At long last... it's FULLBORE FRIDAY! Yes, thats right, I remembered my regularly scheduled but seldom published Friday blog entry where I highlight something awesomely nautical and motivational. This week, I'm keeping with the spirit of yesterday's entry and highlighting some of the awesomeness that is the Brig Niagara. But first, a word about a word that I intend to change the meaning -or at least use of, slightly.
When I set out to paint my living room, I decided to be slightly different and cool, so I chose a color of turquois called nautical. It was very quickly agreed by all concerned that this was a very good choice in not only color, but that the color is aptly named, most of my interests being nautical. That word came up more and more as an adjective - make that a little more nautical, more nautical here. At one point someone said it like a surfer says radical - that's nautical, dude! So yes, from this point onward, when something would be said to be awesome, cool, radical etc.... it is nautical.
Yeah, okay I know.
BT
Without further adieu - Fullbore Friday, your Moment of Zen... can I steal more terms for this?
The Brig Niagara was discussed yesterday, and I hope at least some of you now have an itch to go up and see her. But one thing I didn't go into too much detail about is her use of her carronades. Originally the ship carried 18 or 20 32-pdr carronades (I'll wait while you decipher that). Today, she has six, but usually carries four. Those, however, she makes spendid use of. Aside from the regular "for the kids" shoots, they also fire LIVE occassionally - that is, with not only powder but with a ball as well! In fact, one of my favorite things about the homeport museum (as I stated yesterday) is that they reconstructed the side of a period ship using period tools and techniques, then took it out to a range and shot the living crap out of it with the ship's guns.
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And my personal favorite was a page out of the chapter from last year's trip to Put-in-Bay, Ohio. Some of the crew found a candy shop and purchased an enormous jawbreaker - I mean that thing was massive. It also happened to fit the bore of the carronade perfectly. So one day - and I can imagine how this must have gone - there's these crewmembers in front of the captain, holding out the jawbreaker - "please?" Of course, the skipper being an awesome guy and never short on imagination or nautical know-how, agreed. And from the firery jaws of the smasher that day flew a giant ball of sugar. Just like a regular ball, it skipped at least twice, but held together.
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I can only take off my hat and bow respectfully, even at the memory of those fun days.
Hoping to do that again this year,
Will
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