Friday, July 10, 2009

Maritime Sea Adventure


19th Century Row
My father is a member of “Whaling City Rowing, a nonprofit organization, dedicated to preserving the traditions of New Bedford, Massachusetts' historical past (A number of seaports in New England supported the whaling industry, but one town, New Bedford, Massachusetts, became known as the world’s center of whaling. Of the more than 700 whaling ships on the world’s oceans in the 1840s, more than 400 called New Bedford their home port. Wealthy whaling captains built large houses in the best neighborhoods, and New Bedford was known as "The City that Lit the World.") while encouraging an appreciation for the area's modern-day maritime beauty. WCR rows replicas of whaleboats once carried on the whaleships that called New Bedford their home.

WCR currently has three boats in its fleet - the Skylark, Flying Fish, and Herman Melville. Each is a twenty-eight foot long, fiberglass hulled whaleboat built by Edey & Duff, Ltd. in Mattapoisett, MA. Funding for the boats' construction was provided by area businesses, corporations and individuals.

These boats are authentic replicas of the five-oared whaleboats originally designed and built at the Beetle Boat Yard in Clark’s Cove during the mid-nineteenth century. Their lines are the same as the originals. These boats represent the proud history of New Bedford’s maritime heritage.” excerpt from Whaling City Rowing website.

I’ve been invited to join his crew aptly name The Grey Buzzards on the weekly Saturday morning row. I’m looking forward to this traditional maritime sea adventure and catching a glimpse of what life may have been like on a 19th Century Row Boat well excluding the angry whale.














Other links -

Tallships made it to Boston Harbor
Diane Van Deren NY Times article
Shut up and run Boston Globe Article
Don’t waste your income at Starbucks – My simple Iced Green Tea Recipe

Bon Voyage