- #1
maroubrabeach
- 43
- 9
Besides getting married [Mrs is now watching me] at the ripe old age of 30, the greatest thing I have ever did was in 1974, when I had my 3 month long service leave from the company I worked for than.
I was looking for something "different" to do, and came across a small advertisment in the local paper, re crew required for a British Registered, "Three Masted Square Rigged Barquentine"
This straight away appealed to me and I wrote away to the owners, received details, and after Typhoid, small pox, Yellow Fever injections was two weeks later, flying over to Panama City, catching a train to Cristobal [on the Atlantic Ocean side of the canal] and meeting this beautiful square rigged sailing ship.
The skipper was a Danish bloke named Anders Jensen and after being welcomed aboard, then doing the night life of Cristobal for two days, started our journey through the Panama Canal system, which in itself was awe inspiring.
Reaching Panama City around 8 hours later, we again painted that town red, in preparation for the next part of our journey, across the pacific to Sydney Australia.
Our journey included stoppages at the Galapagos Islands, and climbing an extinct Volcano to finally peer down into a huge blue lake in the crater itself...The giant Tortoises and Iguana Lizards were also notable and exciting. From there we undertook a 26 day Voyage across to the Marquesas Islands stopping at Nuku Hiva, Hiva Hoa and Fatu Hiva, coming across the grave of Paul Gaugan.
Then directly South to the Tuamoto Archipelago, with a stop at an Island called Manihi Atoll not too far from Mururoa Atoll, the site of the French Nuclear testing facilities.
Then across to Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Rangiroa all breathtakingly beautiful, Bora Bora being famous for where they made the movie "South Pacific".
From there we sailed westward to the Cook Islands with stops at Aitutaki and Raratonga.
Incredible fishing in some incredible lagoons!
Then the Tongan Islands stopping at Nukualofa, on to Fiji, then towards Australia stopping at Norfolk, and Lord Howe Islands before sailing into Sydney Harbour nearly 4 months later.
During the trip, I undertook Navigation by the Sun, Moon and stars and sextant, sail making and repairing, and the general running of a Barquentine including climbing up the masts, out on the top Gallant yard arms and setting or furling in sails as required.
We also just after Norfolk and about 800 miles off the Australian coast ran into a force 8, gusting to force 9 gale, with 35ft/40ft seas.
The ship was 150ft long, 90ft mainmast and 26ft beam.
Here is a history of the Eolus and a few photos...
http://thanetonline.blogspot.com.au/2007/12/friggin-in-rigging.html
The best 4 months of my life ever, with most recorded on super 8 movie film.
I was looking for something "different" to do, and came across a small advertisment in the local paper, re crew required for a British Registered, "Three Masted Square Rigged Barquentine"
This straight away appealed to me and I wrote away to the owners, received details, and after Typhoid, small pox, Yellow Fever injections was two weeks later, flying over to Panama City, catching a train to Cristobal [on the Atlantic Ocean side of the canal] and meeting this beautiful square rigged sailing ship.
The skipper was a Danish bloke named Anders Jensen and after being welcomed aboard, then doing the night life of Cristobal for two days, started our journey through the Panama Canal system, which in itself was awe inspiring.
Reaching Panama City around 8 hours later, we again painted that town red, in preparation for the next part of our journey, across the pacific to Sydney Australia.
Our journey included stoppages at the Galapagos Islands, and climbing an extinct Volcano to finally peer down into a huge blue lake in the crater itself...The giant Tortoises and Iguana Lizards were also notable and exciting. From there we undertook a 26 day Voyage across to the Marquesas Islands stopping at Nuku Hiva, Hiva Hoa and Fatu Hiva, coming across the grave of Paul Gaugan.
Then directly South to the Tuamoto Archipelago, with a stop at an Island called Manihi Atoll not too far from Mururoa Atoll, the site of the French Nuclear testing facilities.
Then across to Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Rangiroa all breathtakingly beautiful, Bora Bora being famous for where they made the movie "South Pacific".
From there we sailed westward to the Cook Islands with stops at Aitutaki and Raratonga.
Incredible fishing in some incredible lagoons!
Then the Tongan Islands stopping at Nukualofa, on to Fiji, then towards Australia stopping at Norfolk, and Lord Howe Islands before sailing into Sydney Harbour nearly 4 months later.
During the trip, I undertook Navigation by the Sun, Moon and stars and sextant, sail making and repairing, and the general running of a Barquentine including climbing up the masts, out on the top Gallant yard arms and setting or furling in sails as required.
We also just after Norfolk and about 800 miles off the Australian coast ran into a force 8, gusting to force 9 gale, with 35ft/40ft seas.
The ship was 150ft long, 90ft mainmast and 26ft beam.
Here is a history of the Eolus and a few photos...
http://thanetonline.blogspot.com.au/2007/12/friggin-in-rigging.html
The best 4 months of my life ever, with most recorded on super 8 movie film.
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