R. Tucker Thompson Tall Ship New Zealand

#R_Tucker_Thompson
#New_Zealand
Here i am on the North Island of New Zealand & about to head out to the Pacific Ocean on the tall ship R. Tucker Thompson (1985)
It does daily sails during the summer & that money is used during the winter months for youth sail training programs with the intent to shape these young lives through their experiences from their seven days at sea, so a Non-Profit Organization

KeyTip; Included in your cost is ferry transfers to Russell from Paihia, Island stopover for relaxing & exploring, morning tea, be part of the crew & lunch ($110 for adults & $55 US for children)

 

As i board you cannot help notice the Skull & Crossbones Flag 
Originally they appeared on Pirate Ships & now containers holding poisonous substances which at both times warned of death or danger
Hey i like adventures, lets go 😀

The R. Tucker Thompson has had some journeys to Japan & Korea , Tall Ship Festivals to my country of Canada  / USA plus many voyages to the Pacific
But its maiden voyage was around the world in 1987 through the Panama Canal to meet the flotilla in England for the First Fleet Reenactment
It has 11 single berths & 2 double cabins plus the galley that can cater to a crew of 16 with a gas stove &  hot water showers

Sailcloth was woven from flax fibre during the period when England, France & Spain were fighting over the control of the worlds waterways
Today cotton has replaced the fibre flax as it produces a better quality canvas
The R. Tucker Thompson has a total sail area of a 179 sq meters (3000 sq feet) plus if needed, carries enough fuel for a 3200 km (2000 mile) range

The wood used for masts had to have a good rot / decay resistance & for UV degradation it came down to the care of the crew & what they did with coatings ( Varnish or Paint)

The Crows Nest was the structure in the upper part of the main mast of the ship that was used as a lookout point
The sailor who had this job was called a Barrelman as in the early days that was what was used, simply a barrel or basket
Fun Fact; the basket used to contain a crow  (hence the name) as the ships navigator would use one as a guide in bad weather as it instinctively flew towards land

So as we had out on our journey the Capitan in charge asked me to grab the wheel as a few of his students where having some issues with the sails
Having zero nautical experience ( but had three glasses of wine that gave me the courage to get on the ship, long story but i was in a submerged car accident years prior) but said certainly
Thinking it was going to be a just a few minutes, a half hour into being Sea Capitan Terry 😄 i yelled at him for what to do
His reply was look for something onshore & aim towards it
So as i turn the creaky ships wheel with the wind blowing on my face you learn to
 Respect The Sea Mates as it is Vast & Unforgiving

In closing i will borrow a quote from Ernest Hemingway;
It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end

Thank You R Tucker Thompson for an experience i will never forget