Wild Sailing with a Guinness Hangover

Wild Sailing with a Guinness Hangover.

It feels strange being here in the Caribbean on a tall ship. I say strange because the sun has just gone down and the heat of the day is slowly being tempered by the steady tropical trades while I sit thinking of an event that occurred almost a year ago. A wild and fantastic sail in the Irish Sea.
This amazing event occurred on the 12th of August 1992. I was aboard the New Zealand fore topsail schooner Tradewind, Competing in the prestigious Cutty Sark Tall Ship Race from Boston USA to Liverpool England. The race time limit was four weeks. Unfortunately, due to adverse winds, we were less than half way across the Atlantic after two weeks, and would have needed to average seven knots to make the finish on time. The decision was made to abandon the event and make up lost time under motor. As luck would have it, eighteen hours under power found us in favourable winds and from there we sailed all the way. Typical!
We entered the St. George's Channel in the early hours of 11th of August, and had an enjoyable sail along the Irish coast, with Force Six from the south and the schooner proudly flying all sail. Entering the beautiful city of Dublin at 1400 on the 12th we had a warm and unique welcome from a solitary gentleman out walking his dog along the wharfs. Three hours later a car came to the dock and a Customs Officer stepped aboard. On finding that we were only staying for a day, he decided not to bother with all the official claptrap and so officially we did not arrive at all! That night we drank Guinness until the wee small hours, as illegal aliens! Needless to say, all had a great time.
Someone wandering past the Tradewind on the following morning would have judged the crew who turned out as being of very poor stock. Certainly, taking us on first sight, such observation would be hard to disagree. In their defence, I have never sailed with a finer team of first class seaman. This hung over and motley group had kept together through good times and bad. All were hand picked for their traditional sailing skills and endurance, which were tested time and again on the voyage from New Zealand round the Horn, down to Antarctica, to the Falklands and South Georgia, up the coast of South America into the Caribbean, and joining the Tall Ship parades held at San Juan, New York and Boston. Once again in as sad a shape as we were, we put in a hard morning cleaning and painting the vessel we were so proud of, before setting out on the final leg of our voyage.
Letting go our lines at midday, we set out on what was to be our last sail as a crew. The wind was from the south, force six to seven, with strong gusts followed by patches of heavy rain. This was going to be a great sail. The owner, Mark, set the pace from the start with a full main, foresail, all squares and three jibs. In the strong winds of force seven we were flying. When the gusts came in at force eight we could feel the schooner stagger, then lift her prow and away we would go, ten knots plus!
We kept to the same watches as for crossing the Atlantic, so I was on until 1800. The pace was terrific, Tradewind heeled 10 - 15 degrees to port and the wind just kept on increasing as the day wore on. By 1700 we had to take in the flying jib and fore course, setting the forestaysail. This slowed us to eight knots but as the wind increased we quickly picked up speed again. By the end of the watch we were forced to take in the upper topsail and place two reefs in the main, with one reef in the foresail. Laying aloft on the upper topsail yard the view was enough to get the adrenalin running, with the sun setting between the dark clouds and the angry black sea. The vessel rode beam on to the breaking windswept sea, decks awash and up to three to four feet of cold Irish Sea in the lee scuppers. Lifelines and safety harness were essential. I layed over the yard, only ten inches at its widest point as it swayed and flexed with the weight of myself and my fellow crew member, Shaggy,  stowing and securing gaskets around the flogging sail. The wind aloft was so much stronger than on deck, making us thankful for having a sturdy vessel beneath us. Even so, crossing from the leeward to windward side at the futtocks so as to descend required care and attention to good seamanship.
As I sent my watch below for a meal and rest, I noted a few who obviously regretted their efforts from the night before. Once more Tradewind was making a steady eight knots, a speed we were to keep with all effort if we were to make the top of the tide in Liverpool, 1000 tomorrow.
I woke at 2230 unable to sleep anymore with the water racing along the vessels hull next to my bunk. On deck, I was greeted by the other watch, all very much in high spirits, having over the last four hours averaged ten knots! Good for them. However, I now had the problem of slowing down our mad dash. At 0000 my watch came back up and took over the watch. By 0100 we had taken in the main and placed a second reef in the foresail. This made helming a lot easier and brought the speed back down to seven and half knots. The wind was now at force nine with gusts up to force ten. Seas had build up to fifteen feet. Standing on the poop deck gauging the winds strength and the schooners ability to handle the explosive gusts, I felt a surge of pride in the way Tradewind responded to the conditions. She was built for the North Sea and handled the Irish seas with ease. The cold wind and sharp taste of salt kept me awake with senses fully alert. There is no way I can describe the charge I felt.
By 0200 we had passed to the north of Holyhead. With the seas more astern, our speed had increased to over eight knots. It was time for more sail to come in, this time the lower topsail. I called Mark (the owner) to take the helm, while my watch and I went forward to take in the sail. It will forever frustrate me not being able to fully describe the sight, which greeted us, when we reached the topsail yard. White breakers picked out the black seas. The sky was so low; it looked as though our topmasts would tear the clouds. Tradewind bow surged through the sea with the bone set firmly in her teeth. If the upper topsail was hard to stow, the lower was worse. We reached the deck bathed in sweat and still we were sailing too fast! So forward we went again this time to take in the inner jib - five crew on the downhaul and two out on the bowsprit to tame the sail.
As the glow of Liverpool appeared ahead we could see tall ships converging on us as we all sailed for the Mersey. At last the watch ended and I was glad to get out of the rain at 0600. Unfortunately I sat in the charthouse with a cup of tea just a bit too long. The other watch decided to take in the foresail and called me up to give a hand. There is nothing worse than putting on cold foul weather gear, especially after having just taken it off. Such is life on a tall ship.
With the foresail stowed, Tradewind was still making four knots under forestaysail alone. At this speed we would arrive on time. As the day brightened and the true size of the seas could be taken in, I gladly ducked below for a few hours sleep. At 0900 on 14 August my watch and I were called. Stepping on deck I was amazed to see that we were already in the Mersey River. The sky was clearing, but the wind was still very strong. While waiting for the full tide we set to the job of putting all of the sails into a neat harbour stow. Aloft we could see that the Mersey was full of tall ships of all sizes. If felt good to be there.

Tradewind was registered in New Zealand. She is 200 tonnes displacement, LOA 123 feet, length on deck 92 feet, height of Main mast 104 feet, sail area 7,000 square feet. Her Rig is a fore topsail schooner, with a crew of nine and 18 passengers.
I sailed aboard her as Mate, second mate, dogsbody as required for a wonder full and adventurous eleven months.

Comments

[school_dubl]

Interesting site, always a new topic .. good luck in the new 2011. Happy New Year!

[Ian Terris]

Hi Glen, Great to find your blog, I was searching for Tradewind's current big refit and chanced on your blog. Great memories of Boston to Liverpool. still in touch with Jessica,Cook), Bruce McDougall, Stan Godes, Vicki.
If contact succesful, will be back on with more news.