Out of the water

Every two years, The Soren Larsen is taken out of the water and given some tender love and care.  At the time me and Zim leave the Soren, she is sitting in Sydney City Marine. Her crew will work 12hr+ days to get the work done. Strange having to use a very long ladder to get on board.

 Really glad I got to see this before we caught our flight. Amazing how they get such a big ship out of the water. I know there is a part of Zim wishing he could stay around for this refit. His relationship with Sydney's tall ships goes deeper than my own.   He arrived in Sydney on a tall ship, then found work on another, sailed away and then back again... and now he is flying away.  For two years he has worked for this company, but he's excited about the change.

So there you have it. My trip down memory lane is over. The next time you'll be hearing from me I should be somewhere else, making a new life.

NEW ZEALAND HERE WE COME!!!!!

Stepping back onto the Soren Larsen

For my first few nights in Sydney, I was greeted with a stay at the Oaks Hyde Park Plaza.  With the exception of noise disruption due to renovation work, our studio apartment was the perfect place to fight through Jet lag and a common cold.   However, for the other twelve days in Sydney, I stayed aboard my South Pacific home, the Soren Larsen. As my other half had stayed with the ship since we reached Sydney, the owners were good enough to let me stay in his cabin.  Except for my first days in the city, Zim would be working aboard until we leave for Queenstown.

For the first week back, The Soren Larsen kept up with her charters on the harbour and I would build my days around what she was doing. I also got to see the Southern Swan, the first tall-ship I worked on, out on the harbour. I spent a lot of time reminiscing over my life in Sydney. I got to relive waking up to the Sydney Opera house, see old friends and remember how sailing made me feel.
As an ex-crew member, returning to the ship was a very odd experience. Coming on as a guest, you are no longer part of the ship and its day to day life.  You are there as an observer, looking in. Some things are the same, others are different.  I spent a lot of time stopping myself speaking if the sentence began with "In the South pacific we did it like this..." But coming back to the Soren Larsen has clarified a few things for me. Whilst back I have learnt;

1. The old girl is doing well in the harbour. Life has ticked on for her.
2. As much fun as I loved it before, I'm so ready to live in a building, at least for a few months. I almost forgot the pleasures of marine plumbing, having zero personal space and living with leaky cabins!
3. That although one day I may return to her, at the moment she is no longer part of my story, but another crews. Our time, for now, has come to an end and its the opportune time for another adventure.

But if before I thought she'd shown me everything, the Soren Larsen had another cool thing to show me. Because a few days before we were due to leave, this lady was taken out of the water. More on that to come...

2012: These months gone by

What. A. Year.  So many experiences, so many destinations and so many incredible people.

January

Picture via pinterest.com

Started off with a bang on Sydney Harbour. Aboard the Southern Swan, I got to experience one of the best fireworks displays in the world.

February

I then took a week holiday visiting friends in Melbourne. Still living on the Southern Swan and returning back to Sydney.

March

We moved on to the Soren Larsen and the mini refit begun!

April

 And so we set sail for the South Pacific Season.  Leaving Sydney and sailing across from oz to New Zealand.  Then we began the epic sail from NZ to the cook islands...

May

Reached the cook islands and Hello to the tropics!!! Visited Rarotonga, Aitutaki and Suwarrow, Before embarking to Western Samoa.

June

After fresh water caves and a swing rope in Samoa, we sailed to Tonga. Here I swam with whales, drank carva  and visited beautiful beaches. Not to mention fell in love with Tongan dancing.

July

The Soren departed Tonga, which I vow to revisit one day down the track, and sailed on to Fiji. It was also at this point that I became a full time deckhand and no longer a galley wench.

August

From Fiji to Vanuatu - The Soren's home for nearly two months and one of the planet's most gorgeous places.

September

In Vanautu I was able to see not only one, but two life volcanoes.  It rocked my world.

October

This month was the age of New Caledonia, and then the return to Sydney via Lord Howe.  It signalled the end of the South Pacific season and my exit from the Soren Larsen.  I got on a plane and headed home for my Sister's wedding.

November

Back in England, I made the most of the Kent countryside in late fall and hanging out with family and friends. It was a time of finding employment and enjoying some creature comforts.

December

My first Christmas home in a while and I even got to decorate the tree! A time to watch the Queen's speech, drink Baileys and eat until I want to pass out. Magic.

 The new year will be seen in surrounded by my Family playing board games in my parents home. Nothing exciting, nothing glamorous. Just exactly where I want to be.

10 nations, over 8000 nautical miles and 2 flights, 2012 took me to destinations I never could of imagined in my wildest dreams.  I learnt so much, not only in sailing, but in human nature and what it means to be part of a close knit community.  My year was dominated by The Soren Larsen and I will always be grateful for what she gave me.

However, 2012 would have been nothing without a supportive crew, a loving other half, great friends and caring family.  Because of them, 2012 was the best year to date. Thank you all. x

The Soren Larsen: A Ship's Bio

I've been dropping her name in and out of conversation for a while now, but I never properly introduced you to this lady while she took me around the South Pacific. Meet the Soren Larsen. Not many ladies have a dudes name, but that's down to her creator. Born in a Danish shipyard in 1947, a shipwright decided that the last ship, would bear his name. I think you can guess his name....

A well travelled lady with a few circumnavigations under her belt, The Soren Larsen has had a interesting life.  Beginning life as a trade ship, transporting timber and grain throughout the Baltic and other parts of Europe. In 1978, The Soren Larsen found herself out of date, in disrepair and up for destruction.   Enter the Davies family.  Restoring and refitting the Soren Larsen to the design she is now. It was after this facelift that The Soren Larsen caught the eye of the BBC. She found international fame in the TV series 'the Onedin line' and also featured in films such as 'the French lieutenants woman,' the count of Monte Cristo' and 'Shackleton.'

After working as a sail training ship for the physically disabled, The Soren was chosen as the flagship for the re-enactment fleet of the first fleet. Celebrating the bicentennial of Australia's founding, the 1988 eight tall ship made the journey to Australia from England.

She then made it back to England, but still she couldn't forget quite forget the shores of New Zealand. In 1993 she rounded the cape horn and returned. For nearly twenty year, New Zealand remained her Home, spending the winter in the south pacific islands and the summer in the bay of islands.

Her only break from the South Pacific came in 2000. To celebrate the millennium  the Soren took on a world voyage - heading to Britain via USA, Canada and Europe and returning through the panama canal.

In her years cruising the islands it wasn't always smooth sailing.  One year, during horrendous seas the deck house was destroyed by a rogue wave. However, her owners of the time (The Davies family selling a few years pior) did all they could to get The Soren sea worthy again and out on the waves!

Come 2011 and The Soren Larsen ended her South Pacific Season in Sydney, where me and her crossed paths.  Bought by Sydney Harbour Tallships, she was to work out of Sydney for the summer seasons at least.  At the time I was living aboard the Southern swan and I remember how big she seemed in comparison. Over the next six months I sailed on the Soren in the harbour, but it was not until we began the 2012 pacific season that I began to appreciate and fall in love with the old girl.

At the time of writing this, after some essential work on her engine and a little bit of tender love and care, The Soren Larsen is now out on Sydney Harbour where she will be going out on charters for the foreseeable future. She will definitely be in Sydney for the 2013 Tallship festival taking place, which sounds amazing, I'm even tempted to go back for it.

One things for sure, at 65 years old, there is still go in the old girl yet and I can't wait to see what other adventures she'll have.

Learning to sail

Before September, I'd hear the word sailing and think yacht clubs, jersey shirts, around the world sagas, record breaking and Olympic gold medals.  Mention the word tall ship and I'd say something stupid about pirates.  Start talking about lines, clues and bunts and I'd guess you were talking about the rules to a board game.  Five months on since I stepper aboard the Southern Swan and things have definitely changed.
Some how I've ended up working on a beautiful ship, in an environment I  never imagined.  The only previous experience I'd had was manning a small sailing boat in the lake district.  It was a school trip and I was thirteen. By the end my sailing partner was in tears and I was amazed I hadn't  crashed.  After that I didn't go out of my way to give it another go.

When the job started, I remember being shown the different lines (fact of the day, on a ship all rope, except that on the bell, is called line whether its used for mooring,  pulling or throwing) and thinking;

a) what language is he speaking? is it English? if so I think I've lost the ability to speak it!.
b) how will I remember where each line is kept,  maybe I should keep a diagram in my pocket.
c) who made up these names and what were they on?  Did he really just say 'c*&#t line'?
d) Knots? but I never did that badge in Guides!!!!

There was a little part of me (i.e a booming voice) that kept saying 'you think you can do this, really? REALLY???!!!'

Strangely, I found climbing the mast and working out on the yards one of the easiest things. I just took my time and worked up my confidence. Then slowly things started to sink in. I now feel pretty confident with the sails and the only mooring line I need to master is the main (as this entails throwing a heaving line to shore when coming in, my muscle power needs to improve).

And then this mean mistress showed up. Meet the Soren Larsen, another Danish ship that the company has taken on.

 Between April and October she can be found touring the pacific islands, but for this Ozzy summer she has been doing charters in the harbour.  She's a beast compared to the Southern Swan. Her lines are heavy and her Fore mast is a hell of a lot taller.  But due of my time on the swan, its easier to make sense of it all.  I can remember quickly where the sheets, clues and bunts are, I can shout the distances on headline and help bring her safely alongside.  Sure, I'm no hardened sailor and know very little about sea life, but at least I can say, five months on from my first day

a) He's speaking maritime English. don't worry I have my phrase book.
b) you'll take note of subtle differences and remember which is line is which. If in doubt give a little tug and see where it leads.
c) very bored (and lonely) sailors made up the names.
d) Knots are there to be learnt. even if you don't get a badge.