Shout out to Railton, Ontario! This week, Erin gets the unredacted scoop on Captain Chris Chafe. Captain Chafe is the executive director at Tall Ship Expeditions Canada (T.S.E.C.) - Brigantine Incorporated (www.tallshipexpeditions.com) and captain of St. Lawrence II out of Kingston, Ontario. Chris and Erin realize they have strong feelings about tides.  We talk about how, sometimes, the right ship to do the job is the smallest ship to do the job , how you should never judge a captain by...

Welcome to Season Three! We have a doozy of an episode - it's cozy, it's inspiring, it's a journey - and we are here for it. This month, Erin chats delightedly with Susan Brittain, Marketing, Membership and Public Programs Associate with Sound Experience (www.soundexp.org) and Tall Ships America's 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.  We talk about her growing up in England, where the water was her escape, her time as a captain, a caulker, ship carpenter, and rigger, and her love of...

It's our season two finale! We'll be back in March with some fresh episodes and new voices from our tall ships community. We have none other than the 2019 Tall Ships America Sail Trainer of the Year, Captain Tiffany Krihwan, currently serving as captain with Ernestina-Morrissey. We dive into the rich legacy of this historic schooner, her connection with Cape Verde, and her voyages to the Arctic to supply military bases during WWII. We also talk about smart grandparents, polite Canadian...

This week, Erin had the pleasure of sitting down with Gord Laco, jack of all trades. Gord is the  operator of G.H.Laco&Assciates Ltd, a ship and yacht rigging supply outfit he has operated since 1999.  Gord served as an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy, currently holds a civilian appointment looking after HMCS ORIOLE, the RCN’s sail training ship, and also operates a thriving historical consulting and technical advising practice serving film and television productions. Note: Apologies...

We are back! After a brief hiatus, Erin is thrilled to be talking to the super generous and generally delightful Marann Fengler. Currently working with the Battleship Iowa www.pacificbattleship.com , Marann first started her tall ship adventures aboard Los Angeles Maritime Institute's twin brigantines, Irving Johnson and Exy Johnson (for more about the ships and their legacy, be sure to listen to Nancy Richardson's episode in season one) Marann and Erin talk about missing the smell of pine...

Join Erin as she and Captain Andy Ellers talk about how a sculpture major from Denison University wound up with his own IMDB page and may or may not have gotten into a spot of trouble with Russell Crowe on the set of Master and Commander: Far Side of the World. But first, we talk about the challenges of working with wicked expensive research equipment and how there just aren't that many opportunities for a sing-a-long with a tuba in the Maine Windjammer fleet. Also, how not to catch a...

Join Erin as she interviews Captain Jay Amster, first new captain of Schooner Tabor Boy in 35 years and Director of Tabor Boy Programs at Tabor Academy www.taboracademy.org This episode has it all! A twelve year mystery that we need your help solving (follow Tall Ships America on Facebook and Instagram to help @tallshipsamerica). It devolves into a Captain Jill Hughes appreciation podcast (listen to Season 1, Episode 11 to join the club), and we learn that creating the potential of the...

Join Nic Hardisty of Tall Ships America as he uncovers the ships, people, and events that have shaped history. We’ll explore America’s robust maritime heritage from the days of indigenous sailors expertly navigating coastal waters in their umiaks to some of the tall ships that still sail today. You’ll hear compelling stories from a variety of historians and researchers, and you’ll see how these stories shape and impact our modern world.

Join Erin as she talks to our favorite weather guy, Mr. Joe Siekiewicz, Chief of the Ocean Applications Branch of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Ocean Prediction Center (OPC).  Joe and his team are responsible for weather warnings and forecasts for large portions of the North Atlantic and North Pacific. They talk about how he first became fascinated with weather (hint: it involves snow), how being a mariner helped him obtain his job at NOAA, and the role of...

This week, Erin talks to Amali Knobloch with Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. We discover how the ship was part of the environmental awakening of the 1960s and how the founder, Peter Seeger's,  participation in the Civil Rights movement of that time is still reflected in their programming today.  We talk about the importance of seeing people that look like you in leadership roles and how a three week trip aboard Tole Mour at age 18 changed Amali's life. Ships mentioned: USS Constitution, Tole...

In pre-emancipation America there were few, if any, industries where African heritage and indigenous men could rise to positions of power. In this episode, historian Skip Finley explains how America’s whaling ships served as the country’s first meritocracies. Skin color and ethnicity were secondary to one’s ability to safely pilot a ship and effectively kill whales. Whalers who demonstrated these abilities had opportunities to learn navigation, financial literacy, commerce, and reading and...

In the past, tall ship sailors and maritime workers transcended race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality and until relatively recently the American maritime workforce was remarkably diverse. This week, historian Nic Hardisty  highlights some experiences, contributions, and facts about African heritage, indigenous American, female, and LGBT+ populations in America’s maritime workforce.

Let's get our shanty on! We are rounding out shanty month with a super fun interview with the always game Captain Tom Kastle, historian, author,  singer, actor, captain of Great Lakes schooners, and raconteur.  In this interview, we cover the history...

Nic kicks off our shanty-themed month by talking with Seán Dagher and Bénédicte Ouimet. Seán is a singer known for his masterful renditions of folk songs and shanties, for his iconic shanty and tavern performances in the Assassin’s Creed video game...

Welcome to season two! We kick off this season with Captain Jamie Trost, Port Captain for Grays Harbor Historical Seaport in Aberdeen, Washington.  While he had a less than auspicious start as a sailor, tall ships eventually proved too strong of a...

In our final mini-sode, Nic digs into the legend of Rough Bruin, a bear that served as an enemy combatant onboard the HMS Detroit. We learn about Rough Bruin’s exploits during the battle, and Nic speculates as to what Rough Bruin’s post-war life may...

It's the penultimate mini-sode! Our season two kicks off on March 19th. This week, Captain Andy Ellers makes the case for Mary Poppins, modern hero;  and drops two poems into the conversation.  Erin gets really excited about showers at the airport....

It's the mini episode! Every Friday, Erin and Nic will be alternating interviews and history in these bite-sized episodes to tide you over until the season two premiere of the podcast on March 19th.This week, Amali blindsides Erin with her answer to the...

In this mini-sode, Nic looks into the women that braved the treacherous world of whaling in the 19th century, with a focus on Caroline Mayhew. Whether whalers' wives were on board by force or choice, they committed to their lives at sea and became some...

 It's the mini episode! Every Friday, Erin and Nic will be alternating interviews and history in these bite-sized episodes to tide you over until the season two premiere of the podcast on March 19th.This week, we learn that happiness for Steve Kielar is...

In this mini-sode Nic takes a look at Rhode Island's arsonous history in the years leading up to the American Revolution. Nic details a handful of incidents in which Rhode Islanders lashed out against British customs ships by protesting... and burning...

It's the mini episode! Every Friday, Erin and Nic will be alternating interviews and history in these bite-sized episodes to tide you over until the season two premiere of the podcast on March 19th. In this episode, MJ's greatest achievement makes Erin...

In mini episode #2, Nic Hardisty discusses the Africa Squadron, a United States Navy team tasked with shutting down the Atlantic slave trade during the 19th century. Nic pays particular attention to the USS Constellation’s encounter with slavers on the...

It's the mini episode! Every Friday, Erin and Nic will be alternating interviews and history in these bite-sized episodes to tide you over until the season two premiere of the podcast on March 19th. This week, happiness is a cabin in the woods for...