about our marine environment and to be “messing about in boats.”  Please consider us today on Giving Tuesday, “now ere the irrevocable moment passes.”