FROM COMMODORE On behalf of the crew of the Schooner Appledore, I welcome you to the world of tall ship sailing. Our vessel is reminiscent of the Age of Sail - a time when seaports were filled with such ships in pursuit of commerce, bringing goods and news to port and leaving with cargoes headed out into the growing world. Speedy clippers carried passengers between the East and West coasts; New England schooners hauled freight and fished the Grand Banks; Navies commanded ships, barques, and brigs. It was a time when sailors roamed about with marlin spikes and tales of the sea and far off places. It was also the Era of the Gentleman Explorer. It was a time when the Royal Geographic Society sponsored expeditions to cross the oceans in search of prizes - some practical and some vain. Key West's history is tied to the tradition of sail. The wreckers who brought wealth, the New England shipwrights who built gingerbread houses resembling their homes, and the fishermen and the U.S. Navy, which were - and still are - major presences on the island, all contributed to a fabric woven with ships and their crews. The Appledore is one of the few reminders of that heritage. Our liveaboard crew assumes the lifestyle of their forefathers. They are involved in classes and projects that continue to pass along the skills and art of sailing. When they set an old-fashioned anchor, or weigh anchors, to embark on a cruise, they do so traditionally. The windlass and their strength are the only resources for such a job. The Appledore is built of wood using age-old techniques, and the crew's biggest job is maintaining it. An old expression, "iron men and wooden boats" conveys the idea. Ultimately, the reward comes when we set sail. The wind filling the sails gives an exciting and secure sensation as the 63-ton Appledore obeys the command of the helm and rides the forces of nature. Whether it be a two-hour sunset cruise, or one of our seasonal 2,000-mile trips into the Atlantic, the good ship Appledore and her crew continue a tradition of tall ship sailing and a tradition of Key West. We are Appledore, and when you set sail with us, you are Appledore too! I welcome you aboard.
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