The Rose Sails At Last!

On the 20th of June the HMS Rose sailed from the South Street Seaport, bound for Bermuda. Don't miss a chance to learn how to sail an 18th Century Frigate in the deep waters of the Atlantic! Join the Patrick O'Brian Lissuns on their voyage over the bounding main. Please note that there are Sound Bites embedded through out this account, all of which can be accessed by those who have Real Audio.

What an amazing thing to have happened! At last we lissuns were walking up the gangplank for our own, our very own chance to discover what life was like aboard an H.M.S. Surprise lookalike! Of course most of us were exhausted from having enjoyed the revelry provided by our Amiable Sluts the night before at the Seamen's Church Institute.

Lisa (L) Anne (R) and their lovely assistant H.G.
Courtesy of the GONL What a party that was -- our very own fireworks courtesy of Mayor Guiliani Seapie, Lobscouse et al courtesy of Lisa and Cookie, six-pack of warm Lebatts courtesy of Fred Wardle, and the rumors about my lost underwear were completely untrue.

Also, prior to boarding The Hell Ship as she is affectionately known, Fred Wardle, Rick Spilman and your Genial Host (the List Voice) prepared for the ordeal in thoroughly proper fashion by repairing to the North Star Public House on Water Street in the South Street Seaport, and fortifying ourselves with a few pints of McEwans Export. Then, as Fred and Rick took themselves back to the barky I was pleased to see Captain Bailey come in together with First Mate Andy Reay-Ellers and his wife Elise, and I had an insurance pint with them too. Upon returning to Rose, I discovered that nearly the entire complement of Trainees and crew were already milling around on deck, and I duly joined them. At this point I should perhaps tell you exactly which of the Trusty And Bold Lissuns were there. Doug Faunt, Donnis Hobson, Faith Ingles, Dean King, Bill Nyden, Rick Spilman, Stephanie Stover, Patrick Tull and Fred Wardle.

Alas, Dean

was only going to do one leg of the voyage (or being a hopper, as I dubbed it), but even so he was extraordinarily generous, bringing aboard several volumes of the Sea Stories that he is editing for Henry Holt, and donating them to the Rose's library in the Gunroom. He was not the only person hopping. Adam Quinan would join us in Bermuda, as would my good lady Sue.

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