The Texas Tall Ship Elissa

Islander By Choice will be writing a monthly column in Galveston Monthly.  This is the first of our entries You can pick up a Galveston Monthly free at many local locations.

April is the month that truly exemplifies spring in Galveston. It's not cold and it's not hot. It's a great time to get out of the winter funk and go out and see the island.

While you're out and about, whether you're a local or a visitor, you should put The Elissa and the Texas Seaport Museum on your list to visit. The Elissa is the Official Tall Ship of Texas, and is not only a floating museum, but one of the only ships of its kind to actually sail. She is a three-masted barque that was originally launched on October 27, 1877.

When you visit Elissa, it is hard to imagine that she was very close to being scrapped in Piraeus, Greece 40 years ago. In 1970, Elissa had been altered and had changed hands so many times - most recently by smugglers - she was hardly recognizable as the grand ship she was upon commissioning. It took a trained eye and a fortunate break of an existing builders plate to confirm that this floating vessel destined to be cut up in a Greek scrap yard was once the proud Elissa.

The acquisition and restoration processes were nothing short of remarkable. Because the port is what made Galveston the proud "Wall Street of the Southwest," the idea was to have a permanent symbol of Galveston's maritime heritage. Upon finding that Elissa had called on Galveston's port in 1883 and in 1886, the decision was made that she would call on Galveston once again - as home.

After purchasing the ship for $39,000 in 1975, the Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) estimated it would take another $200,000 investment for her restoration. Shoring up the hull for a crossing of the Atlantic and refitting the masts, deck, and rigging in Galveston took many researchers, craftsman, and volunteers. Some of the techniques to rebuild her hadn't been used in decades.

To say the least, the budget was blown. Seven years and $4.5 million later, the GHF and Galveston had a tall ship that was the pinnacle of historic ship restoration.

Since Elissa's first modern sailing trip under her original square rigging on August 31, 1982, Elissa has called on ports in Corpus Christi, New Orleans, Miami, Charleston, Baltimore, and Washington DC. The apex of these modern voyages was a sail to New York Harbor in July of 1986 for the centennial anniversary and rededication of the Statue of Liberty. 

On the voyage home from New York, Elissa made a stop at the Mystic Seaport Museum. This museum is home to the 1841 whaling ship Charles W. Morgan. There was no way to know during that visit that the Charles W. Morgan would, in a much different way, call on Galveston 22 years later.

In 2007 the Morgan  began undergoing an extensive restoration and required live oak wood to make new framing ribs. Live oak is the perfect material for shipbuilding because of its strength, resistance to rot, and the sweeping curves of the tree.

In September, 2008 an abundance of live oaks became destined to make the journey to the Charles W. Morgan's aid when Hurricane Ike flooded Galveston with more saltwater than it had seen since the storm of 1900. The loss of Galveston's historic  live oaks had a silver lining in that some would be used for the preservation of another grand ship.

The upkeep of Elissa requires approximately 20,000 man (and woman) hours and costs an average of about $60,000 per year. Twice a year, all of the rigging is pine tared and the brightened wood is revarnished to protect against the elements. Once a year, all of the sails are removed and inspected for wear and repaired accordingly.

To do all of this work, GHF and the Texas Seaport Museum rely on many extremely dedicated volunteers. General volunteers are welcomed year round, however, for those who would like to work toward becoming a member of the crew of the Elissa, the training program begins in July and goes through March.

After dedicating 20 Saturdays towards training, volunteers will be a member of the crew that sails Elissa in the annual March sea trials. These daily sails, to many, are the reward for a year worth of hard work and dedication. However, if sweating your Saturdays away 100 feet in the air isn't your cup of tea, you can make a tax deductible financial contribution that will help preserve Elissa and the Texas Seaport Museum for generations to come.

The museum is the home for Elissa, but also offers a wealth of information about maritime history. A cannon from an original Texas Navy ship is featured there and has a great story of being lost and found numerous times. The four coins that are underneath Elissa's masts are revealed, a lesson in shrimping and shrimp netting is explained, the bell from the USS Galveston is on display, and you can find information on immigrants that came into Galveston's port seeking a new life in America.

Elissa and the Texas Seaport Museum are open every day from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Pier 21. On your next visit downtown, set aside a couple of hours to visit the museum and the majesty of Elissa. I know you'll be glad that you did.

Special thanks to John Schaumberg for contributing to this article.