Welcome to my page for Ship's Company
Ship's Company is my other reenactment unit. Ship's Company started over 20 years ago as the people who did gun drill on the deck of the USS Constellation. At that time the Constellation was assumed to be the same ship launched in 1797 in Baltimore, and was thought to be the oldest US Navy ship still afloat. The gun crew was kitted out as 1812 US Navy sailors.
Furhter research proved that the present Constellation is more correctly an 1854 rebuild of the original Consellation. During the mid 1800's the US Navy was allocated little money for new warships. To get around this limitation they would take an older ship into the dockyard and completely dismantle it. They would then 'rebuild' the ship to new plans, using some of the original wood. This happened to the original Constellation in 1854, and the new ship was the last ship built by the US Navy without an engine.
When it was determined that this was the case, and the Constellation was in fact an 1854 ship, Ship's Company began to transform itself into an 1854/Civil War era unit. This had an advantage, as several Civil War army reenactors joined Ship's Company intending to portray Civil War era sailors or Marines.
Several of the former 1812 era members decided to continue portraying the 1812 era as US Navy Sailors. This allowed Ship's Company to branch out, with members portraying 1812, 1854, Civil War and even American Revolutionary War era sailors and Marines. I am active in the 1812 side of Ship's Company.
1812 group has found several reenactment activites of the 1812 period to attend, and the 1854/Civil War people have also found several activities off the Constellation. And we still do gun drill once a month on the Constellation.
There are several other outgrowths of the original Ship's Company. Several members have formed a sea chanty singing group, and perform once a month at pubs, and at numerous other nautical related activities. And Ship's Company is attempting to raise money to build a reproduction of a 25 foot cutter, a ship's boat found on larger ships. This particular model would have two masts and sails. We have accepted donated 'modern' sailboats, intending to sell them later, but use them for sailing experience in the meantime. We now own 3 sailboats.
Several members are involved in the national Maritime Heritage Foundation, attempting to raise funds to build a replica of the 3rd USS Enterprise, a US Navy ship of two masts and nearly 100 feet of deck, built in 1799 on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and active in the Quasi War with France and in the War of 1812.
Click HERE for the Ship's Company web page
Here is a picture of one of our three sailboats, from last winter. She is a 28 foot all wood sailboat, built in 1937. Her hull was heavily rebuilt in 1987, and she is in rather good shape. There are a couple of small leaks to deal with, and a bit of work needed on the woodwork, and of course the usual maintenancce needed on a wooden boat, but she is definetely sailable as she is now. We are hoping to sail her this year.
The fine people at Port Annapolis Marina have supplied us with free dry storage space. We are working on free or low-priced wet storage
Our most recent donation is a 34 foot schooner, a boat we hope to be able to modify to have the appearance of a boat from the era that we re-create. We also plan to race this boat in the Baltimore to Norfolk schooner race in October.
We also own a kit to build a 13 foot two masted sailboat, a 13' Swifty. This one is about 80% finished, all the basic work is done, with mainly finishing and rigging to do. We hope to finish this boat and tow it to events to sail and show off. We hope to eventuall sell it.