Fair Winds and Following Seas: A Look into the Seafarer’s Life and the Romance of History

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)", at the 2024 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Communities of seafarers around the world dedicate considerable efforts and resources in keeping an image of ancient tall ship sailing by building and operating vessels that bring different sailing traditions into present day. They engage in voyages that replicate the similar environments and conditions that sailors of long ago faced. The aim of my ethnographic thesis research is to explore the personal relationships that individuals have with tall ship sailing, and to discover what common threads these present-day sailors share in their decision to sail long distances under wind power.

My research is on themes of personal romance with history, ties of heritage amongst the crew, and the meaning of the mariners’ desire to use and master the natural forces of the sea to create meaningful voyages. My research included sailing as a participatory observer and conducted ethnographic interviews of the crew of the sailing schooner Harvey Gamage during a 2022 voyage.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2024   •
• Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow