What is ELISSA?    
        ELISSA is a three-masted, iron-hulled sailing ship built in 1877 in Aberdeen, Scotland by Alexander Hall & Company. She carries nineteen sails covering over one-quarter of an acre in surface area. Tall ships are classified by the configuration of their sailing rig . In ELISSA ’s case, she is ˜barque’ because she carries square and fore-and-aft sails on her fore and mainmasts, but only fore-and-aft sails on her mizzenmast. From her stern to the tip of her jibboom she measures 205 feet. Her height is 99 feet, 9 inches at the main mast and she displaces about 620 tons at her current ballast. But, she is much more than iron, wood and canvas . . .

Who is ELISSA?  
       According to the Marjorie Lyle, granddaughter of ELISSA ’s builder, Henry Fowler Watt, the name was taken from the epic Roman poem The Aeneid, in which the tragedy of Dido, Queen of Carthage, is the unifying theme of the first four books of that tale. Dido was originally a Phoenician princess named Elissa, who fled from Tyre to Africa and founded Carthage.

        Unlike some tall ships of today ELISSA is not a replica, but a survivor. She was built during the decline of the “Age of Sail”, to fill a niche in maritime commerce. Over her 90-year commercial history , she carried a variety of cargos to ports around the world, for a succession of owners. Her working life as a freighter came to an end in Piraeus Harbor, Greece, where she was rescued from the salvage yard by a variety of ship preservationists who refused to let her die. The story of ELISSA ’s discovery and restoration is nothing short of miraculous, and is beautifully retold in photographs and two video presentations at the Texas Seaport Museum.

       Today ELISSA is much more than an artifact from a bygone era. She is a fully-functional vessel that continues to sail annually during sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico. Thanks to Galveston  Historical Foundation  and its commitment to bring history to life, combined with the dedication of hundreds of volunteers who keep her seaworthy and train each year to sail her, ELISSA and the art of 19 th Century square-rigged sailing are alive and well.

         ELISSA ’ s wake is 123 years and counting . . . Come experience her magic at Texas Seaport Museum, Pier 21, Galveston, Texas.

Meet Laura Griffin, she is a volunteer working to protect and preserve the "Elissa" Sailing Ship. On a recent visit to Galveston Island, Texas, Lifestyle's Joe D'Aluisio spoke with Laura about the tall ship. Just click on the picture to hear the interview.

While listening to the interview with Laura,
enjoy the pictures that we took while visiting the "Elissa"!

AFT - At, in, toward, or near the back end of a ship.  
AFTER - Nearer the rear of a ship.  
BAGGYWRINKLE A means of chafe protection made by tying many short, manila rope-yarns around two strands of twine. The resulting long, bushy product is closely wound around a stay or other piece of standing rigging, to prevent wearing of the sail
at the point where it contacts the rigging.  
BALLAST Weight put in a ships hold or seawater pumped into her tanks in order to increase stability.  
BARKENTINE A sailing vessel with three or more masts, square-rigged only on the foremast.  
BARQUE A sailing vessel with three or more masts, which is square-rigged on all but the aftermost mast.  
BELAYING PINS Large wooden or metal pins used on ships to secure running rigging.  
BILLET A bar of metal in the rough.  
BINNACLE The stand on which the compass is supported. The body of the binnacle is usually built of hard, well-seasoned wood. The upper part consists of a protective brass cover or hood.  
BOW Forward end of a vessel.  
BOWSPRIT A spar projecting forward and slanting upward from a sailing vessel’s stem. On larger vessels, it serves as a stiffening support for the jibboom.  
BRACE noun: One of the lines attached to each yardarm which are used to trim the yard horizontally [swing the yard from side to side]. verb: to move the yards from side to side, so that the sails can be adjusted to their proper angle to the wind.  
BRIGANTINE A two-masted, square-rigged sailing ship, having a fore-and-aft mainsail.  
BRIGHTWORK Scraped and cleaned woodwork on a vessel, which may or may not be varnished, but never painted. Also, those metal fittings which are kept bright by polishing.  
BULKHEAD An upright partition that divides the inside of a ship into compartments.  
BULWARK Strake of plating or planking forming an extension of a vessel’s side above her weather deck. It serves as a protection against rough seas.  
CAPSTAN A vertical drum revolving on a spindle [a slender revolving mechanical part], used for exerting power required in heaving on a rope.  
CLIPPER A vessel characterized by fine lines and an unusually large sail area, built and rigged for fast sailing rather than cargo capacity. Usually, this term refers to vessels built between 1840 and 1870, during which time the wooden full-rigged ship attained her highest development in construction and sailing qualities.  
COURSE The sail bent to the lowest yard on each mast of a square-rigged vessel.  
DISEMBARKATION To put, go, or cause to go ashore from a ship.  
DRAFT The depth of a vessel’s keel below the waterline.  
FIGUREHEAD The ornamental figure or other carving, usually in the likeness of a mythical being or of a highly regarded person, which adorns the bow of a ship.  
FLAGSHIP In a fleet or squadron of naval vessels, the ship bearing the flag officer or commanding officer of such a group. Also, a vessel bearing the commodore of a group of yachts or merchant ships.  
FORE-AND-AFT-SAILS Sails which are set generally parallel to the length of the ship.  
FOREMAST The mast located first, or nearest the bow, or front of the ship.  
FUTTOCK A distortion of foot ‘hook’. On ELISSA the futtock shrouds are extensions of the topmast shrouds which pass through the tops [platform] and down to an iron band attached to the lowermost mast just below the tops.  
FUTTOCK BAND The band or hoop around a lower mast, having a number of eyebolts to which the lower extremity of the topmast futtock shrouds fasten.  
FUTTOCK SHROUDS Short iron or steel rods which are downward extensions of topmast shrouds, leading from the rim of the top to the futtock band. The stiffen the top in addition to taking the stress of the topmast rigging.  
GAFF KETCH A two-masted, fore-and-aft, gaff-rigged sailing vessel, with a smaller mast aft the mainmast and forward of the rudder post.  
HOLD The interior of a ship in which cargo is stored.  
HULL The body of a vessel exclusive of masts, yards, sails, rigging, machinery, and equipment.  
JIBS Triangular sails set forward of the foreward-most mast.  
JIBBOOM The spar extending forward from, and secured on top of, the bowsprit. The jibs are attached here.  
KEEL The principal structure of a ship, running lengthwise along the centerline from bow to stern, to which the frames are attached.  
KETCH A two-masted, fore-and-aft-rigged sailing vessel, with a smaller mast aft of the mainmast and forward of the rudder post.  
LINE General term for ropes, cords, or wire ropes used for various purposes on board ship.  

Seafaring Glossary

Here are more Glossary Terms.....

MAINMAST The principal mast of a sailing ship. On ELISSA , it is the mast located second when counting from the bow.  
MANILA The fiber of the abaca, used for making rope.  
MARITIME Anything related to commerce or navigation on the sea.  
MAST A tall vertical spar that rises from the keel of a sailing vessel to support the sails and rigging.  
MIZZENMAST The mast located third when counting from the bow, in a vessel having three or more masts. Also the after mast in a ketch or yawl.  
PASSENGER MANIFEST Also called a passenger list. Document showing detailed information concerning each passenger embarking for a foreign country, as required by customs offices at the ports of departure and arrival.  
PINRAIL A stout hardwood rail fitted along a ship’s bulwark, parallel to and below the caprail [top of the bulwark]. It is rounded on its projecting edge and fitted with necessary holes to receive belaying pins for running rigging.  
PORT A town or city with a harbor. Also the left side of the ship, facing forward.  
PORT OF CALL A port where ships dock in the course of voyages to load or unload cargo, obtain supplies, or undergo repairs.  
PORT OF ENTRY A place where travelers or goods may enter or leave a country under official supervision.  
RIGGING A broad term for all ropes, chains, and gear used for supporting and operating masts, yards, booms, gaffs, and sails. More generally, rigging is the whole apparatus of masts, yards, sails, and cordage, by which the force of the wind is utilized to move a sailing vessel against the resistance of the water.  
RUDDER A vertically hinged plate of metal or wood mounted at the stern of a vessel for directing its course.  
SAILING RIG The configuration of masts, sails and lines on a ship.  
SCHOONER Generally, a ship with two or more fore-and-aft-rigged masts, the mainmast being taller than the foremast.  
SEA CHANTIES A song sailors sing to the rhythm of their work.  
SHROUD A grouping of steel ropes which laterally support a mast, preventing it from moving from side-to-side, and facilitate climbing the rig. They are a key part of a vessel’s standing rigging.  
SPAR General term for a boom, mast, yard, stout pole, etc., on board a vessel.  
SQUARE-RIG A rig for sailing ships where sails are attached to yards, which in turn are mounted at right angles to the mast.  
SQUARE-RIGGER A sailing vessel that is square-rigged on at least one mast.  
SQUARE SAILS Sails which are set ‘square’ to, or generally perpendicular to the length of the ship.  
STARBOARD The right-hand side of ship, as one faces forward.  
STAY Part of the standing rigging of ship. It is one of the ropes,
usually of wire, used to support or stiffen a mast in the fore-and-aft direction.  
STAYSAIL Properly, any fore-and-aft sail of triangular shape - excepting jibs - spread from a stay. Staysails are named for the stay on which they are secured.  
STEM The more or less upright continuation of of the keel at the extreme forward end of the hull.