Elissa (ship) facts for kids
Elissa
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United States |
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| Name | Elissa |
| Operator | Galveston Historical Foundation |
| Builder |
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| Launched | 27 October 1877 |
| Identification |
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| Fate | Training ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 431 GRT 409 NRT |
| Length | 141 ft (43 m) |
| Beam | 28 ft (8.5 m) |
| Draft | 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) . |
| Sail plan |
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| Capacity | 430 tons cargo |
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Elissa
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 Elissa
Location in Texas
Elissa
Location in the United States
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| Location | Galveston Historic Seaport, Galveston, Texas |
| Built | 1877 |
| Architect | Alexander Hall & Sons |
| Architectural style | Three-masted Barque |
| NRHP reference No. | 78002930 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | 21 March 1978 |
| Designated NHL | 14 December 1990 |
The Elissa is a famous tall ship with three masts. She is based in Galveston, Texas, and is one of the oldest ships still sailing today. She was launched in 1877. Today, she is a museum ship at the Galveston Historic Seaport. In 1990, she was named a National Historic Landmark. The Texas Legislature also made Elissa the official tall ship of Texas in 2005.
Contents
History of the Elissa
Building and Early Journeys
The Elissa was built in Aberdeen, Scotland. She was made as a merchant ship, carrying goods across the seas. This was a time when steamships were becoming popular, but sailing ships like Elissa were still important. She first sailed on October 27, 1877.
The ship was named after the niece of her first owner, Henry Fowler Watt. Some of his family also say she was named after Queen Elissa of Carthage. This queen is also known as Dido from the old poem The Aeneid.
Over the years, Elissa sailed under different flags. She was known as the Fjeld of Tønsberg when she sailed for Norway. Later, she was called Gustav of Gothenburg under the Swedish flag. In 1918, her design changed. She became a two-masted brigantine and even had an engine added.
In 1930, she was sold to Finland and changed again, becoming a schooner. Then, in 1959, she went to Greece. There, she had several names: Christophoros, Achaeos, and Pioneer.
Saving and Restoring the Ship
In 1970, the Elissa was almost destroyed in Piraeus, Greece. Luckily, the San Francisco Maritime Museum bought her. But she stayed in a salvage yard for a few years.
Then, in 1975, the Galveston Historical Foundation bought her for $40,000. They are her owners today. In 1979, after a year of repairs to her hull in Greece, Elissa was towed to Gibraltar. There, she was made ready for a long journey across the ocean. The restoration work continued until she was ready to be towed on June 7, 1979.
The Elissa has a strong iron hull. Her pin rail and other bright parts are made of teak wood. Her tall masts come from Douglas fir trees in Oregon. All 19 of her sails were made in Maine. She has been through many changes, including having an engine and losing her original rigging and masts.
Sailing Again
In 1985, Elissa made her first trip as a fully restored sailing ship. She traveled to Corpus Christi, Texas. A year later, she sailed to New York City. There, she took part in the celebrations for the Statue of Liberty's 100th birthday.
When she is not sailing, Elissa is docked at the Galveston Historic Seaport in Galveston. You can take public tours of the ship all year round, unless she is out sailing. Volunteers from all over the country help sail and take care of the ship.
In July 2011, the U.S. Coast Guard found that Elissa's hull was corroded. This meant she was not safe enough to sail. The ship is checked twice every five years. The 2011 check showed the worst corrosion since she was rebuilt in 1982. The Texas Seaport Museum raised $3 million to fix the hull and do other important repairs. This work finished in January 2013. They also replaced the wooden deck and built new furniture for the quarterdeck using high-quality teak.
Elissa started sailing again in March 2014. Each spring, she goes on a series of daily sails for two to three weeks from her home port in Galveston.
The Elissa is one of the oldest sailing hulls in the world that is still used. The oldest is the schooner Lewis R. French, which was launched in 1871 in Christmas Cove, Maine. She still sails today as part of a fleet in Camden, Maine.
Awards and Recognitions
- National Register of Historic Places - She was the first object to get this status while outside the United States.
- National Historic Landmark - This is a special title for places or things important to U.S. history.
- Named the official state Tall Ship by the Texas government in 2005.
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