By Mike Anderson
A friend from out of town asks you to recommend a quintessential Portsmouth experience. What would you suggest? A day at Strawberry Banke? A show at the Music Hall?
Answers would surely vary, but my choice would be sailing on Portsmouth’s tall ship, the gundalow, Piscataqua.
A reproduction of the humble vessels that plied the river for centuries, today’s gundalow offers exciting, interactive tours and a unique perspective on our maritime past.
What is a gundalow, anyway? The word itself is a local corruption of the term “gondola” (think Venetian tourist boat, not ski lift).
An important part of Portsmouth’s past
A Portsmouth gundalow was a flat-bottomed barge used on the Piscataqua and other local rivers; the flat bottom allowed boats to rest on the tidal flats between high tides. Their use dates back to the mid-17th century, when settlers fashioned crude, deckless barges to transport goods up and down the river.
Many gundalow operators were farmers. Gundalows carried everything from farm produce to fish to lumber.
As commerce and competition grew, sails were added for speed. When railroad bridges appeared across the Piscataqua River, the tall gundalow masts wouldn’t fit under them.
Gundalow captains replaced the fixed masts with lateen rigs, which feature a short, stump mast and a long yard that pivots at the mast. This allowed the crew to drop the yard and sail smoothly under a bridge. Today’s gundalow features this type of rigging.
Unfortunately for gundalow owners, bridges were not the greatest challenge brought by the railroads. Trains could move goods more quickly than a long, flat boat riding the tide, and after centuries of use, gundalows disappeared from our rivers.
That changed in 1982, with the launch of the Captain Edward H. Adams, a replica gundalow used for educational dockside tours. Piscataqua took its place in 2011. Unlike its predecessor, Piscataqua is outfitted with safety features that permit members of the public to go sailing.
All aboard!
A cruise on the river with the gundalow crew is more than a glance into a bygone era. Sails last from one and a half to two hours as Piscataqua travels from Prescott Park to the mouth of the river, where passengers can see lighthouses, historic forts, the naval shipyard, and more.
Wildlife sightings may include eagles, ospreys, and seals.
A sail on the gundalow can be highly interactive. Passengers are invited to raise and lower the sail; some may opt for a more casual approach, and food and alcoholic beverages are permitted. Some evening sails feature musical performances.
Piscataqua is more than a local novelty. The mission of the Gundalow Company, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is “to protect the maritime heritage and environment of the Piscataqua region through education and action.”
The organization offers a variety of educational programs, including summer camps for children and adults.It also gives back to the community through outreach sails for veterans’ organizations, active-duty military members and their families, and other nonprofits that provide health and human services and caregiving services in the Seacoast region.
If you’re looking for a way to give back yourself, consider becoming a gundalow volunteer. Volunteers are always needed to help sail Piscataqua or to help with various events in the community.
Visit the Gundalow Company office at 60 Marcy Street in Portsmouth, where you’ll find books and other literature about gundalows and the Piscataqua River, along with gundalow-themed games and clothing. Or head straight to the nearby gundalow dock, at the end of Water Street, and buy a ticket for a memorable sailing trip. For more information, go to https://www.gundalow.org/ or call (603) 433-9505.
