In Memoriam

"Now, when I say that I am in the habit of going to sea whenever I begin to grow hazy about the eyes, and begin to be over conscious of my lungs, I do not mean to have it inferred that I ever go to sea as a passenger. . . . No, when I go to sea, I go as a simple sailor, right before the mast, plumb down into the forecastle, aloft there to the royal mast-head." --Herman Melville

In the past few years, Friendship has lost several of her dedicated volunteers. Although they are gone, their spirit lives on in the work they did on the tall ship they loved. They will be greatly missed by their friends and crewmates.

The traditional form of mourning for the loss of a crewmember is to tilt, or cockbill, the lower yards, and to fly a black mourning pennant from the foremast. In the photograph to the left taken in 2004, the cockbilled yards of Friendship are clearly visible.

 

 

Ralph MacKenzie (1931-2005)

Ralph was one of the first volunteers to join the crew of Friendship, and his patience and gentle manner made him one of the best teachers of new volunteers among the crew. No matter what task he was assigned, whether painting rails or handling sails, Ralph did his work with a cheerful attitude that was contagious among the crew. Ralph had an impish sense of humor, and enlivened volunteer sessions with funny stories about his adventures as a young man.

Left: Ralph MacKenzie by the windlass on Friendship, August 2004. Photo by Amy Sklivas.

 
John Monaghan at the helm of Friendship

John Monaghan

John began volunteering on Friendship in 1999, and was a calm, cheerful presence at volunteer work sessions and on voyages. He taught rigging skills to other volunteers on the ship, and later used his skills in rigging to get a job as a civilian employee on the U. S. S. Constitution. John died in an accident aboard Constitution on June 30, 2004.

Left: John Monaghan at the helm of Friendship, June 2003. Photo by David Walker.
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