MEDIA ADVISORY

Galveston Historical Foundation
March 18, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Molly Dannenmaier
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
409-765-7834

Texas’ Tall Ship Elissa to Set Sail Saturday, March 20

Media Invited to Follow Elissa onboard Press Boat, Monday, March 22

Galveston, TX - Elissa, the Official Tall Ship of Texas, will be sailing offshore of Galveston for eight days this month as Galveston Historical Foundation shows off one of its most prized historic preservation projects.

Members of the media are invited to follow Elissa in a press boat, ideal for photography, on Monday, March 22, departing Pier 21 in Galveston at 9:30 a.m. and returning at noon. Elissa is docked at Galveston Historical Foundation�s Texas Seaport Museum on Harborside Drive.

On hand for interviews March 22 will be renowned traditional sailmaker Jim Brink, who, along with volunteers, is hand-making more than 12,000 square feet of new sails for Elissa. This is the third set of sails for Elissa on which Brink has worked in more than 30 years at his craft. Six of the new sails will be in place as Elissa sets sail on Saturday.

Brink is known around the world and has made sails not only for historic vessels but for the movies Master and Commander and Pirates of the Carribean.

Except for officers, Elissa sails with a volunteer crew of Houston- and Galveston-area residents who are among a relative handful of people in the world trained in the ancient skills of oceangoing sailors

"In exchange for all of the time donated by the volunteers in our training program, we teach them how to sail Elissa and they become our sailing crew during our March day sails” says John Schaumberg, GHF waterfront manager. “And that's our reward to them for all the hard work they do maintaining the vessel year after year.”

Acquired by GHF in 1975, the square-rigged, iron-hulled 1877 barque was restored to its full glory and sailed on July 4, 1982, in the Gulf of Mexico. It was the first time Elissa had sailed offshore of Galveston since Sept. 26, 1886, when the ship set sail for after delivering an unknown cargo to Galvveston. Elissa brought bananas to Galveston in December 1883 and picked up a cargo of Texas cotton bound for Liverpool, England.

Elissa will sail with invited guests beginning Saturday, March 20 through Tuesday, March 23.

After an overnight sail on Wednesday, March 24, Elissa will resume day sails with invited guests aboard on Friday, March 26 through Sunday, March 28.

For more information, or to save a space onboard the press boat that will accompany Elissa on March 22, please call Molly Dannenmaier, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, at 409-765-7834.

Elissa Photo Gallery by Photographer Vadim Troshkin