Schooner BLUENOSE

Yes, that is a beautiful boat. During the bicentennial celebration, she was in New Orleans for a short period. The crew was allowing tours, and it was great to get to crawl over.

What I don't remember is if this is the original Bluenose, or if it was lost and a new boat built. Regardless, it is a Canadian classic!!!!
 
Stan Rogers wrote a great song about her, one of our favorites:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo1IvV6qAWY

Once again with the tide she slips her lines
Turns her head and comes awake
Where she lay so still there at Privateer's Wharf
Now she quickly gathers way
She will range far south from the harbour mouth
And rejoice with every wave
Who will know the Bluenose in the sun

Feel her bow rise free of Mother Sea
In a sunburst cloud of spray
That stings the cheek while the rigging will speak
Of sea-miles gone away
She is always best under full press
Hard over as she'll lay
And who will know the Bluenose in the sun?

That proud, fast Queen of the Grand Banks Fleet
Portrayed on every dime
Knew hard work in her time...hard work in every line
The rich men's toys of the Gloucester boys
With their token bit of cod
They snapped their spars and strained to pass her by
But she left them all behind

Now her namesake remains to show what she has been
What every schoolboy remembers and will not come again
To think she's the last of the Grand Banks Schooners
That fed so many men
And who will know the Bluenose in the sun?

So does she not take wing like a living thing
Child of the moving tide
See her pass with grace on the water's face
With clean and quiet pride
Our own tall ship of great renown still lifts unto the sky
Who will know the Bluenose in the sun?

You can read a short history of her at
http://www.tourcanada.com/bluenose.htm
 
Rick,

Nice post, Good song. I have heard of Stan before but only rarely. Sounds like I should be looking into more of that :thup

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Original Bluenose, built in 1921, foundered on a Haitian reef and was lost on January 28, 1946. She and was replaced by a replica, Bluenose II in 1963. Recently, the Nova Scotia secretly destroyed the replica, while saying she was in for a major rework. They are building another ship, called the Bluenose, but it will not be to the same plans or rigging as the original, which was the case of the Bluenose II.
 
Bluenose has always been one of my favorite schooners. I have always put a "bluenose dime" under the masts of my sailboats. I was aboard Bluenose II when we were moored aft of her in Bermuda in 1984. There was a 1/4 scale replica in San Pedro during the late 1940's and early 1950's--no idea of what happend to that boat.

It is a shame that a vessel less than 50 years old is in such sad shape that she cannot be restored. There are many vessels older than that which have been preserved.
 
I'm not sure the boat was really in that bad shape. There seems to be some discussion that is was some scam and or payoff, as they did it under covers and chipped the whole boat up before anyone could react. They asked for money for a restore not a new boat. Also the designer of the Bluenose heirs have offered up the plans to build the new boat to specs, but the province does not seem too interested
 
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