Salute

Salute!

Calling all Boats and Yacht Clubs... Send in your salute cannon pictures!!!!

Club Historian Rich Reynolds fires the Glen Cove Yacht Club signal gun while Fleet Captain Dave Nieri gives timing cues from a GPS receiver during the Memorial Day 21-gun salute. (Photo by Steve Vilardi).	Yacht Clubs Conduct Synchronized 21-Gun Salute (2003) Despite the torrential rain and gusting wind that forced the City of Glen Cove to cancel this year’s Memorial Day parade, the Glen Cove Yacht Club, Hempstead Harbour Club, and Sea Cliff Yacht Club conducted a successful synchronized 21-gun salute on Memorial Day. This solemn salute, known as a “21 minute-gun salute”, is a tradition that is performed annually on Memorial Day by the US Navy, and is fired from Navy bases and ships that are equipped with saluting cannons. This first-ever Memorial Day salute by the three yacht clubs was organized by Glen Cove Yacht Club historian Rich Reynolds as a tribute to military personnel who paid the ultimate price for freedom. The salutes were fired using black powder, cartridge loaded signal cannons, with the first shot being fired at 12 noon, and one round being fired every minute thereafter until 12:20 PM, when the last round was fired. After the salute, the US flag was raised to the full staff position at each of the yacht clubs. Accurate timing was accomplished through the use of hand-held GPS receivers, whose time display is provided by the atomic clock at the US Naval Observatory in Washington, DC. “Gun salutes are all about proper timing”, says Reynolds, “and all three yacht clubs were right on the mark with their cannon shots. It sounded great.” The officers and members of the Glen Cove Yacht Club would like to thank Commodores Dan Rapelje and Dan Grande from Hempstead Harbour Club and Sea Cliff Yacht Club, respectively, for their splendid participation in this salute, which may become an annual event.
	This picture is being used by permission from the topsail schooner Wolf and Pirates in Paradise located in Key West Florida. www.schoonerwolf.com www.piratesinparadise.com
	Larchmont, NY Yacht Club This beautiful old cannon is fired twice daily. It was reconfigured to fire 12 gauge blanks. The barrel is 44 inches long.
	Wadawanuck Yacht Club, Stonington, CT This 10 gauge Naval Co. cannon was recently restored by Cannon-Mania.
	Housatonic Boat Club, Stratford, CT Ives, Circa 1885 - 17 inches long, fired 12 gauge blanks. Cannon was a gift from the Ive's Manufacturing Company. Cannon was "lost" several years ago. A Winchester1898, "Black" is now used..
	American Yacht Club - Rye, NY Manf. uncertain, probably a Strong cannon - Circa 1896. 36 inches long, fires 10 gauge blank shell. Cannon is "coming home"! It was "borrowed" in the 1960's and in March of 1999 the "borrower" called the club to tell them where to find the cannon! It was restored, and a new carriage made.
	New York Yacht Club R. H. Brown New Haven, CT - Circa 1888. 36 inches long, Originally fired "0" gauge, chamber was modified to fire 10 gauge blanks.
	The two (of four) at the left are on board the Skibladner, which sails between Eidsvoll & Lillehammer Norway. The ship made her maiden voyage in 1856, and has changed little since. The cannon signaled that the ship was nearing shore. Three of the cannon are original and are still being fired! Passengers can "hire" the signaling of the cannon for special events at a cost of 150 NOK (About $ 20 US)
	Here is a more traditional, older bronze (R.H. Brown), cartridge salute cannon on board a 75 foot Ketch. I'm sure it's signaled a good many special occasions.

Add your cannon picture! Simply send us a picture of your cannon, either email or regular mail, and some information about it, i.e., it's size, history and/or markings and how it fires. Be sure to include your email address, or URL.