Before I stepped on the ship's deck, the closest I'd gotten to this ... That's partly because "tall ship" includes topsail and two- and three-masted schooners, barques, and other sailboats smaller ...

With a packed deck, the 1928-built oyster schooner hosts ... share the history behind the A.J. Meerwald. New Jersey's tall ship calls Port Norris in Cumberland County home, but she's well-traveled.

A dozen sailors climb high into the shrouds, unleashing the heavy sheets of cloth. Far below, deckhands twist and tighten a maze of thick ropes, securing the sails so we can harness the wind and be on ...

Nitty-gritty meaning: the possible slave-trade origins of the phrase - and other terms that may have racist links ...