2006 Exchange Report
The Australian Exchangee was Emily Moss from Sydney. Emily sailed on Lord Nelson from Canary Islands to Alicante earlier this year. This is her report. An earlier short report from the start of her voyage is reproduced below.
ASTO Australian Sail Training Exchange 2004
Emily Moss
I firmly believe that the personal growth and development experienced by participating in a Tall Ship sailing program can reflect the way one lives life: by immersing completely in the moment, and contributing in the fullest way possible one can then come away with greater self awareness, more confidence, a sense of achievement, life long friendships and memories yet perhaps most importantly a broader view of the world.
In September 2005 I participated in The Young Endeavour Youth Scheme program and after 10 days I arrived home with a greater sense of self worth and direction, but there was also something else - an incredible itch to feel that addictive sense of adventure and free spiritedness I had shared with 23 other youths on the high seas once more.
What could be more adventurous than travelling to the other side of the world to participate in a Tall Ship program amongst people from differing cultures whilst acting as a representative for my country? I was thrilled and so proud to be selected as a winner of the 2006 Tall Ships Award a few months later: this award was the opportunity of a lifetime to again become involved in something truly different and experience the magic of travelling in other parts of the world by sea.
Over the period of a month I was to sail on two voyages aboard STS Lord Nelson which would take me from the Canary Islands in the Atlantic to the Mediterranean destination of Alicante, Spain, all the while stopping at various ports during the passage. I would be sometimes be overwhelmed by new surroundings, physical challenges and often completely baffled by language and cultural barriers but exhilarated by the excitement of it all.
Lord Nelson is owned and operated by the Jubilee Sailing Trust, a charity which promotes the integration of people of all physical abilities through the adventure of sail training in the Tall Ship. Lord Nelson and her sister ship Tenacious are purpose designed ships that allow mixed ability crew to sail as one, all on equal terms.
The two voyage crews to which I became part of could not have been more different. During the first voyage I was the second youngest of a highly experienced crew that included frequent sailors and was one of only five women. The crew on the second voyage was largely made up of 14 young people sponsored by the Prince's Trust as part of the Team development program while the remainder was made up of people of various ages and experience.
The nature of the at sea experience in Lord Nelson allows for the integration of people irrespective of their background, age and ability. The arrangement of watches, the buddy system and mess duties encourage the rapid development of a strong rapport between the crew. My nationality and apparently funny accent quickly made me a target for jokes often relating to Australia's recent poor sporting performances and was soon known locally as "Sheila." In addition I was often told to repeat words only to be nasally mimicked or told to try and talk with an English accent, much to the general amusement of all.
Life at sea quickly settled into a routine of watches, mealtimes and smoko breaks. Happy hour each morning involved the ship being thoroughly cleaned both above and below decks from stem to stern. Captain John's morning briefs outlined the planned activity for the following 24 hours and became a daily routine, as he jovially pulled out charts and explained our passage plan and the scheduled arrival and departure times for the upcoming port visits. All the time were his briefs punctuated with much hmm-ing, er-ing and chap-ing, a habit that made him instantly identifiable over the piping system.
The cultural dissimilarities between the crew and myself was more than I had anticipated and I often found myself perplexed by names, sayings or terms that either confused the situation further or, left me straight faced in a highly amused and jovial crowd. Once during maintenance, "tot time" was announced I continued working oblivious to the nature of the pipe, only to find later a relaxed work crew at the bar enjoying a few drinks and "crisps."
As expected there was a strong interest in the Australian way of life and a little envy of our lifestyle, government, sport and pop culture. Personally, a lack of knowledge in British comedies made it near impossible for me to participate or even begin to understand some jokes and nicknames and was thrilled when I finally passed on some Aussie terms such as "barbie" and "thongs" (although I later found out they have another meaning apart for footwear).
The thrill of Tall Ship sailing is directly related to the physical adventure of climbing aloft and enduring the high seas. After my previous Tall Ship experience to me climbing had become second nature and I, with my buddy Jess, became known for our speed and eagerness at harnessing up at any given moment and often, for us to be found, one just had to look up. I was soon taught how to pull through buntlines and gasket the sails during setting and furling sail and I soon became an integral part of the deck team during these exercises.
Surprisingly the conditions during the Atlantic crossing from the Canaries to mainland Europe were calm and I, like many of the crew after three days gave up on our sea-sickness medication accepting that the high seas we were expecting would never eventuate. However our passage through the Straits of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean was full of drama. For 36 hours Lord Nelson pitched and rolled in rough seas testing our agility, quickness of finding a saving hand hold and our ability to keep our food on our plates and our plates on the table. Rest was interrupted by an increasing din of gear not secured properly careering around the deck such as pots and pans in the galley while there was the occasional thump of a cabin mate bouncing on the deck interrupted by cries of Harry, a wheelchair user asking, "Can somebody learn how to drive this ship?"
Sailing in a tall ship in this part of the world was a truly wonderful experience, the natural beauty was breathtaking; sunset photos and hurrying to the deck after a pipe telling all of an opportunity for whale spotting was a favourite crew pastime. A highlight of my voyage was entering the port at Cadiz and spending time exploring this ancient city. Having never travelled overseas before, spending a day wandering around old narrow streets, visiting the various marketplaces and cathedrals while drinking in the atmosphere of a Spanish city was magic. This happened to be St Patrick's Day so of course the crew managed to find an Irish Pub where we practiced our sign language more than our Spanish to celebrate the day and made our way back to the ship in the wee hours of the morning.
In addition to being part of the voyage crew for the duration of my time aboard, I also took part in the Leadership at Sea program run by JST for youth crew members to further develop leadership skills which allowed me the opportunity to further involve myself in the day to day running and maintenance of the ship.
A key part of the program encourages an appreciation of the facilities onboard for less physically able crew members which facilitates integration of everyone regardless of ability. Thus I found myself trying to manoeuvre a wheelchair while participating in all the ships activities or wearing a blindfold and then trying to use the ship's lifts, rails, tactile indicators and special equipment such as the gyro compass. These exercises reinforced to us all the value of the JST enabling a sea experience for all.
Leadership opportunities were encouraged and each member of the program was allowed to take the role of watch leader for a night watch directing the activities of fellow watch members and ensuring all mandated tasks were completed including rounds, watch reports and lookouts. In a similar way we led happy hour delegating and overseeing cleaning tasks sometimes to a not so overly enthusiastic and receptive crew, often making it challenging for me not to pick up their cleaning tools and just do it myself!
During the course of the second voyage, having by now become an "old hand," the Leadership at Sea program further tested my ability to lead, guide and support others. At the time of the first climb for the second voyagers I enjoyed helping fellow crewmembers overcome the anxiety of a first climb and sharing their excitement as I guided them aloft. I also was given the opportunity to lead sail drills and yard bracing exercises. At first I found this daunting and was concerned with having the right terminology and hoped I had instructed my crew correctly but soon I gained confidence and was able to stand in when necessary.
The leadership program is also directed at the team dictating their own experience and achieving their own personal goals. I found great satisfaction and developed a greater knowledge of the ship by working during maintenance periods at the end of the voyages and during free time at sea. I learned how to splice ropes, worked with the sails, removed, scaled and painted parts of the ship hoping I had made a valuable contribution to Lord Nelson. I was thrilled and honoured towards the end of my time aboard to be recommended as a Bosun's Mate so I may return in a volunteer capacity on future voyages.
My time in STS Lord Nelson came to an end all too soon and after becoming so at home felt like I was stepping out into the world all over again. As I left for the station Sarah, the new young cadet waved me off, tears welling in her eyes and I already felt the loss of companionship. I missed the life onboard and the shared experience.
After a further four weeks of travelling further through Spain, Portugal, France and England with various detours visiting new friends I had made during my voyage I arrived in Winchester with my return to Australia imminent. I was lucky to be able to attend the Jubilee Sailing Trust's Annual Dinner were I was so touched to be greeted by excited waves and hugs from my fellow crew members. It was indeed fortunate to have the opportunity to meet those who administer the Trust and catch up with friends one last time before returning home.
I was privileged to be given the opportunity to sail aboard STS Lord Nelson. I have benefited through the physical and mental challenges presented to me during my time both at sea and abroad. For this, I would like to thank the Australia-Britain Society, Young Endeavour Youth Scheme, Jubilee Sailing Trust, Australian Sail Training Association, Association of Sea Training Organisations and all those who shared with me this wonderful time aboard STS Lord Nelson.
Emily Moss
Sydney, Australia
20th March 2006
I am one of two winners of the 2006 Tall Ships' Award sponsored by the Australia-Britain Society and organised by ASTO. I have come from Sydney, Australia, to participate in two voyages aboard STS Lord Nelson sailing from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria and Alicante, Spain. Little did I know six months ago when I participated in an Australian Tall Ships Sail Training programme aboard STS Young Endeavour would it take me to the other side of the world to experience another program, culture and enable me to see the world by sea.
The journey so far has been full of excitement, challenges and lots of fun. Finally reaching the ship in Las Palmas after 27 hours in the air, a few days in Winchester and then a flight to Las Palmas it was a relief to reach the ship and know I was home for the next three weeks. I was even happier on meeting Jess Lewis, my 'buddy' and cabin mate with whom I have learned much, from the correct terminology for the English currency to explaining jokes with other shipmates that go over my head to telling me the 'correct' names for food and clothing - such as melba toast and flip flops.
Jess, Sarah (a new cadet) and I have also been participating in the JST Youth Leadership at Sea programme in which we initially understood the full facilities of the ship which enables the integration of people of all physical abilities. This involved wearing a blind fold and moving around the ship making use of brail and directive indicators as well as the talking compass while at the helm. We each also spent some time in a wheelchair using lifts and bathroom facilities, both exercises reinforcing the value the JST program enabling at-sea experiences for all.
I am having a wonderful time aboard meeting new people, experiencing new things and continuing my adventures at sea!!!
Thank you to The Australia-Britain Society, ASTO, JST and all aboard STS Lord Nelson.