Time Again For Sailing Ships ~

This past weekend provided another opportunity to view,

closer this time,

those beautiful sailing ships from times past.

Duluth hosted once more a Tall Ships Festival.

Nine amazing tall masted ships sailed into Minnesota's Duluth harbor, 

attracting attention wherever their masts could be seen.

The first to arrive were the Pride of Baltimore II, a 157' two masted schooner, 

the Norwegian white SS Sorlandet, a fully rigged 210' three masted ship built in 1927,

and the Privateer Lynx, a 122' two masted schooner.

~ SS Sorlandet ~

This ship is the oldest fully rigged ship in the world still in operation.

Built as a training vessel, she helped represent Norway at the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago.

During World War II the ship became damaged, but was restored and read to sail again in 1948.

Her first engine was installed in 1958. 

~ U.S. Brig Niagara ~

198' two masted brig.

This ship is a reconstruction of the brig used by

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to win victory in the

1813 Battle of Lake Erie. 

~ The two masted 79' Schooner Hindu shares the water with boats and ships from a more modern era. ~

Trying to capture images of sailing ships only was not easy in the Duluth harbor

busy with ore ships, cruise ships, and various boats large and small.

~~~~~

Of Noble Knights and Sailing Ships

Noble Knights

and Sailing Ships

As director of a renaissance faire my husband and I founded in the late 1990's, my days are now filled with visions of brave knights tilting on armoured war horses, nobles bejeweled in pearls, gold, and silver with clothing made of fine velvets and woven tapestries, musicians gaily playing melodies heard by ancients over 400 years past on bagpipes, lute, drums, and recorder, and children laughing merrily as they dance around the Maypole, ride a royal's pony, or play medieval games, all under the green canopy of beautiful trees festively decorated with coloful flowing banners.

 Preparations for this annual festival, blessed with hundreds of dragonflies, began many months ago. But now 6 weeks away, nearly every waking hour contain thoughts, planning, sewing, sawing, painting, cleaning, constructing, mowing, hauling, placing, and greeting, until the massive gates of the Olde World Renaissance Faire finally open once again to reveal a beautiful re-creation of a land long ago and far away. This will be my life until...

I awake from my renaissance world, but only for a short time, as I look to the east and watch for 8 amazing tall masted sailing ships to arrive in the harbor of Duluth. In celebration of their arrival, a festival is to be held. In preparation, I begin again, with thoughts, and planning, sewing, and cleaning, hauling, placing, and greeting to produce a slice of Olde World for the wonderful creators of the 'Treasure Adventure', an amazing treasure hunting experience during the Tall Ships Duluth!  Time to be a pirate? Hmmmm, "Arrrrr!" :0)