ltwilliammowett

[ltwilliammowett]

Sailor’s superstition - Christmas Edition

What do you think? Of course I have some Christmas-themed superstitions, and of course our old salts don’t miss out on anything.

If the wind blows on Christmas Day, you are in for a good year.

If you want to be healthy next year, eat an apple on Christmas Eve, not always available on board but a good tip.

If you want to be happy, eat a Christmas pudding on Christmas Day, but only if the captain orders it. If you wear new shoes on Christmas Day, it will bring you bad luck.

If you refuse a mince pie at Christmas dinner, it will bring you bad luck for the next day, and if you cut a mince pie, you are also “cutting your luck”. Rather something for the officers as they were more likely to have access to such dishes.

If you eat a raw egg on Christmas morning before you eat anything else, you can carry heavy weights.

If it snows on Christmas Day, Easter will be green.

The pudding should be stirred clockwise and with a wooden spoon and a silver coin in the pudding brings wealth, health and happiness to the lucky person who finds it, rings mean marriage within a year, thimbles and buttons mean that the finders will remain virgins and bachelors.

Don’t you dare do your laundry on Christmas Day, it will sink your ship or any other. And if you have a fish bone left over, put it under your Christmas plate at dinner for good luck. But it could also make for bad smells.

[ltwilliammowett]

What makes a tall ship "tall" in comparison to... I guess not-tall ships?

Hi, To answer this you need to know that tall ship is a modern description. It refers to all ships that have a traditional classic rig (including a set of sails)

These rigs include for example schooners, barques, barquentines, brigantines, brigs and full rigged ships. Tall ships can be categorised by the number of masts, the shape of the ship and the cut of the sails or by class (size).

I hope it helps and i wish you a nice sunday.

[ltwilliammowett]

The Yard

A yard is the horizontal spar for setting sails, yardarms being the outer most tips.They’re hoisted up the mast on Halyards (Haul-yard).

A Tall ship at Cape Horn, 1920

The bravest sailors manned the yards,with Upper Yardmen the most skilled, a term today which refers to RN Officers promoted from the lower deck.

[ltwilliammowett]

Are you ever going to capitalize on your fame by conducting a pump and dump cryptocurrency scam? If so will you let me know ahead of time so I can get on the ground floor and buy a lot of you edoubloons?

I'll let you know. But just for info I don't think I'm good at it, I'm pretty bad at manipulating and scamming people, I think I'm just too sweet. Although the whole thing would possibly alleviate my money worries somewhat….. will think it over carefully.

[ltwilliammowett]

Door no. 22 and today we are looking at a cute little pickle - HMS Pickle. This is the little mouse in front of the big bum of the HMS Victory.

More about her:

The original HMS Pickle was built in 1799 as a top sail schooner. She survived the Battle of Trafalgar and was the first ship to bring the news of Nelson’s victory back to Britain, along with the sad announcement of Nelson’s death.

The replica HMS Pickle was built in St Petersburg in 1996. Originally launched as the schooner Alevtina Tuy, she was later converted into a replica of HMS Pickle for the Trafalgar bicentennial celebrations.

[ltwilliammowett]

Petty Officer of HMS Warspite asleep with the ship's kitten in its hammock, 1944

[ltwilliammowett]

At Sea, by Marek Rużyk ( 1965-)

[ltwilliammowett]

Fifty South Ice to Port, by Derek G.M. Gardner (1914-2007)

[ltwilliammowett]

A Moored Steamer at a Busy Quay - Andreas Achenbach

19th century

[ltwilliammowett]

French Prisoner of War Bone Ship Models ( a ship of the line and two jackass brigs) in a straw marquetry and parquetry case, late 18th Century 

[ltwilliammowett]

Never light a cigarette with a candle because it will kill a Sailor

In northern Germany there is a saying that even my mother used to tell me: never light a cigarette with a candle because it will kill a Sailor.

The only question is why do people say that? Is it just a saying or is there a background to it? Well, there is indeed a background. But not a mythical one, more a real economic one. Sailors who couldn’t find a job at sea in the 1830s collected matches in pubs and on the street that were still going well, cut them up and tried to sell them to make at least a little money. Only the stingy man did not buy matches from these men, he took a candle to light his cigar or cigarette. And a Sailor could not earn money with that. Hence the saying. Today, this saying is still used in sailor circles, albeit with a somewhat transfigured background and more in a mythical sense, because whoever lights his cigarette on a candle ensures that a sailor will soon die at sea.

[ltwilliammowett]

Bad Words

At sea, some words must be strictly avoided to ensure the ship and crew’s safe return. These include obvious ones like “drowned” and “goodbye”. If someone says “good luck” to you, it is sure to bring about bad luck. The only way to reverse the curse is by drawing blood, so usually a good punch in the nose will do.

[ltwilliammowett]

HI HELLO I am looking for a potential co-host for my podcast, No Common Voyage!

Since I'm taking on a huge workload at school next semester (and working at the museum at the same time), I figured it was about time to start looking for some extra help around the ship! I'm also tentatively looking for a research assistant (or plural), especially since one idea I'm playing with is opening up the podcast to be about various polar exploration attempts in the form of seasons; so, a Terra Nova season, Endurance, Belgica, etc. Obvs the Franklin Expedition takes precedence, but it's fun to think about!

Let me know if you're interested! If you have any background in historical research, podcasting, or any other fun trivia, tell me all about it! :D

[ltwilliammowett]

 A four sided Christmas Card of Sailing Ships, circa 1880’s

May the heart be gay - On each Christmas Day.

In this gay and festive Season - Let thy mirth be ruled by reason.

May this Christmas magic peeling - Fill our hearts with kindly feeling. 

While the years roll by - May they bring no sigh.

[ltwilliammowett]

Pewter model of a small steamer, probably a christmas ornament, German, 19th century

[ltwilliammowett]

The Titanic - Carpathia Medals, Silver for Officers, Bronze for Crewmembers, 1912

Even as R.M.S. Carpathia steamed back to New York after picking up those who had survived the sinking of the Titanic, several prominent First Class passengers - led by the redoubtable Mrs. J. J. "Molly" Brown - formed themselves into the Titanic Survivors' Committee. Apart from its desire to aid those made destitute by the disaster, the Committee also wished to reward Captain Rostron and his officers and crew for their stalwart efforts in saving so many lives.

When Carpathia docked in New York on the evening of 18th April, the members of the Committee initially dispersed to their homes and families but soon reconvened to discuss the options for suitably rewarding those to whom they owed their lives. In due course, it was decided that Captain Rostron should be presented with a handsome silver loving cup bearing an appropriate inscription whilst every man aboard Carpathia, including Captain Rostron himself, was to receive a specially commissioned medal in the name of the "Titanic" Survivors' Committee as a tangible gesture of thanks from those who had been saved.

[ltwilliammowett]

The Mildred, Gurnards Head, photo by the Gibson family, 1912