Elissa is no ordinary girl sitting at her berth in Galveston. Though her 100-foot-tall wooden masts are dwarfed by the cruise ship docked nearby, she is a proud ship and a unique classroom.
Launched in 1877 at Aberdeen, Scotland, the Elissa‘s iron hull is one of the oldest sailing ships in the world. Over her 137 years, the ship has gone through the indignities of having her three masts removed, working as a smuggler in the Mediterranean, and a severely corroded hull.
In 1985, Elissa sailed from Galveston Harbor on her maiden voyage as a restored sailing ship and an ambassador for the port city. Last spring, the ship slipped into her berth a new girl after a $3 million restoration. She’s never looked better.
Her polished teak and brass are from another time and place. You can admire the magnificent sailing workhorses of the sea in picture books, but nothing tells the story like walking the decks and cabins.
In today’s terms, the Elissa‘s captain’s cabin was no luxurious stateroom, and her crews lived little better than sardines. The placards and audio tour are helpful, but there is nothing like standing at the wheel and looking up into the spaghetti of rigging.
Elissa is part of the Texas Seaport Museum at Pier 21 in Galveston. Admission covers a visit to both. Parking can be validated at the restaurants next door. For more information, call 409/763-1877 or go to www.galvestonhistory.org.
1,230th a series. Collect them all. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of “Day Trips,” is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.
This article appears in February 20 • 2015.
