Does FAME Really Have a Cannon?

Our FAME has two swivel guns: small cannon that are mounted on the rail and can be quickly aimed and fired. They are cast-iron guns that fire black powder, ignited by a musket cap. We often fire the cannon as demonstration during our cruises. No, we do NOT fire cannon balls or grapeshot!

We know the original FAME carried two six-pounder cannon, which were much larger guns mounted on heavy oak carriages with wheels — the kind of cannon you see in pirate movies  These cannons were also cast iron, about six feet long, and fired a solid iron ball that weighed six pounds — thus the name “six-pounder”. The cannon on larger ships fired 9-pound, 12-pound, 18-pound, 24-gun, and even 32-pound shot!

Sadly, even six-pounders are too heavy for us to carry on our modern FAME. Together the cannon barrel and gun carriage would weigh almost a thousand pounds! But the original FAME almost certainly carried a number of swivel guns, which were very popular with privateers.

Remember, privateers hoped to capture and sell vessels and their cargoes, so they didn’t want to damage them too badly. What they wanted was to intimidate the other crew into surrendering their ship. Or, if intimidation didn’t work, they wanted to take out the rigging and sails, rather than put a hole in the hull. For that reason they only fired solid shot while chasing; solid shot flew much farther and could knock away a mast or spar, slowing down their prey. When closer, they would often switch to firing grapeshot, using the cannon and swivel guns as shotguns. This was only effective at short range, but it was very discouraging to the crew that was being fired at.

Of course, FAME’s prey could and sometimes did fire back, but merchant vessels carried much smaller crews than privateers and would have struggled to keep up a steady fire. Often when merchant vessels realized they could not escape, they would surrender before anyone got hurt. Even if the merchant captain (who was sometimes an owner of the vessel, the cargo, or both) preferred to fight, he would have a hard time persuading his hired crew to try to beat off a well-manned, well-armed privateer.

Although FAME captured 20 vessels during the War of 1812 cruises, there is no evidence that anyone on either side was killed in battle.

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A sailboat is floating on top of a body of water.

Five Top Things You'll See on your Salem Cruise

February 3, 2025

1 - You’ll see the sails go up… and the captain turn off the motor! Yes, we really do sail our traditional wooden schooner, and we love the reaction we get when our guests realize that the wind alone is powering our progress through Salem Sound! One of our skippers calls out “Welcome to the 19th century!” as he cuts the motor. As long as the weather is reasonable, guests are welcome to take a turn at the tiller and feel the pressure of the water on the rudder as FAME sails along. The schooner’s eight-foot-long locust tiller is a thing of beauty, handcrafted especially for FAME at the local boatyard where she was launched in 2003. 2 - You’ll see lighthouses — lots of them! We generally can see five or six lighthouses on a typical trip. The Derby Wharf and Hospital Point lighthouses we usually see quite close up, as they are right in Salem Harbor. But after that it depends on where the wind is coming from, because the wind determines our route for each trip. If the wind carries us to Beverly, you get a good look at the Hospital Point lighthouse. If we end up sailing to Marblehead, you’ll see the hundred-year-old steel tower of the Chandler Hovey Light. Either way, off in the distance you’ll see the lighthouse at Baker’s Island, once an important landmark. And if you’re joining us for a sunset cruise, you’ll see all these lights come on as the sun nears the horizon. You may even sight the distant blink of the Eastern Point Light, 12 miles away in Gloucester. See our other blog entries for more on each light! 3 - You’ll see islands — and each island has its own story. Misery Island was named by a stranded, miserable boatbuilder; Children’s Island has had at least two other names and got its current one because it hosts the Marblehead YMCA camp. Winter Island is no longer an island, but archeology has shown that it was the site of indigenous settlements for thousands of years before European settlers arrived here. Misery, Bakers, and Children’s Islands all hosted resorts back in the heyday of the “Gold Coast” when wealthy Bostonians flocked to the shores of Salem Sound each summer. See our other blog entries for more on each island! 4 - You’ll see over a thousand boats, in the marinas and on the moorings of Salem and Marblehead Harbors. Between Salem, Marblehead and Beverly nearly 2000 private yachts are kept here each summer, making the North Shore one of the boating capitals of the East Coast. Most of these boats rest quietly at the dock during the week, but on a sunny summer day you can see dozens and maybe over a hundred vessels “underway, making way.” Marblehead boasts some gorgeous private boats. It is also the site of six yacht clubs and a sailing regatta seemingly every weekend all summer, featuring everything from small dinghies to large cruisers! 5 - You’ll see our competent, experienced, personable crew, who are there to answer your questions, make sure you’re comfortable, and tell you more about lighthouses, islands, forts and beautiful waterfront homes we are passing. They’ll be looking for volunteers to raise the sails and take the tiller. They’ll explain how our vessel works and how our ancestors used wooden sailing ships to explore the known world, trade with distant lands, chase the valuable shoals of codfish and mackerel, and in FAME’s case, hunt down and capture enemy vessels in times of war! Our crew are wonderful sources of historical information and local knowledge — don’t hesitate to ask them questions. They may even explain how the cannon works — and give you a live-firing demonstration!