Gazela Preservation

The Guild is dedicated to keeping this historic ship in a safe operating condition. Preservation can be classified into three categories: annual maintenance, periodic renovation, and major overhaul.

Annual maintenance is provided by the volunteer members of the Guild. The maintenance covers:

• Rigging and unrigging the ship
• Scraping and painting the bulwarks and hull
• Minor woodworking projects (cabinetry, winter cover installation)
• Sail repair
• Tarring and servicing the standing and running rig
• Holystoning the deck
• Pitching the deck
• Electrical, plumbing, and diesel maintenance

Periodic Renovation is usually performed by a combination of volunteers and/or professional shipwrights. Renovations performed in the past ten years include:

• Stripping the paint out of the officers salon and rebuilding cabinetry within
• Replacing hull or bulwark planks
• Repairing spars
• Repairing the rudder (2006)
• Building new mizzen gaff (2007)
• Replacing hull planks (2008)

Major overhauls are primarily performed by a team of professionals.

• Extensive bow and stern rebuild, Fort McHenry Graving Dock, Baltimore, MD, 1991
• Propellor attached and planking replaced, Norfolk, VA, 1995
• Propellor aligned and planking replaced, Newport, RI, 1999
• Deck replaced, new generator, new tanks, new mast, Philadelphia, PA, 2000-2003
• Replace the top timbers in hull, projected for 2008-2009.

All preservation work is funded by either donations or public grants.