“T was in the month October,
On an Indian summer day,
That a fleet of ….”
So began John Hunter-Duvar’s 18th Century sea-battle poem Danville’s Fleet. His same words of introduction could be invoked this first week of October, 2020, to let you know that a fleet of tall ships is gathering as part of Tall Ships America’s friendly virtual competition.
Participating Ships: Pride of Baltimore II, EAGLE, American Pride, Exy Johnson, Alert, Irving Johnson, Spirit of Bermuda, Oliver Hazard Perry, Elissa, and our very own brigantine Matthew Turner!
The Throwdown includes five days of presentations from each of the competing organizations posted live by the Galveston Historical Foundation . And then on Saturday, the races begin and voting opens to see which ship is most popular.
Matthew Turner will be participating in the sail setting competition on Friday Oct 9 at Noon, and will conduct a tour and description of our hybrid regenerative propulsion system.
A stanza in “Danville’s Fleet” exhorts to action:
“Ho! mates, there! beat to quarters,— Tell off each man and gun,—
Fire wrecks! the rest make sailing-trim Ere rising of the sun,—”
Ho mates, make trim your sails and be safe,
Steven Woodside, Executive Director, Call of the Sea.
