Tall Ship Elissa
This afternoon, I had the pleasure of escorting my children and grandchildren over to Pier 22 to tour the Texas Seaport Museum and see its star attraction, the tall ship Elissa, a three-mast barque and one of the oldest ships sailing today.
As eager as we were to see all the offerings of the museum, we were - admittedly - distracted by the gift shop right inside the entrance. As gift shops go, this one rates high! We saw lot of unique souvenirs for the kids (of all ages), but also many high-end, maritime-related books and maps, etc. We all found things we wanted to purchase and take home, and on our way out today, we stopped back in to present the plastic.
Once inside the museum, we took a self-guided tour and watched an engaging 20-minute video documentary that tells the story of Elissa’s rescue from the scrap yard and her detailed restoration.
We learned Elissa started out as a British cargo ship, taking several voyages to smaller ports in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, and she twice loaded cotton at Galveston. This local connection prompted the Galveston Historical Foundation to purchase the ship in 1982 and undertake a dramatic restoration.
The Texas Seaport Museum also showcases the legacy of maritime commerce and immigration. One of its popular attractions is its database exhibit, where visitors can search the names of more than 133,000 immigrants who entered the country through Galveston, once known as the Ellis Island of the West.
In this area of the museum, one wall featured a mural that depicted 19th century Galveston. And, placed nearly were a variety of coats and hats of the same vintage for visitors to put on and pose for the cameras. This offering proved to be a hit with my crew. Before we left, most of us had “stepped back in time” for fun. (Included here are photos I took of m own beloved grandkids, Alexandra and Andrew.)
Elissa’s Story
Elissa was built in Aberdeen, Scotland as a merchant vessel, named for the niece of Henry Fowler Watt, her first owner. She was fist launched on October 27, 1877.
Elissa also sailed under Norwegian and Swedish flags. In 1918, she was converted into a two-masted brigantine, and an engine was installed. She was sold to Finland in 1930 and reconverted into a schooner. In 1959, she was sold to Greece, and successively sailed under the names Christophoros, in 1967 as Achaeos, and in 1969 as Pioneer.
In 1970, she was rescued from destruction in Piraeus after being purchased for the San Francisco Maritime Museum. However, she languished in a salvage yard in Piraeus until she was purchased for $40,000, in 1975, by the Galveston Historical Foundation. In 1979, after a year in Greece having repairs done to her hull, Elissa was first towed to Gibraltar. There, she was prepared for an ocean tow by Captain Jim Currie of the New Orleans surveyors J.K. Tynan International. The restoration process continued until she was ready for tow on June 7, 1979.
Elissa has an iron hull, and the pin rail and bright work is made of teak. Her masts are Douglas fir from Oregon, and her 19 sails were made in Maine. She has survived numerous modifications, including installation of an engine, and the incremental removal of all her rigging and masts.
Elissa made her first voyage as a restored sailing ship in 1985, traveling to Corpus Christi, Texas. A year later, she sailed to New York City to take part in the Statue of Liberty’s centennial celebrations.
In July 2011, the U.S. Coast Guard declared Elissa "not seaworthy." An inspection revealed a corroded hull.
After getting the bad news, the Texas Seaport Museum raised the $3 million needed for hull replacement and other long-overdue maintenance projects. All was finished in January 2013, and Elissa returned to sailing once again in March 2014.
-
2022
- Mar 17, 2022 Ivy Dishes
- Jan 29, 2022 Grace Episcopal Church
- Jan 1, 2022 100 Years
-
2021
- Aug 25, 2021 My Fig Tree
- Apr 28, 2021 Darlene's Shrimp
- Apr 24, 2021 Oleander Festival
- Feb 27, 2021 Great Winter Storm
- Feb 10, 2021 The Mourning Wave
-
2020
- Oct 26, 2020 Crepe Myrtles
- Sep 18, 2020 Trimming the Palms
- Jul 19, 2020 The Dancers
- Jul 11, 2020 Postcards
- Jun 20, 2020 Resilience Flag
- Jun 19, 2020 Juneteenth
- Jun 10, 2020 Silk Stocking
- May 27, 2020 Tree Sculptures
- May 6, 2020 Babe's Beach
- Apr 22, 2020 Opera House
- Mar 2, 2020 Texas Heroes Monument
- Feb 15, 2020 Mardi Gras Parade
- Jan 19, 2020 St. Joseph's Church
-
2019
- Dec 15, 2019 Celebrations
- Nov 6, 2019 Fresh Paint
- Oct 21, 2019 Jazz Age Series
- Oct 20, 2019 ARToberFEST
- Oct 6, 2019 Stingeree
- Oct 5, 2019 Pumpkin Time
- Oct 2, 2019 Sea Turtles
- Sep 29, 2019 Powhatan House
- Sep 24, 2019 The Dolphins
- Sep 5, 2019 Lucas Apartments
- Aug 24, 2019 Sandcastles
- Aug 9, 2019 The Daily News
- Jul 18, 2019 Beach Walk
- Jul 10, 2019 La King's
- May 25, 2019 Pleasure Pier
- May 1, 2019 Bolivar Ferry
- Mar 15, 2019 Saengerfest Park
- Jan 19, 2019 Moody Mansion
-
2018
- Dec 18, 2018 The Vintage Suitcase
- Dec 17, 2018 Festival of Lights
- Dec 2, 2018 Sunday Brunch
- Nov 21, 2018 Hendley Row
- Oct 27, 2018 Island Oktoberfest
- Sep 20, 2018 The Strand Clock
- Sep 16, 2018 St. Mary Cathedral
- Aug 11, 2018 No More Shed
- Jun 10, 2018 Rosenberg Library
- May 7, 2018 Stepping It Up
- May 3, 2018 A Happy Hour
- May 1, 2018 Ashton Villa
- Apr 21, 2018 96th Birthday
- Apr 1, 2018 Seawolf Park
- Mar 27, 2018 Ball High School
- Mar 15, 2018 East End
- Feb 1, 2018 Tremont House
- Jan 26, 2018 Menardi Gras
- Jan 24, 2018 Mardi Gras Decor
-
2017
- Dec 1, 2017 Miss Ruby
- Oct 8, 2017 Railroad Museum
- Oct 7, 2017 Tall Ship Elissa
- Sep 9, 2017 Star Drug Store
- Sep 8, 2017 1900 Storm Statue
- Aug 6, 2017 The Turquoise Table
- Aug 1, 2017 Bishop's Palace
- Jul 23, 2017 Garten-Verein
- Jul 21, 2017 Yard Work
- Jul 16, 2017 The Strand
- Jun 17, 2017 Stewart Beach
- Jun 7, 2017 The Original
- Jun 3, 2017 Murdochs
- May 27, 2017 Bryan Museum
- May 19, 2017 Firemen on Call
- May 13, 2017 Williams-Borden Neighborhood
- May 1, 2017 Oleander City
- Apr 28, 2017 God Winks