Texas Tall Ship Elissa

ELISSA is the Official Tall Ship of Texas. ELISSA is a three-masted, iron-hulled sailing ship built in 1877 in Aberdeen, Scotland by Alexander Hall & Company. She carries nineteen sails covering over one-quarter of an acre in surface area. From her stern to the tip of her jibboom she measures 205 feet. Her height is 99 feet, 9 inches at the main mast and she displaces about 620 tons. Unlike some tall ships of today ELISSA is not a replica, but a survivor. She was built during the decline of the "Age of Sail", to fill a niche in maritime commerce. Over her 90-year commercial history, she carried a variety of cargos to ports around the world, for a succession of owners. The story of ELISSA's discovery and restoration is nothing short of miraculous, and is beautifully retold in photographs and two video presentations at the Texas Seaport Museum. Today ELISSA is much more than an artifact from a bygone era. She is a fully-functional vessel that continues to sail annually during sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico. For the Rest of the story CLICK HERE.