Traditional Boats & Tall Ships Magazine

Obituary: Johnny Collins

Regular TBTS reader and contributor Eric Cowell recently made us aware of the passing of a great name in sea shanties, Johnny Collins and has written the following obituary

JOHNNY COLLINS

Sail enthusiasts who love the sea shanties that are part of our island heritage will be sad to learn of the death on July 6th in Gdańsk, Poland, of Johnny Collins. He was there on a singing tour.  Born in May 1938, Johnny was a London based, Norfolk born folk singer specialising in traditional maritime music`.

In 1983 Johnny with Jim Mageean, won the ‘Intervision Song Contest’ in Rostock, East Germany.  In 1987 the duo were invited to perform at a sea shanty festival in Berlin commemorating the foundation of the city. Although recent health problems had caused him to restrict his activities he continued to tour world-wide.  He had performed in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Poland and France. In the UK he appeared at the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Races and maritime festivals, including Hull, Lancaster, Bristol, Dundee, Maldon, Portsmouth, Gosport, Greenwich and Chatham.   A welcome singer at many maritime venues he made guest appearances in the USA, notably at Maine Maritime Museum, Kendall Whaling Museum, Newport News and Mystic Seaport.  He was also the resident shantyman at ‘Expo 88 ‘ in Brisbane Australia.

I have happy memories of his lusty leading of impromptu shanty singing sessions in informal venues such as the bar at the National Folk Song Festivals.  I feel privileged to have recorded Johnny in our studios as guest singer with The Mollyhawks, a shanty group from his own county of Norfolk. Those who worked with him will long remember his great good humour, his patience and especially that powerfully rich bass-baritone voice with its Norfolk accent. Like countless others, my life has been enriched by knowing him.

Shanty enthusiasts, tall ship devotees and his many friends and fans will miss Johnny Collins but none more than his partner Joyce.

For more information visit http://www.johnnycollins.net

Enjoy summer onboard the Oosterschelde

Dutch tallship the Oosterschelde has announced a new summer programme for this year that involves some beautiful voyages around the Hebrides (including St Kilda). During the voyages you would be sailing as much as possible, but there will also be time to go on land to explore the coasts, culture and animal life. As the Oosterschelde is smaller than some tall ships it benefits from being able to visit places that are not possible to be reached over land.

So check out full details of all the voyages and how you can book a passage by visiting www.oosterschelde.nl/program-2009.html

Images (from top to bottom) are: In the Gulf of Finland, July 2003, Photo: Pieter Nijdeken; Indonesia, Feb 1997, Photo: Pieter Nijdeken; Baltimore MD (USA), June 2000, Photo: Ann Rohlfing; Spitsbergen (Svalbard), July 1994, Photo: Didier Givois

Tallships' Atlantic Challenge: Race Update

So this year's Tall Ships' Atlantic Challenge is now well underway. The vessels are currently racing towards Bermuda and the latest report from the organisers follows:

"All the vessels now have a little wind that is helping them on their journey towards Bermuda although the Race Committee will make a decision about cutting the race short this week, in order to ensure all vessels are in Bermuda on time.

On Spirit of Bermuda the skipper, Simon Colley, reports: “Discipline and morale remain high, despite the searing heat and repetitiveness of our recent days.  All watches are collaborating on creating a new orientation manual for oncoming crew.  Our current trainees have more experience sailing Spirit offshore than any past crew and their combined perspectives and insights are invaluable.  They have become the perfect team for this race.”

On Tecla they are quite excited by the prospect of the race being cut short, simply because it means they can make some calculations and know what they have to do to remain in second place or even take the lead. Jet Sluik reports: “Taking the lead is not impossible now that the frontline had no wind and we at least have some wind. All hope is certainly not gone! Everybody is now so used to the movement of the ship that they can watch movies downstairs without feeling sick. Of course Pirates of the Caribbean was the first movie to be watched.”

All the pictures posted are from when the fleet was in Tenerife (both in port and at the race start).

You can see regular updates on the Races along with fleet tracking position and images or register for RSS Feeds visit www.tallshipsraces.org

 

Sinking of the Vandenberg creates the second largest artificial reef

The Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg sank yesterday, successfully concluding a 13-year-project to convert the decommissioned military missile-tracking ship into a new artificial reef off Key West in Florida. 

Demolition experts pushed a button that ignited cutting charges strategically positioned in bilge areas below the ship’s waterline and The Vandenberg disappeared below the waterline less than two minutes later at a location approximately seven miles south of Key West in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

The water depth at the sink site is 140 feet, but the 523-foot Vandenberg is so large that its upper superstructure lies only 40 feet below the surface of the ocean. The ship is the second largest vessel in the world ever purposely sunk to become an artificial reef.

The sinking also completes the Florida Keys Shipwreck Trek, a series of intentionally sunk vessels that begins off Key Largo with the Spiegel Grove and ends with the Vandenberg. When ready, it will provide new habitat for marine life, a recreational venue for divers and fishermen and an "underwater classroom" for marine science students. Seventy percent of the $8.6 million project’s funding resources and some 75,000 man-hours were required to rid the vessel of contaminants.

The removals and additional ship cleansing were required to receive the necessary federal and state permits to sink the ship in the sanctuary without risking environmental impact to the marine ecosystem. 

Project organisers say the prime attraction of the Vandenberg is its huge size and diversified structure that should appeal to divers of all skill levels. While some sections of the ship are expected to rise to within 40 feet of the surface, other areas should appeal to divers with advanced certification to dive in deep environments beneath overhead structures.

The ship first saw duty as a U.S. Army troop transport named the General Harry Taylor. It became the Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg in 1963 and tracked Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space launches off Cape Canaveral. It was retired in 1983, but received its most public exposure when cast as a Russian science ship in Virus, a 1999 film starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Sutherland.

Project officials say the Vandenberg reef is expected to generate $80 million in tourism-related sales during the next 10 years, and point out environmental benefits including alleviating recreational diving pressure on natural coral reefs.

For more information visit www.bigshipwrecks.com

 

New revolutionary zipper for sail boat industry

Paskal Marine Zip Fasteners has just announced it is offering a stronger, more solid and more durable 15 mm zip fastener.

 

With sail boats enthusiasts in its mind, it has specifically designed the PK 15 zipper to meet the harshest and most extreme marine conditions you can can face at sea.

 

Made with extremely solid plastic teeth, a sturdy polyester tape and combined with a rough, non corrosive stainless steel slider, the PK 15 zipper offers an ideal solution for Sail bags / Lazy bags/ Boom sail covers and it is fully treated against UV rays.

 

Exceptionally strong, yet smooth and flexible, the PK 15 zipper ensures sail bags, lazy bags, boom sail covers’ zippers won’t break, jam or rust while at sea or docking at the marina. A flexible string attached to the slider ensures easy and hassle free operation of the zipper.

 

The PK 15 zipper is currently available in black and white and at any length requested, but additional colours are available on special request. It is manufactured in Israel by Paskal Marine Zip Fasteners and is available through Paskal Israel, Paskal USA, Australia or Hong Kong or via one of Paskal's distributors in Europe.

 

 

 

New Issue Out now...and HMS Frigate book competition date extended

All TBTS subscribers should have received their new issue by now.

I want to apologise for the delay to the Spring issue which was due to circumstances outside of our control.

However it has been brought to my attention that the book competition to win the HMS Frigate book was originally set to close at the end of April and that was not updated to reflect the later publication date. 

As this would mean that nobody could enter the competition the closing date has been extended to 30th June 2009. I look forward to receiving your entries.

David Tickner, Editor-in-Chief

 

Pete Goss to give public lecture at Maritime Museum in Falmouth

Having only just returned to the UK following his epic adventure sailing 11,800 miles from Newlyn to Australia on a 37ft wooden lugger, Pete Goss is hot-footing it down to the Maritime Museum in Falmouth on the Thursday 28 May to give the first open lecture about his incredible journey.
 
Attempting to re-capture and live the history of the original Mystery, Pete and his crew designed and built a replica of the Mounts Bay lugger which seven Cornishmen sailed to Melbourne, chasing their dream of a better life in the gold rush of 1854.
 
Pete's Spirit of Mystery left Newlyn bound for Australia on 20th October 2008 and Pete and his family of crew (again capturing the true essence of the original seven crew - as they were all related) reached Melbourne on 9th March 2009.
 
After navigating the North Atlantic and encountering the gales and hazards of the southern ocean, tackling the dangers of the notorious Cape of Good Hope, charting their route by the stars, and coping with a serious knock-down which resulted in damage and a broken leg, they achieved their dream.
 
Tickets for this exclusive lecture at 7pm on Thursday 28 May start at £8 for children (6-15) and £12 for adults with all of the profits going to the Cornwall Playing for Success charity of which Pete is a founding trustee.
 
To enjoy the lecture and a two course buffet, prices are £16 or £20. An open bar is available. 
Tickets are limited and are available on 01326 214546.  (Picture: copyright Mark Lloyd)

Tall Ships prepare for start of the Atlantic Challenge

The first leg of this year¹s epic Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge is set to start on Sunday 3rd May and the Tall Ships taking part in the event are now in Vigo, Spain. The 7,000 mile odyssey around the North Atlantic will see a variety of Tall Ships from Europe, South America and the US competing in an event involving seven ports, five countries and hundreds of crew members.

(picture above shows the Kruzenshtern arriving at Vigo)
 
While in Vigo, the ships¹ crews are preparing for the first part of the adventure which will take the fleet south-west to Tenerife, where more ships will join the fleet ready for the transatlantic race to Bermuda. The race across the Atlantic will take between three and four weeks to complete, during which time the crews will have to take it in turns to be on watch, helm, navigate and get the best out of their vessel.
 
Every day during the race, each vessel will be contacted by race control to establish their positions as at 1400 hrs GMT. These positions will then be plotted onto a map allowing friends and relatives to follow the fleet as they progress across the Atlantic. The fleet tracking can be viewed on
www.tallshipsraces.org. The class positions of the vessels will also be available on the website.
 
When the fleet arrives in Bermuda they will form part of island¹s 400th anniversary, an event that is sure to make history. From 11th to 15th June the Tall Ships can be seen in Hamilton, the capital of Bermuda, before leaving in a spectacular Parade of Sail on 15th June.
 
A third race will take the Tall Ships to Charleston, South Carolina, USA. There the ships will form part of the Charleston Harbor Fest from 25th to 29th June before departing for another race up the east coast of the USA to Boston, Massachusetts where they will join Sail Boston from 8th to 13th July. A short hop up the coast to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in Canada where the Tall Ships Atlantic Fleet will gather from 16th to 20th July before departing for the second Atlantic crossing eastbound to Belfast, Northern Ireland, where they will have their final festival and prize giving from 13th to 16th August.
 
For the more adventurous, there is still time to sign up to sail on board one for one of the later races. No prior experience is necessary so as long as you have the spirit of adventure and a pair of deck shoes and shorts, you can be off to sunny climes. Imagine departing Bermuda on a Tall Ship
surrounded by a flotilla of pleasure boats in the turquoise seas and racing to the southern charm of Charleston! Those with more time may like to experience the highs and lows of sailing across the Atlantic to Belfast on either a square rigged ship or one of the smaller and faster racing yachts
that will be taking part.
 
More information on the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge can be found on www.tallshipsraces.org where there will be regular updates, pictures and access to the fleet tracking.

New exhibition dedicated to the Gresham Ship to open soon

Over 500 years ago a merchant ship sank to the bottom of the Thames.

Now, scuba divers and archaeologists have raised the wreck from its previously undetected resting place. As the investigation continues, extreme conservation has hammered through stony concretions to free the objects and long hidden secrets within.

London of the 1500s was a dangerous city. With the import of high quality goods, pirate chases along the Thames were not an uncommon sight. For safety even trade ships found themselves armed to the hilt with several large cannons.

One such cannon, found amongst the wreckage bears the insignia of the famous financier and founder of the first English Stock Exchange, Sir Thomas Gresham (pictured right).

You can find out if the Gresham Ship was a victim of an Elizabethan hostile takeover or more innocently the treacherous river Thames. You will also be able to see the intimate daily artefacts from the ships final hours and haunting fated sailor’s shoes visible again and on display for the very first time.

The exhibition, 2009: A Thames Odyssey… the Gresham Ship journey so far, will be on display and open to the public at the UCL Institute of Archaeology from May 11th to 15th, before touring the UK. There is also a *Sunday open day on May 10th* from 10am to 5pm with guided tours, and the
opportunity to enjoy the rooftop balcony view over Bloomsbury.

For more information on the Gresham Ship Project visit www.nasportsmouth.org.uk/projects/gresham.php

Spirit of Bermuda heads for start of Atlantic Challenge

Driving rain and increasing winds in front of an approaching cold front failed to dampen the spirits of those on land or those on board The Spirit of Bermuda - Bermuda's first purpose built sail training ship - as she left the Atlantic Island last week for her first Trans-Atlantic crossing to Europe. 
 
First stop will be in Horta and then Ponta Delgada in the Azores and then Porto, Portugal, before the ship heads to Vigo, Spain for the start of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009 Race on the 3rd May. 

The Spirit of Bermuda  has eight professional crew members under the command of Capt. Simon Colley and 15 trainees. Four seasoned public school students Vershon Simmons, 16; Michael Byron, 15; Cameron Joseph, 16; and Denzel Todd, 18, are on board for the complete round trip of two transatlantic crossings of some 7,000 nautical miles.

Spirit will race from Vigo, Spain to Tenerife in the Canary Islands before embarking on the second race of the series to Bermuda.  She will continue racing to Charleston, SC, then on to Boston MA and Halifax NS before returning to Bermuda to commemorate the actual landing of the crew and passengers from the ill-fated Sea Venture after her shipwreck on July 28th, 400 years ago.  It was this event that started the settlement of Bermuda.