What? Doing what I planned on? Can't be!

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

Brig Niagara underway!

Since my first stint on board the Brig Niaraga last fall, I've been following her with great enthusiasm. Despite the best efforts of her remarkable crew and office staff, she is little known in the navy. And little known is an understatement. The fact that Oliver Hazzard Perry's flagship at the Battle of Lake Erie is afloat and sailing today is amazing in and of itself (more on that in a minute) but the fact that nobody in the navy really knows about it or cares to do anything once they find out is even more astonishing.

For those of you who are not familiar, the original Niagara was built in 1813 at Presque Isle - today Erie, Pennsylvania. After the famous battle where Perry reported "We have met the enemy and they are ours" she was laid up and sunk (yes, sunk!) to preserve her timbers in the cold muddy waters of a place called Misery Bay in case she should be needed again. Raised in 1913 to celebrate the centennial of the War of 1812, she was kept in Erie as a display piece and poorly cared for. Several restorations ensued, but the final restoration in 1988 was the only real long-term preservation effort. There, she was completely rebuilt by a crew led by Melbourne Smith in historically correct methods. Now - on that score - the ORIGINAL ship was hauled out, dissassembled, and the ship rebuilt. To me, that means that she is the original ship, restored. Others, including the National Parks Service claim that because the only original timbers remaining after the restoration were used in non-structural areas, she is a replica. Sorry, but I have to raise the BS flag on that one. She is as much the original as is USS CONSTITUTION, the Navy's very own "grandfather's hatchet". We replaced the head three times and the handle twice but it's still grandfather's hatchet. But I digress.

Today, Niagara sails out of the port where she was built almost 200 years ago. People can pay to sail in day classes or for extended periods aboard her and get the most hands-on experience of life in the Age of Sail that exists. Learn to handle lines, climb the rig - for crying out loud you even cook on a wood-burning stove and sleep in hammocks! It is utterly and completly AWESOME and I urge every single person who has an interest or has ever had an interest in fighting sail to GET YOUR KIESTER OFF YOUR CHAIR AND DOWN TO HER BERTH, ASAP! You will not regret a journey of any length nor anything you have to put off to see her - guaranteed.

Even the museum that was built around and for her in Erie is amazing. Inside, one of the best displays is a reconstructed side of the ship, which they took out to a firing range and actually shot at with the ship's guns. Battle damage and all, the recreated side is on display with a full summary and explanation of each shot hole and shattered timber - along with a video of the destruction. It is incredible, and something you won't find anywhere else. Because that's how they roll.

Today, Niagara is underway on her annual shakedown, ready for another season. To her crew: rock on, guys, I hope to return and join you soon! To NHS members and the navy at large: read, learn, support - get hot!

And in the words of Perry's Battle Flag - "DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP!"


- Will