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Published: February 5th 2014
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As travellers, we blog about and form opinions on a tourist attraction, but what happens when you become one?
After our Sydney TB get together where the wonderful Leila and Dave organised a sail on the Soren Larsen for me I came home and sent about the 40th request for volunteer crew positions on our little tall ship, The Duyfken. Finally today, amidst the horror that is renovating my house, my crewing position became a reality. I have now become a fully fledged tall ship sailor and..a tourist attraction.
A little about our ship first. She is a replica of a 1596 Dutch VOC trading company ship who forged her way from the Netherlands to the spice islands. As she is a small ship - only 25m long - her job was to act as look out and scout for the rest of the fleet following in her wake. She has 8 cannons mounted each side of her deck and fore and aft plus another 2 murderers which seem to be the precursor of the shoulder mounted RPG. She would head out infront of the fleet and find navigable waters that lead to the Moluccas and Ternate islands where
she collected spices and returned to the rest of the fleet waiting in Java to let them know where to go. Twice on her voyages she was engaged by Portuguese ships in fierce battle, her small size and heavy gun power made her the perfect ship to lead the rest of the Moluccan Fleet at Bantam into an epic battle with a blockading fleet of 8 galleons and 22 smaller Galleys before the Iberian fleet succumbed and their nutmeg and clove trade monopoly was forever broken.
She did not stop at the spice islands, she continued on from East Timor on the horizon the clouds told her captain that land lay in that direction. She is the ship that first charted the fabled Great Southern Land, Terra Australis. In 1607 her sailors stepped foot on the Australian Continent and were greeted by, I would assume quite baffled Aborigines who gave some boomerangs and artifacts as gifts but the relationship soon soured and she moved on to tell the dutch fleet of her discovery. The rest, as they say, is history.
In 1608 she returned to Ternate where she again engaged in battle, this time with three Spanish ships
and was damaged but her death came as she was hauled over the reef at Ternate to be repaired.
Later came the British and Captain Cook and the biggest untruth of Australia's history. The dutch exploration was largely ignored as we became a British colony and our school books were full of the adventures of Captain Cook. 20 years ago a committee to try and raise money and build a replica of the Duyfken was formed so this forgotten part of Australia's history could finally be acknowledged. She was built using Lithuanian timbers treated and shaped over fire, a technique the ship builders here had to learn. She does not have a helm as helms were not invented in 1596 and is steered by a whipstaff.
Sailing on the Little Dove as she is affectionately known is an amazing experience, the closest you will get to experiencing life in the 1600s at sea. And its a hard life, she guarantees you a few bruises and the sore muscles every sail as crew, while our passengers get to sit and enjoy the breeze and billowing sails. Every time I sail, I develop a new sore muscle, although I am
conquering fears - yes Jo, I climbed the mast....and we dont have a crows nest.
They werent invented yet.......
The ship functions as a museum for tour groups and school groups through the week we have to change her from Museum mode to Ship mode before and after every sail. We are now regularly taking out guests since she has returned home to port after spending a decade on the east coast of Australia and doing a 33,000km trip back to Texel in Holland where the original was built. This tiny little replica has almost 100,000 sea miles under her belt, shes been through force 9 gales in the North Sea and is crewed and staffed entirely by volunteers, she runs on heart.
Sailing we have met the Leuwin our other Tall ship here and shown her own cannons, had dolphins crossing our bow and are always being visited by passing boats from kayaks to ships and helicopters buzz us - I guess its not every day you see a 1606 pirate ship sailing along merrily.
Coming back into harbour is a busy time for we crew, we are preparing to dock and also preparing the
ship to slip back into museum mode. Docking her outside the brewery is a heart in your mouth moment, and one guaranteed to be photographed by the punters at the pub. Suddenly it occured to me that Id slipped through the looking glass from tourist to tour attraction.
When the gates are shut for the evening and you are on nightwatch there is a very special hour around 3am where you stop and look around and breathe in the smells, the spices, the ropes, the timbers, the ocean...I love that hour. I spent Australia day watching the fireworks sitting on her with tourists on the boardwalk snapping pics of her. Which can mean pictures with you - Ive discovered that some people like to take a photo with their tourguide...eek!
So why put myself though this agonising pain for no pay? Other than having a tall ship fetish, I get to be a pirate! Most importantly, I get to share that joy with other people.
Next time you take a cruise or go on a tour - especially one a little out of the ordinary - remember the people who made your day great probably are sitting
at home exhausted with blistered hands but a satisfied mind. If you are ever down this way drop in me hearties and I will show you my ship!
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taracloud
Tara Cloud
A trip back in time
How fabulous to spend time in another century before even crows' nests and helms were invented! Loved your description of 3 am scents and sensations and also of the hard life endured by those intrepid first Europeans to discover your land. Here's to climbing masts and sore muscles in the service of living your dream!