"DSK" wrote in message
.. .
Cool links, thanks. BTW it seemed (and still seems) to me that to spend
all that money on sails, and not sail her more, is a real shame.

She does carry sail several times a year, but not free of the tug.


I read
that her suit includes main & mizzen staysails, and would eventually
include stun'sls. Any idea if this came true?

Not that I know of.


Seems to me that Old
Ironsides would be an outstanding training vessel, and even more
outstanding to show the flag around the world's ports. We should get our
money's worth out of her!


I agree it would be nice, but I'd prefer to think that she might still be with
us in another 200 years. Let the Eagle do the goodwill tours - she's
replaceable!


Here's an interesting link to the materials used for the refit, including the
sails.
http://www.maritime.org/conf/conf-otton-mat.htm

At the American Textile History Museum in Lowell Ma they have some antique looms
that were used to recreate some of the fabrics on the ship (not the sails, which
were a special 15 oz polyester). I was facinated watching the old loom run, but
I couldn't imagine what it wold be like to have a few hundred running at the
same time for 14 hours!