"The day had come. The amazing schooner CALANOVA had been laying at the dock. She was all ready for sea, or sea trials anyway. Sea trials are where you take a vessel out for the first time and sea how she does and to see if everything works right. Slaunwhite and gang had done a fantastic job on this schooner. Let her magic loose! Beware the seas! There she was. All beautifully built, painted, launched, all swelled up and did not leak a thimbleful. Masts stepped, bowsprit fitted, rigging set up, running rigging rove off, sails bent, steering tested (you know, move the tiller back and forth and look over the side to see if the rudder moves at the same time in the same direction – it did, YAY!). Wood stove had a crate of dried split birch to keep the coffee and chowder hot. A couple anchors on the buffalo rails as a proper vessel should have, ready to let go as needed. The auxiliary engine was not quite sorted out yet – but who needs a cranky engine when ya gots a fine sailin’ schoonah under your boots?" (Click READ MORE for the rest of the story)

"When last we met, we had shared accounts of how the Amazing schooner CALANOVA had been designed, built, launched, rigged, sail bent on, mostly fitted out and made ready to sail for the first time. Provisioning and more kitting up for a voyage will come later. We needs to sail she. Its about time. Keen to sail she we are. Anxious to sail this snappy schooner, flash packet, rocket sled…WE WANTS TO FIND OUT IF SHE IS FAST AND ABLE. Is she? Should be. All figure CALANOVA should be pretty slippery. But time will tell. And a breeze of wind laying her down. Get some sea foam over the rail..." (Click READ MORE for the rest of the story)

At the old stone crib wharf, the freshly painted CALANOVA is swarming with riggers. These venerable deep-water seafarers, veteran shellbacks of the Horn and hauling trawl on the banks off Newfoundland in burning summers or many a winter blow, these riggers look like nautical cowboys, and swagger with the same confident grace. What appear to be oiled leather scabbards on their hips that might secure a “pyrat’s” cutlass instead hold a select few rigging tools, knives, spikes, grease packed cow horns clacking and dangling. Under ragged sleaved, faded halibut shirts, tanned fore-arms of corded muscle power thick calloused hands brandish long steel marlinspikes, so well worn they flash like silver in the morning sunlight... (Click READ MORE to read the rest of the story)

Launching the Amazing Schooner CALANOVA It’s launching day for our beautiful new-built wooden schooner at the Slauenwhite Yard on the shores of Mader’s Cove, Lunenburg County, in fair Nova Scotia. When did this auspicious event take place? We are still trying to pin that down. The Halifax Herald says 1987. But let’s not worry about this small point for now... (click READ MORE for the rest of the story)