A morning for last preparations.

First night of our trip alongside Princess Wharf.

The last full day for the Europa to lay moored alongside the Princess Wharf in Auckland.

Last adjustments aloft were made, decks cleared and all readied on her inner spaces. It is at 17:00h when she is ready to welcome us aboard.

Some have been around in New Zealand for a while already, others just made it here to come on board. For most the end of long hours of travel, planes and airports to get here.

A few of the embarking people have been on the Europa before, for many this memorable sailing voyage will be their first experience in an old Tall Ship. To come are several thousand nautical miles over the open oceanic waters of the South Pacific.

The long sailing over an extended period of time is a good incentive for this voyage, but also our goal is to round the legendary Cape Horn in the traditional way. It was in 1933 when the Traditional Cape Horners Society of Captains in St Malo was founded, setting up the standards for this purpose based on sailing from 50° South in the Pacific Ocean to 50° South in the Atlantic Ocean (or vice versa) on a sea journey that should be at least 3000 miles under sail alone.

But first things first, today we are still in port, today we all board the ship, tonight we will spend it aboard alongside the harbour.

The afternoon sees everyone on the main deck, cup of coffee or tea on our hands, sweet treats served, starting to know each other. Once we are all on board the ship’s bell rings 3 times, signalling for all to gather.

Sheltering from the evening rain under the main deck awning, Captain Eric gives a welcome speech and the Permanent Crew introduces themselves before dinner is ready.

Even though departure is scheduled for tomorrow morning, the evening meal didn’t mean the end of the day, as soon we are called to start a series of talks, hands-on familiarisations and instructions that will keep developing during the next days.

Days and weeks to come, under sail over the untamed South Pacific Ocean. Leaving behind the old sailing achievements and colonisation of the many Pacific Islands by the Polynesians, ahead of us lay now the colder and remote waters that once become part of the trading routes during the European Golden Age of Exploration, sometimes also called the Age of Discovery which overlaps the so called Age of Sail, from the early 15th century and through the ages until 17th century. A period when European seafarers started to explore the world in search of new trading routes and improve the knowledge of our seas and lands. Remote and isolated parts of the planet, so far unknown to the European sailors, gradually became linked in an increasingly connected world.