Elissa is a three-masted Barque, a sailing vessel, square-rigged on fore and mainmast, fore-and-aft rigged on mizzen, built in 1877 in Aberdeen, Scotland. She carries 19 sails covering over one quarter of an acre in surface area. From her stern to the tip of her jibboom she measures 205 feet, the height from her deck to the top of her main mast is 99 feet, 9 inches.
Volunteers are the life blood of Elissa, they not only maintain her, but keep alive the seamanship necessary to sail her, by taking her out on the Gulf of Mexico, for day and overnight sails. In 1986 she sailed to New York City to meet with other Tall Ships from around the world on the occasion of the Statute of Liberty Centennial.
The Volunteers also pass on their knowledge in 'It's a Sailors Life' - to Boy or Girl Scouts (and other youth groups), that spend a night aboard learning 19th century sailing arts on how to set a sail, sing a chanty, tie a knot, and keep watch.
The 'Traveling Sea Chest' goes to to classrooms, with a volunteer who teaches kids hands-on about life at sea, and in port in the 1800's.
'The Youth Sail Training Program' is a partnership with Community in Schools. Teenagers who are at risk of dropping out of school go through sail training, and in learning the essentials they develop self-respect, gain confidence, and learn the value of teamwork.
To become a Volunteer, phone the Texas Seaport Museum at (409) 763-1877 or e-mail: elissa@galvestonhistory.org