Trips -N - Ships

Hey there, I’m Justin and this is going to be a blog about travel, and maritime history - two great passions of mine, among many.  Some of you may know me as a writer for Life in Italy, a website dedicated to Italian life and culture. Others may know me for my work at the Essex Shipbuilding Museum - here at Trips-N-Ships these two worlds will meld somehow. As the Blog grows it will have plenty of great images from my travels, as well as images of the vessels I’ve come to know through researching history or my own experience. 

I may also include some stories that I’ve been told during my travels or some of the great old stories from Cape Ann. As a researcher for the shipbuilding museum, I am constantly amazed at the stories that I read both about not only the ships but of the shipbuilders down in Essex. I like to experience all I can and I’ve been lucky to be involved in the major traditional industries of Cape Ann: I grew up in a fishing family and a few years back I got to work with a buddy of mine cutting granite in his quarry.

The current main image is Eastern Point Light in my hometown of Gloucester, Massachusetts. But that image will change as I dig through my image archive. I have some great shots of schooners under sail from the Gloucester Schooner Festival. I also have plenty left over from my trips - like this one Below:

That’s me at the Jamestown Settlement in Virginia on one of their re-created vessels. I have plenty more that will be posted in the following weeks. Also on the travel front I am planning a trip to the Netherlands so I will probably have all sorts of posts about my preparations. So check back often and see where I take you!