Friday, August 31, 2007

What's out the window?

Ok, everyone out there with too much time on your hands: did you know we have a web cam? Here's the view out the window today; the office is surrounded by schooners who have come to race this weekend in the Gloucester Schooner Festival.

The word "schooner" was born here in Gloucester, Massachusetts and the rig was the preferred design for the local fishing fleet. The 21 schooners here this weekend are either survivors or replicas of the old fishing fleet or elegant Alden schooner yachts or even more exotic designs. Sunday's race is for schooners over 100 feet long.

We were expecting the fabulous Canadian schooner Bluenose II from Nova Scotia but they are having engine trouble somewhere on the coast of Maine. We also have the U.S. Navy vessel Nizve in port. This little harbor is the place to be this weekend!

You can check our office web cam any time, day or night by clicking here. You won't see much at night!

There's a web cam with a wider view of the entire harbor here.

By the way, it is an old tradition to nail a horseshoe to the mast of schooner when it is launched. Some say it is for good luck; others say it is because the galley cook often served horse meat and the sign of a horseshoe on deck was a dead giveaway what the mystery meat in the stew was. There's even an old sea chanty, an ode to the horses on board.

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