The Ministry Of Silly Walks
The ‘Voyage Crew’ aboard Europa is characterised by heterogeneity of age, nationality and sailing experience. Some bring previous experience of tall ships, some even have their own yachts, but many join Europa as genuine landlubbers.
On board we have a voyage crew member who has sailed, single-handed, from Europe to Easter Island, but to most the voyage its a new experience. More than a week into the adventure and a metamorphosis has begun. All the ‘watches’, benefitting from the seemingly endless reserves of patience exhibited by the permanent crew and with the support of more experienced team mates, have gained in confidence sail handling, able to differentiate between halyards, topping lifts, buntlines and sheets, to include just a selection of the options from a lexicologists dream.
Learning the sails is perhaps an early achievement, there are fewer of them. The names have a nautical poetry of their own – ‘Fore t’Gallant’ or ‘Mizzen top staysail’, as examples. Perhaps the ‘Spanker’ and ‘Desmond’ are more limerick than poem. As competence and familiarity develops, heterogeneity recedes and the caterpillar shows signs of becoming a butterfly. To the casual observer, another change has begun.
Early days on-board reveal a repertoire of gaits, choreographed by Europa’s movements in response to wind and wave. Walking with dignity is a thing of the past. But now! Step forward voyage crew, coffee in hand, cake balanced with dexterity, Ministry of Silly Walks, no longer ! As we sail gently southwards towards our destination life on-board has adopted a rhythm that must be unique to this kind of journey. Member of the permanent crew, Abi, has just delivered a lecture explaining the formation of global wind patterns and it is ‘coffee time’. Some are quietly undertaking clothing repairs, some reading, others swap stories – all finding shade from the tropical sun. Whilst I write, I look out over the blue expanse of the ocean and reflect, ‘All’s well’’.
