When a Man O' War was too old for service, or a nation's navy was not in need of it's services, the ship was stripped down to a condition that required the absolute minimum amount of maintenance to keep it afloat until it was either broken up or re-activated. Such ships were said to be "in ordinary". Here you see HMS Implacable, 74 - originally the French Duguay-Trouin. Survivor of the Battle of Trafalgar, Duguay-Trouin was captured not two weeks later by the British and placed into service in the Royal Navy, with a new name, until she was scheduled for disposal in 1908. She languished in ordinary until 1949 and, despite efforts to raise money and save her, was scuttled. Now, only HMS Victory - 102 remains to remind us of that great sea battle.
To me, the ship in ordinary is a sad sight, a mere hulk devoid of life. If Implacable could have prayed, I'm sure she would have. Prayed for years for restoration, for rebirth, to once again have sailors walk her decks, swing in hammocks and bare-chested work her "Two-and-thirties" in heated action. To feel their knees and the holystones at their hands as they cleaned the spar deck, to feel them as they scramble up the shrouds and out on the yards to set, reef and furl canvas, to feel the pace of the captain and officers on the quarterdeck. To hear the violin's music and the sailors' songs.
How she must have wondered why, when she finally got underway on that cold December day in 1949, she was feeling none of these things. The scuttling of Implacable was a sad day for many in England who recognized the significance of the ship, the battle, and the importance of ships and the sea to humanity in general. "Implacable - Never Again" became a rallying cry for the World Ship Trust.
Here is another "ship in ordinary". My brewing equipment - left in storage, idle, growing dusty, the tubing useless and dry, waiting for a willing hand to employ it once again in a ritual nearly as old as civilization itself - the conversion of grain, with aided by water, yeast and flora, to the potion that has provided mankind with nourishment, with relaxation, indeed with a great deal of culture throughout the centuries. Like the sea and ships, beer and brewing are truly a mark of civilization.Soon, when I have re-rigged and provisioned my ship, I will take in all lines and set out to re-learn the craft I reveled in as a young man. I look forward to sharing my experiences, hearing from other brewers and those interested in the sea and ships, especially the fighting ships of years long gone and the sailors who sailed them.
I can rememberwhen I drove over the road, in the Bay Area I think down near San Jose(?), I would cross this bridge. Located nearby was a US Naval graveyard. Hundreds of floating steel boxes lined up in neat rows. As your first post points out, it was a sad sight. But impressive because of the sheer numbers of vessels.
ReplyDeleteBrewing and ships. Yeah I guess nautical themes go hand in hand with drinking spirits. After all, the shipping industry and the brewing/distilling business relied on each other to flourish which then helped this country to flourish. As to having ships on bottles, well, back then the sea and all that went on there was the NASCAR equivalent of today. Remember the Clipper ship contests for going around the Horn. A departure in the east for San Francisco was front page news. As was the final finish months later when the actual trip time made it back east. The Flying Cloud if I remember right held the record. Anyway, men have always wanted their heroes and heroic efforts honored. Smart brew masters understood this and obliged accordingly.
Good luck with your brewing efforts. My brother used to brew his own beer back in the 1970s. He became very good at it. Almost like drinking Canadian beer. Two sixteen ounce bottles and a defintie buzz woudl be the result. Very tasty also.
I don't think I've ever had your own beer; I don't know if you ever tried mine.
ReplyDeleteI think my carboy is dead. It and my hygrometer and possibly my thermometer, too, were broken in the last round of brewing. My equipment is scattered between my house and Bob's.
I wish I had time for brewing, but at 40 I have to be honest with myself and realize I barely have time for work, the kids, research, and violin.
I wish you well!
Crum - Flying Cloud set the record for New York to San Francisco (via Cape Horn) in 1851, broke her record in 1853. The record stood until 1989. I had the pleasure of sailing aboard Star of India (originally Euterp, build in 1863) in 2007.
ReplyDeleteJames - I hear you. I'm taking a serious time risk by doing this as well, but I've really wanted to start up again. I'll need to plan and most of all reduce the amount of time it takes to brew. I'll probably be able to save some time by switching from bottling to kegging...once I get things rolling again.
James - forgot to mention that I have had your beer. I think it was the first (or one of the first) batch you brewed (the winter ale you named after your daughter). Way back in 199x (where x is a small integer).
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