Biography and Nautical Experience

I've had an interest in tall ships for as long as I can remember and have been associated in one way shape or form with them since the mid 70's. I have crewed day sails on the Bowdoin from Maine & Pioneer from New York to sailing in the 3rd Chesapeake Bay schooner race on the sloop Providence from Rhode Island.

I've sailed in OP SAIL 92 on the Polish ketch Zjawa IV and briefly helped with the rigging on the Gezela from Philadelphia. I worked a little on Sautana out of Chestertown, Maryland and I was liaison from the Regina Chatarinia from B.V.I. and the Dar Mlodziezy from Poland during Delaware's tall ship festivals in 1999 & 2000. I worked briefly on the 3-masted schooner Victory Chimes from Maine and the Amara Zee from Canada. As interesting as all this was, the crowning jewel is the time I spend with the Kalmar Nyckel, Delaware's tall ship. I started with them in the mid 80's and later helped as volunteer carpenter. Needless to say, when the first crew class came along to learn the ropes of sailing a true square rigger, I was there. Since 1998, when the ship was complete, I've spent hundreds of hours yearly doing everything from rigging and teaching to scraping and painting. I've been in winds exceeding 60 mph and listing the ship a good 23 degrees. We were in OP SAIL 2000 at ports from Wilmington, Delaware; Norfolk, Virginia; New York and Boston.

Thus far we've sailed as far north as Gloucester, MA, and as far south as Norfolk, VA., with stops at different ports too numerous to mention.

I'm also a member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers (I.G.K.T) which originated in the United Kingdom and has three branches in the United States. It's a worldwide organization dedicated to preserving the art of knot tying or marlinspiking as it's commonly called aboard ships.

Square rigged ships were out to sea for long periods of time and to pass the time sailors would do one of two things - fancy rope work (marlinspike) or scrimshaw. The fancy rope work could be seen in lanyards, bell ropes and beckets (handles for sea chests). Some knots were even guarded as secrets. Scrimshaw (which is the engraving of whale bone or ivory) would be made into gifts such as corset stays, pie crust crimpers and various other items. They were normally engraved with pictures of sailors' travels, their ships or their sweethearts.

I've tried to create the best of both worlds to give you a little knowledge of fancy rope work and etching. Although not true scrimshaw, certainly etching is a form of scrimshaw. I hope that when using some of the items here that it will remind you of a time when life was a little less complicated or while looking into one of the mirrors, it will offer a reflection of time gone by and that you may smell the salt air and experience the wind in the rigging.

KNOTICALLY
Larry Brzozowski