Saturday, July 28, 2001 - The American Baltimore Clipper Topsail Schooner Lynx was launched that Saturday afternoon at in Rockport, Maine to enthusiastic historical fanfare in the true patriotic spirit of the War of 1812 time period complete with the appropriate era costumes along with the accompanying musketry and cannon fire.
There is an excellent official account of the Lynx launching on the Privateer Lynx News Flash Page that takes up the story from there. Surf on in there and check it out along with the launch photos. Explore the rest of the Lynx site out and then come back here to see more of the photos I took of the event along with our coverage.
So much enthusiasm and forethought has gone into the written copy on their Web site and in their press kits that the Privateer Lynx people handed out to the media that I feel that it is best to just let these people tell their story in their own words. For their spirit is contagious and will certainly spread wherever the Lynx sails.
One can sense the synergy and camaraderie between the principal players here with the building of the Lynx and their common love of the lore of the sea. The lure to join them for some of their upcoming sea trials and sailing adventures is strong.
The fact that there is now a new Baltimore Clipper out there on the ocean is intriguing to me as a maritime history enthusiast of the clipper ship era. For it was certainly the sight of swift topsail schooners sailing in and out of Baltimore Harbor that inspired Isaac McKimm to build the Ann McKimm and take the sailing world one step closer in the evolution of the clipper ship.
The noted ship designer John Willis Griffiths came aboard the Ann McKimm while she was moored at the Howland & Aspinwall pier in New York following her sale to that firm. Griffiths took from the Ann McKimm some ideas that would later on show up in his masterpiece, the Sea Witch.
Melbourne Smith, the designer of the Lynx, happens to be an enthusiastic admirer of John Willis Grittiths and is also the founder of the American Clipper Trust, a not-for-profit organization that plans to build a new historic interpretation of the Sea Witch. The goal is to provide an experimental approach to maritime archeology as a working example. Smith is currently leading national efforts to establish the American Clipper Ship Museum. Woody is also involved and brought the Sea Witch Project to the West Coast.
The Déjà vu aspect of this ongoing coincidental chain of events concerning the Lynx Launching, this Web site, topsail schooners and clipper ships, old and new, is not lost on me and I'll certainly run with it and play it out for all its worth. Here goes. Donald Mckay was a friend of John Willis Griffiths and Melbourne Smith is a friend of mine. Donald McKay was very much interested in Griffiths' shipbuilding ideas and the entire McKay Clan wishes The American Clipper Trust Godspeed with their noble endeavor to build the Sea Witch. We have had a look at their business plan that you can download from their site and it certainly looks feasible to us.
In the meantime I have had a glorious look at the Lynx and a picture says a thousand words so here's a bunch of them. You can all see the incredible amount of workmanship that went into this remarkable vessel. The pictures tell the story well and capture the moment for posterity. Once she was moored at the Rockport Marine pier the public was invited to come aboard and inspect the Lynx and I certainly checked her out most thoroughly. There was still a little bit of finishing work to do on the interior, but she was to be completed within three weeks in time for the scheduled sea trials. I was intrigued with the ship's bell and could not resist ringing it lightly only to be informed by the mate that if I did so again that I would have to buy the crew a case of beer! The tone of this bell is remarkably true and clear.
The incredible catered feast for all the invited guests that followed the launching over at Rockport Marine is also most worthy of mention. A smorgasbord feast for sure along with strong spirits to wet the appetite of any mariner. I just loved the fancy little toothpick skewered lime, basil and scallop gourmet delicacies. The merriment went on well into the night with musicians and sea chanteymen singers livening up the spirits of all over the evening hours of this memorable day as the music wafted out over the harbor into the summer night. Hats off to Taylor Allen and the catering crew.
ECS - 12/16/2001 - For the latest word on the schedule of the Privateer Lynx go to their Web site.
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Project Sea Witch
You can order a print of this and other paintings from the Project Sea Witch Web site.
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Our new Maine Tradewinds Page is now up!
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