Tall Ships Sail Southwest Florida Once Again

A hundred years ago and for thousands of years before that, people have lived by the sea. The sea has always been our close companionfor transportation, for food, for inspiration. And though we modern inhabitants couldnt possibly know what life without machines was like, we can make special efforts every now and then to experience what nature has to offer in its simplicity. Im referring to the sailing vessels of yesteryear that depending only upon the ingenuity of man and the power of nature to convert raw energy into focused results.

Image starting with an idea of a ship that must be hewn from timber, fashioned into very precise components, and assembled with accuracy so as to produce a vessel that actually floats and moves under its own power with help only from the wind, water and human power. Over the centuries, specific designs developed for particular waters of the world. The type of vessel developed for Southwest Florida, and in fact all of the waters from Key West to the northern Panhandle of Florida, were by necessity very shallow-draft vessels. They often had to maneuver into shallow rivers and bays to deliver their cargo to settlements. The designs were often very beamy and built with a centerboard that could be retracted upon entering shallow waters. Maybe they werent the fastest sailing vessels, but served their purpose well.

At one time, there were probably thousands of these vessels on the Gulf Coast waters. As the steam engine replaced sail, they began to dwindle. They gave way to progress. The wind was replaced by fuel and sea chanteys were replaced by the sounds of pistons.

But now in the year 2008, time has come full circle. The gaff-rigged sailing vessel has come back to Southwest Florida. The visionary crew and staff of Aquarian Quest have found a way to meld the wooden ways of the past with the needs of today. Their focus is to use the vessel as a sailing platform to allow kids of all ages to experientially learn what needs to be done to protect and respect our estuaries, bays, and Gulf waters. And if the kids get to sing a sea chantey along the way, or haul on some lines (ropes) to hoist the sails, well that can only serve to lock the experience into their muscle memory. As the kids take a few hours out of their normal school day for hands-on learning, they come back to shore with a memory that may just last a lifetime.

The Galatea, a 57-foot gaff-rigged replica of the Spray, the little ship the Slocum sailing single-handed around the world, is an apt floating classroom for Southwest Florida residents. But its not just for school-age children. Anyone with a bit of spirit and adventure can come aboard to try out their sea legs. The crew will take good care of you as you sail the Southwest bays and Gulf waters. You might even get to join in on a sea chantey or two and listen to the peaceful silence of only the wind pressing on the sails or the waves pounding on the 50-year old oak hull. Search for AquarianQuest.org and youll find them preparing the vessel for launch in 2008 in Sarasota, Florida.

Joe Jacobson is a travel professional working with YTB Travel Network. His focus is on helping others start their own online travel business, as well as helping nonprofits use travel as a fundraising tool. For more information, visit the websites YTB Home Based Business, YTB Travel Network or YTB