Brigantine ‘Matthew Turner’ Is Looking Up: Tall Ship Spring Rituals

Next time you’re hoisting a new jib, bending on a mainsail, or figuring out how to rig your spinnaker, and it all feels like a lot of work — think about the crew of Call of the Sea’s 132-ft brigantine Matthew Turner. The ship’s 7,200 sq ft of square and top sails need to be hoisted 90 feet above deck. But before the crew can even bend on the sails, they first have to raise the wooden square yards (spars) that support them.

For Call of the Sea’s crew and volunteers, this work has become a seasonal ritual. Every winter, the topmast and square yards come down for inspection, repairs, and maintenance, only to be hoisted back up in spring. And it’s all done by hand — no cranes, no mechanical hoists, just a lot of muscle and decades of experience.

The process involves meticulous work — inspecting spars for wear or cracks, servicing and varnishing over 100 wooden blocks, checking and adjusting running rigging, and making repairs on standing rigging that include “worming, parceling, and serving” the rigging for protection against water and the elements.

Not something the average Bay Area sailor has to deal with before the spring season!

Working alongside Matthew Turner’s seasoned crew are dedicated volunteers, many of whom were part of the ship’s original build team and are experienced riggers. And there’s no room for fear of heights — much of this work happens high up on the masts and yards.

So the next time you struggle to get your sails out, bent on, and tuned for the season, just think of what the Matthew Turner crew go through each year to keep their ship in top condition.

Or better yet, take a break — step aboard the Matthew Turner for a sail, sit back, and leave the hard work to the crew and volunteers!