by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
“We have communities all over the world. The idea came to us that if we had a ship, we could travel to those communities and meet people along the way. We saw the value of being a seafaring spiritual nation.”
That’s how David Burleigh, a crew member aboard the “Peacemaker,” described how the 150-foot sailing ship came to be docked Downtown near the Hyatt.
Owned by the Twelve Tribes, a Bible-based spiritual group, the vessel was built in South America out of tropical hardwoods for a Brazilian industrialist who planned to sail with his family for a time and then operate the vessel as a charter in the Caribbean.
Launched in 1989 as the “Avany,” the ship ended up soon after in Savannah, Ga., where it sat idle for years when its original owner’s business interests and plans changed.
In the summer of 2000, the Twelve Tribes found it tied up in a boatyard. Its brightwork was bleached by the sun and its hull was encrusted with barnacles, but the vessel was otherwise sound.
The Twelve Tribes purchased the hull and spent several months repairing mechanical systems and preparing the hull for duty at sea.
The crew motored out of the boatyard in September 2000 and traveled to several ports along the southeast Atlantic coast before settling in Brunswick, Ga., early in 2001.
Five years later, a crew was assembled from the Twelve Tribes community to take on rigging the ship for sails on its three masts. After re-christening the ship, the crew set sail on the maiden voyage of “Peacemaker” in spring 2008.
Since then, Burleigh said, the vessel has been a seagoing representation of the life of peace and unity the tribes are living on land. Having the ship has also been an opportunity for young members of the group to learn seamanship, responsibility and discipline.
When they’re in port, tribe members make hand-thrown pottery, which they sell to guests who tour the ship.
“It’s a nice industry and a lot of people like to have a souvenir. It’s also a way to spread what we do all over the world,” said Burleigh.
He said the crew enjoys sailing the “Peacemaker,” but the best part of their journey is meeting people when they visit different places.
The ship will be Downtown through Nov. 29, when the crew will cast off and head for Pensacola, possibly stopping in Tampa on the way.
“We communicate ahead to ports and stop in cities that have the vision to have a tall ship and free tours on their waterfront,” said Burleigh.
Self-guided tours of “Peacemaker” are offered 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
To learn more about the ship and its crew, visit www.twelvetribes.org.
356-2466