Advice For A Tall Ship Sailor

[Rod Thompson]

It has always seemed to me that the worst danger is to instruments played for Morris sides.

 

Standing in the drizzly pre-dawn to ensure the sun rises on solstice can't be great for man nor machine.

 

At least in a focsle there are some dry spots.

 

I did see one metal-ended EC owned by a live-aboard-er with verdigris on the fretwork, but he still played it well.

[David Barnert]

I can't speak for ocean sailing, because I've not done it yet, but during my time on the Great Lakes I never had a problem with my instruments being damaged due to excessive humidity, because even though you're on the water the ship acts pretty much like a decently protective building.

Salt might make all the difference...

It has always seemed to me that the worst danger is to instruments played for Morris sides.

 

Standing in the drizzly pre-dawn to ensure the sun rises on solstice can't be great for man nor machine.

 

I played in the rain on Saturday as my Morris team danced at the Albany Tulip Festival. I have a beach umbrella with a shaft no thicker than my thumb. I push it through my belt at my right hip and the blunt point rests in my right front pocket. I stabilize the shaft between my chest and my right arm and adjust the height of the umbrella so that I can just see the faces of the dancers. It keeps me and potentially two or three other musicians dry. Been doing it for 20+ years. Never had a problem with the instrument (Wheatstone) tolerating it.

[David Barnert]

I played in the rain on Saturday as my Morris team danced at the Albany Tulip Festival. I have a beach umbrella with a shaft no thicker than my thumb. I push it through my belt at my right hip and the blunt point rests in my right front pocket. I stabilize the shaft between my chest and my right arm and adjust the height of the umbrella so that I can just see the faces of the dancers. It keeps me and potentially two or three other musicians dry. Been doing it for 20+ years. Never had a problem with the instrument (Wheatstone) tolerating it.

 

Since I posted the above, I have learned that the local newspaper has published a photo. Red umbrella at left.

 

[chrism]

I've been playing concertina while sailing for a good few years and haven't found any problem with rust or rot -- decent instruments too. My sea-going box is now a Lachenal 32 button G/D anglo. There's some of it in this clip:

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/aeproduction?gl=GB&hl=en-GB

My feeling is that there's no fun in keeping these instruments at home in cotton-wool -- sure, there's always risk of damage but a reasonable level of care and a bit of luck should see you right. (Isn't there a story somewhere of a rather nice Jeffries drifting ashore from a wreck ? Surviving better than its owner.)

 

Chris

[Alex West]

My concertinas come sailing with me; but they only come out when on autopilot (ie calm conditions) or having arrived at a destination. I'm sure the reeds and bellows suffer in the high humidity and marine environment but since I'm only sailing for - at most - 10% of the year, I don't think their life is shortened significantly so I agree completely with chrism. The most risky times are when transferring to and from dinghys and these days, I try to make sure they're in a watertight bag; I think the "drifting Jeffries" tale ended with a complete rebuild.

 

However, there's not much call for shantys, or whaling songs on a modern yacht!

 

My recorder suffers the most when at sea; the combination of humidity and salt seems to badly affect the windway so I don't take that with me at all.

 

Alex West