‘Human Power And The Wind’ – North Escambia Man Revisits America’s Tall Ship

June 4, 2022

Walking the deck of America’s Tall Ship was a step back in time Friday for one North Escambia man.

The USCGC Barque Eagle, is moored at Plaza De Luna in downtown Pensacola through Sunday morning.

Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Deputy David Bashore served six years in the Coast Guard, including sailing on the Eagle to Europe for the 50th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy.

In 1994, he was assigned as part of the permanent crew working the sails on the Eagle.

“It was old fashioned sailing,” he said. “Going up in the rigging, setting and furling the sails.”

The ship sailed the Atlantic to Rouen, France, for the Normandy 50th anniversary.

“What sticks with me is the powerful feeling standing in the cemeteries in Normandy and the sacrifice of the soldiers,” he said. “I was honored to be able to honor those guys.”

The Eagle represents the lost art of seamanship, Bayshore said.

“It’s amazing that a ship like that still sails today. It’s an honor for Coast Guard cadets to be able to learn sextants and know how to sail the way they did in the past. It’s a lost art now.” A sextant is a navigation instrument used to measure the distance between two visible objects, mostly between a star and the horizon. It’s how ships were sailed before modern GPS.

Bashore toured the ship with Escambia County Sheriff Chip W. Simmons and Chief Deputy Tommi Lyter Friday, giving them an insider’s look at the tall ship.

“Look in the mast, look up in the riggings and see the crosstrees,” Bashore suggested. “These kids are going up there sailing the ship. There’s not a machine sailing the ship. It’s just human power and the wind.”

To maneuver Eagle under sail, the crew must handle more than 22,000 square feet of sail and five miles of rigging. Built during the twilight era of sail, the design and construction of Eagle embody centuries of development in the shipbuilder’s art. A permanent crew of eight officers and 50 enlisted personnel maintain the ship year-round and provide a strong base of knowledge and seamanship for the training of up to 150 cadets or officer candidates at a time, gaining experience in leadership and teamwork for the furtherment of their careers.

The Eagle is the seventh U.S. Coast Guard cutter to bear the name in a proud line dating back to one of the original Revenue Cutters built in 1792. The square-rigged barque was built by the Blohm and Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, and originally commissioned as Horst Wessel in 1936. The steel-hulled ship was taken as a war reparation after World War II, and a U.S. Coast Guard crew – aided by the German crew still on board – sailed the tall ship from Bremerhaven to New London.

For more photos of America’s Tall Ship USCGC Barque Eagle in Pensacola and a few photos from Bashore’s time on the ship, click or tap here.

Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

3 Responses to “‘Human Power And The Wind’ – North Escambia Man Revisits America’s Tall Ship”

  1. Heath Jackson on June 4th, 2022 12:49 pm

    There isn’t a more honorably man than Deputy Bayshore! Thank you for your service!

  2. William Lingo on June 4th, 2022 8:22 am

    I’m retired from the Coast Guard, would do it all over again in a heart beat. I highly recommend visiting the Eagle while it’s in port.
    If you or someone you know is looking for a career or still undecided, talk to a Coast Guard recruiter, you couldn’t ask for a more rewarding job experience than that serving in the USCG or any branch of the 5 armed services, as well as giving something back to this great nation of ours and its citizens.

  3. Jay Gallacher on June 4th, 2022 6:30 am

    My wife and I were there as the ship arrived. We were proud to be there to welcome our granddaughter, Autumn Hinkley, who is a member of the permanent crew.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News