Grand Port, Mauritius, a beautiful natural harbour on the East coast of this tropical Island in the Indian Ocean. From here the Dutchman Abel Tasman started his voyage of discovery in 1642 to the Southland (New Holland....Australia....Tasmania....New Zealand) Next week, the bark EUROPA and her 2 sisters, Oosterschelde and Tecla, will be also sailing from this historic bay to discover Australia Tasmania and New Zealand again.



Alles Wel
Klaas
 

In the 21^st century people are still hearing the call from the sea and running towards it, each of them has a different reason. Mine was to round at least one Cape and complete some open ocean sailing.

My parents met while working at sea and having named me after Joshua Slocum (the first man to solo-sail around the world) and Pierre Motessier (a French Solo-Sailor) there was always the want to see what old world sailing was like.



Hence the voyage aboard the Bark Europa as it was sailing from Cape Town, South Africa to Mauritius, rounding the Cape of Good Hope and crossing the Indian Ocean. The voyage has been fantastic as the permanent crew teach you how to steer the ship, maintain an active lookout, explain all the lines used to set and take away all the sails, basic knots used all over the rigging, general maintenance of the lines and blocks as well as rudimentary navigation and chart work.

Having little experience in most things I made sure to get my hands dirty while learning from the crew as they completed various tasks. I have been on board for over a month but still learning new things.

I will miss the food that the galley puts out, three meals a day of some of the best cuisine I have ever had the privilege to tuck into.

Josh

Taking the helm of this beautiful ship at night, with the masts and sails swaying across a sky brilliantly lit by the stars, half an ocean away from land, is a deeply satisfying experience. You achieve a sense of being part of the natural world, an understanding that is often forgotten in the daily grind at home on land.

An outstanding highlight was the night that the dolphins turned on a phosphorescent show feeding from shoals of fish. The panicked rapid movement of the mass of fish left  a glowing tracery in the water next to the ship and the dolphins racing in to take the fish were clearly silhouetted by the phosphorescence and leaving a 20 metre long glowing comet tail of bright light in the sea. They could be seen torpedoing in from 100 metres out from the ship. As nobody on board was able to capture the show with a camera, none of the images worked, you had to have been there to understand the full wonder of that sight.



We have “learned the ropes” and stood watch, been taught knots, lashings and seizing, and had instruction in navigation, weather patterns and how the wind systems work. Some of this can be learned using a search engine on your computer, but there is nothing like gaining an understanding of what is directly influencing your day.

Our son sailed on the Europa two years ago and his photos showed us that the experience was not just for the young, as his “voyage crew” companions were of our vintage. So, not being inclined to take the cruise ship path, we signed on for the Cape Town to Mauritius voyage.

Rosemary and Keith Faulkner

Scarborough, Perth, Western Australia, currently sailing to Mauritius