The Schooner Columbia

[ccphoto]

This is an exact replica of the Gloucester Schooner Columbia built in 1923. It's fame was the dueling between it and the Schooner Bluenose of the same era. I was fortunate to get a rare invite to shoot a few images aboard prior to dinner with the Captain and crew. The crew was in the process of reinstalling the whole sail package which consists (with the new Spinnaker) a whopping 18,500 sq ft of sail - Fore, Main, 3-Flying Jibs, 2- Topsails, a Fisherman's and the Spinnaker. Sans the Spinnaker, it still boasts just over 12,000 sq ft of sail. This vessel is 141 ft long.

There are 10 images here and one in the B&W Mini Comp.

Ship's Wheel



Reinstalling the Foresails. It takes a crew of eight over a day and a half per sail setup.



Installing the Topsails



Looking from the Aft Deck to the Fore Deck



Squaring up the Topsail Rigging



Deadeyes (part of the Rattling Down Rigging)



The Galley



Guest and Crew Quarters Looking Down the Alleyway



Crew Quarters



Columbia Moon



I still have many images yet to edit but this could go on for days so I'll end it here as representative of this fine sailing vessel.

All Images were shot hand-held, natural and ambient lighting. Fortunately it had great interior lighting.

[LePetomane]

Very nice. Thank you or posting this. Where is the schooner located?

[ccphoto]

Very nice. Thank you or posting this. Where is the schooner located?

The Home port is Panama City, FL where the ship was built. You can go to this video for a full keel to launch story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76zglGNkoKk

[Wavelength]

Excellent; for a while i forgot something called colors exist

[John 2]

Wonderful set of images. Any chance you might get to sail on her? I had the privilege of a afternoon on Bluenose II last September (also an exact replica) and waxed lyrical about the experience here. Wouldn't it be something to se the two together once more. I'd travel a long way to photograph that. Great series worth keeping.

[Mike Buckley]

Wonderful compositions, conversions and story-telling!

You mentioned that the ship is an exact replica of the original. Certainly not true with regard to the amenities and luckily so for the crew.

[ccphoto]

Wonderful compositions, conversions and story-telling!

You mentioned that the ship is an exact replica of the original. Certainly not true with regard to the amenities and luckily so for the crew.

I am working on that now. I hope to go out on their next set of shakedown runs before they head to the Virgin Islands for a race...though if I do what I want and get a good magazine/newspaper article out of it, I might get that trip as well.

As to exact, no because the coast guard requires radar, loran, etc and you would have never seen a female on a sailing vessel in the 1920's...

[rpcrowe]

Lovely collection and great PP....

[bje07]

Wonderful series and excellent B&W

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[IzzieK]

Good translation to B/W. Very clear and sharp. The light is excellent.

[mugge]

Absolutely beautiful and shooting it in B&W was a wise choice given that the schooner was built in 1923.
Cheers Ole

[george013]

Wonderful images of a wonderful ship. Pity of the kitchen equipment in the crew quarter. it doesn't belong there.
Of course this series made me curious to learn more about the story. It's an iron replica of the wooden original which was build in 1923 and sunk in a hurricane in 1927.
http://www.superyachtworld.com/yacht...d-classic-6863

George

[bnnrcn]

Very nice set Chris