Recently I was invited to go sailing on the Tall Ship Providence. It was a really cool experience. Unlike a lot of historic replica ships, you actually get to watch the well-versed crew hoist up the massive sails and enjoy the ship moving under sail. I particularly enjoyed noting the workflow between the skipper and the crew. It is a lot of work! History buffs will love the fact that the original USS Providence was taken into service by the Continental Navy to fight the HMS Rose and other ships blockading the U.S. Colonies. All of this information is well presented by the crew of the ship.
Personally, what I thought was a ‘full circle’ concept was this. My ‘US hometown’ is San Diego. That is where I first moved to when I immigrated to the U.S. In the Embarcadero, there is a replica man-o-war moored there called the HMS Surprise. Surprise is actually a newer name for that beautiful vessel. The original name is Rose. That’s right! She’s a replica of the Rose that the Providence was supposed to fight. So imagine my surprise, when some years ago, the Providence decides to make her home port here in DC.
The Rose had been renamed as Surprise for her role in the movie Master and Commander. Great movie by the way!
Here are some photos I took on this trip!
If you’d like to experience what it is like to be underway on a historic tall ship, head on down to Old Town Alexandria during the season and buy a ticket to see the Providence. I believe their sailing season is over, but you can still visit her mooring during a public visit session. Check them out here: https://tallshipprovidence.org/visit/tours/
One thought on “Aboard the Tall Ship Providence – my day in old town Alexandria”
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.