There are too many positives about Tall Ship sailing to mention in one Blog, but I feel I should give you a flavour of what it is all about as the Voyage progresses. I will endeavour to keep it simple because ‘I know my audience’.

Leaving an anchorage totally devoid of sail into a favourable wind requires the considerable expertise of the Captain and his Mate (no not his friend), working in harmony with the entire crew who will expend much energy hauling, easing and sweating ropes to bring about the adornment of the yards with huge sheets of canvas, which in turn slowly fill with wind and propel the ship forward.

The three masts, two of which exceed 100ft in height, accommodate a maximum of twenty five sails, and attached to each are several ropes serving different purposes, all critical to the function of the sail. A myriad of ropes and wires lead to the deck and are secured onto specific pins, more than two hundred of them, and they sit neatly coiled ready to be thrown off at a moments notice. The Captain stands on the poop deck and shouts out the sail sequence relative to the prevailing conditions and at the same time skilfully navigates the wind, current, tide, and other potential dangers.

Of course this sounds like a well oiled machine but in reality it gets very frantic and mistakes are made in the crews haste to follow the Captain, who relentlessly booms out his orders. It should also be borne in mind that the crew have varying levels of expertise and often pins are mixed up and the wrong ropes get eased or hauled upon, ropes become snagged or sometimes things break. However problems are very quickly rectified and there is a huge sense of achievement when the ship is in full sail and underway. It takes a massive team effort and there is no doubt it bonds the whole crew, and I have to say it’s a nice thing to be part of.

As we get nearer to the equator the heat and the humidity has intensified and at times is very oppressive, not even the wind brings relief. This is particularly marked down below and getting decent sleep is nigh on impossible. As such the crew look to sleep on the decks, usually the boat deck, and it becomes a bit of a bun fight securing sufficient space to lay down ones bedding. Congested would be an understatement and it becomes remarkably similar to an elephant seal breeding site (ah well every cloud....!!!), the snoring distinguishing the males from the females (which also helps...!!!).

During the three day watch system there is one opportunity to get eight hours rest between midnight and 8.00am and I looked forward to catching up on my sleep. I prised myself into the sleeping mass and fell soundly asleep as quickly as a light being switched off.....bliss. However at some unearthly hour I was abruptly awoken by what can only be described as a Karcher pressure washer full on in the face. Torrential rain.....great! t. In the pitch black I reached out to alert my fellow seals but could only feel the wet decking and as my night vision kicked in I realised I was in fact now an island!! All the other buggars had fled to the deckhouse in a mad rush akin to a Debenhams Blue Cross sale, leaving me to the mercy of the weather. What did I say about the team thing?!!.

I know from my own experiences in life that sometimes you can’t do right for wrong. By some quirk of fate one of the flying fish misjudged his final descent and crash landed on the main deck. The mate was quick to attend to the fish’s plight (probably because they are not worth eating), picked it up and cosseted it for a few moments. Conservation policy is always paramount on the ship and as there were clear signs of life the Mate threw it back towards the ocean. Unfortunately the Mate also misjudged the flight path and the poor little fishy struck one of the bulkheads killing it instantly. Doh...!!! Its one thing to survive one air crash in a day but two is pushing it a little. I would suggest that if your times up, your times up. The Mate is currently undergoing counselling.

The Ascension Island draws ever closer as we benefit from a Force Five wind blowing directly behind us. We are all becoming a little weary and land will provide a couple of days relief before the long trip to Bermuda.

Doddy