Cor, that brought back some memories for this Limey.

When I was a deckie learner, I got caught up in the septic Bi-Centenary Tall Ships Race in '76, and shipped aboard the Sir Winston Churchill in Boston Mass. We poked all round Cape Cod, Woods Hole and Buzzards Bay, whilst all the other Tall Ships headed across the pond. We put into Halifax, and I saw my first Grand Banks Schooner, Bluenose II.

Later, my father told me of the fame of the original Bluenose, and her turn of speed being put down to an unintentional underwater bulge build into one side of her bow.

We berthed near her, and I clambered aboard and started jawing with some of her crew. I was told her mains'l (on the aft mast, schooner fashion) is the biggest single sail in the world, but I still haven't resolved that one.

She accompanied us on our departure, and my recollection was that we raced, which we surprisingly won, but we did have another 30' on deck. I suspect she had her sheets eased to give the Limejuice Ship a chance.

To get to the point, I read in the excellent UK mag 'Classic Boat' that a new schooner has been launched in BC, called the Pacific Grace, on the same lines as Bluenose. She is to be used for sail training.

Finally, the best archive film footage of these beautiful vessels is contained in the epic Spencer Tracey tearjerker 'Captains Courageous' which was made during WW2 (I think!) And just to keep it musical, Spencer plays a hurdy-gurdy!

Best regards

Skipjack