Milwaukee Tall Ships Rendezvous, August 1, 1998

Lissuns Gerry Strey and Ed McDevitt, along with Judy McDevitt (Ed's spouse), Carla Mason (Ed's daughter) and Mark Mason (Carla's spouse) spent Saturday, August 1 with the fleet, examining it for seaworthiness and for potential use in quelling conflicts and in protecting lissunage. With the concurrence of shipwright Dave Giradot, we also examined the latest addition to the fleet, now abuilding near the dock. Along with checking the progress of the new Wisconsin Lake Schooner, we viewed the US brig Niagara, the Canadian True North, a 118-foot two masted topsail schooner; the 78 foot "gaff schooner", the Inland Seas; and the Madeline, a two-masted gaff topsail schooner. A fifth ship showed up unexpectedly, the Norwegian Anna Kristina, built in 1889, mostly of pine, a two-masted schooner with a true basket crow's nest atop the mainmast, attainable only by getting foothold on several pulleys near the top.

We recently recommended to the Admiralty that none of the fleet to deployed at the Battle of Doylestown and withholding the fleet also from the impending Battle of the Skivvies at West Gilgo.

Respectfully submitted,
I remain
E. J. Nominatio McDevitt, Vice Adm., Fleet of Milwaukee

The Fleet (left to right): Madeline, Inland Seas, True North, Niagara; between the two masts of the Niagara one can see the masts of the Anna Kristina, a late arrival.