Provided by Ryan Bradfield
Crew members steer the “tall ship” Elissa as they make their way to New York City for the Fourth of July.
In the words of the 1877 “tall ship” Elissa’s port captain, Ryan Bradfield, “There’s a lot that’s unique about life on the ship.”
Crew members have been aboard the historic Elissa ship since it set sail out of the Port of Galveston on June 8. The Elissa is on its way to New York City for the Fourth of July holiday as part of Sail250, a global gathering of tall ships and military ships to celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary.
The Elissa recently made a stop in Cambridge, Maryland, on its way to New York and is back on the water. Reesa Bradfield, who is Ryan’s wife and a volunteer deck hand, gave Houston Public Media an inside look at a typical day aboard the ship as a crew member.
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4-8 a.m.
Provided by Ryan Bradfield
Sun shines through the “tall ship” Elissa on her voyage to New York City.
Reesa is on watch for four hours. This is one of her two four-hour shifts during the day.
“It could be maintenance, it could be galley duty, helping in the rigging, setting sales, dousing sales, whatever the ship needs while I’m on watch on that four hours,” Reesa said.
8 a.m.-4 p.m.
After her first watch, Reesa has eight hours to herself. She can use the time to do things such as rest, take a shower, read or eat breakfast cooked by the principal and assistant cooks on the ship.
The cooks make breakfast, lunch, dinner as well as “mid-rations” for those who are on watch at night. The ship’s mid-rations are typically a “sweet treat” such as cookies or brownies, according to Ryan. Main meals on the menu can include everything from shrimp Alfredo to Thai food.
“We’re eating very, very well,” Ryan said.
Provided by Ryan Bradfield
A crew member lays in a small inflatable pool aboard the “tall ship” Elissa.
In terms of other leisure activities, Ryan and Reesa said some crew members like to knit, while others keep journals or play guitar. The crew also has a small inflatable swimming pool on the deck for relaxation purposes.
4-8 p.m.
Reesa is on watch again.
Provided by Ryan Bradfield
Reesa Bradfield, left, and her husband, Ryan Bradfield, take a selfie photo aboard the 1877 Elissa.
8 p.m.-4 a.m.
Reesa has another opportunity to rest. She also has the opportunity to shower, which is done a little differently on the ship. The crew members are asked to take “Navy showers” in order to save the desalinated water on the ship.
“A Navy shower is you turn the shower on, you get yourself wet, turn it off, soap up and then you turn the water back on for a few seconds to rinse off. That’s pretty much it. Try to keep it under two minutes,” Ryan said.
Ryan said after their stop in Maryland, they’ll be traveling up to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and then onward to New York.
Elissa’s journey can be tracked on the Galveston 250 website.