September 29, 2005

England Expects A Slice of Cake With Blue Frosting

Nelson.jpg

Tee Bee beat me to wishing a happy birthday to Horatio Nelson. Go on over to her place for some nifty links on the life and times of England's greatest naval hero. Never mind manuevers - always go straight at 'em.

UPDATE: Well, just for some more Nelson treats, here is H.M.S Victory:

Victory.jpg

She was Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar and is the oldest warship in the world still in commission . Currently, she is in drydock at Portsmouth Harbor.

Meanwhile, here is a model of H.M.S. Agamemnon:

agamemnon.jpg

This ship, a 64 gun two-decker, was Nelson's Favourite, perhaps because it was the ship he commanded while he was winning Emma, Lady Hamilton while on duty in the Med in the mid-1790's. She (meaning the ship) eventually sank off the River Plate in South America in 1809. Lady Hamilton foundered somewhat earlier than that.

Military matters and strategic command of the sea aside, I've always found the ships of this period to be works of great beauty, both aesthetic and technological. The Missus and I debate about this all the time, but if I were ever to go on a cruise, I'd much rather sign on as a deck-hand on a sailing ship than go floating about trapped in a giant cross between a Vegas casino and a strip mall. But that's just me. (Dad spent a year at the Coast Guard Academy back in the day and did a tour on the Eagle. I've always been a bit envious of that.)

Posted by Robert at September 29, 2005 03:36 PM | TrackBack
Comments

Rum something and the something....

Posted by: Brian B at September 29, 2005 05:51 PM

I have a nephew, high school senior, who interviewed at the Coast Guard Academy earlier this month. He's taking a long look at it. Sounds to me like he's going.

Posted by: The Colossus at September 29, 2005 06:19 PM

Been reading S.M. Stirling's "Island in the Sea of Time" books, and the Eagle is a prominent character. I got to take a trip into San Francisco Bay last year on the Lady Washington. It was pretty darn awesome. The other ship on the cruise was the Hawaiian Chieftain, which is based in SF and it makes a trip to the Hawaiian islands and back every year. If you go, it's a working cruise. Read some journal entries from the folks that went a few years back, and it sounded like quite the experience!

Posted by: Ith at September 29, 2005 07:08 PM

Admeral nelson kicked the french buts becuase he know how to take on seperior numbers but he died in the battle

Posted by: spurwing plover at October 2, 2005 02:23 PM