AVONTUUR Shipping News Juli 2024
AVONTUUR: Sailing through the English Channel, Suddenly a bang split the air
It can go that fast. 9 knots and more broad reach, almost running. The wind comes in 2 points from astern. Time for the next jibe. ‘Prepare to jibe’, ‘jibe ho!’, the sheets come tight. The stern goes through the wind and that’s when it happens! As both gaff sails go over, there is a loud crash in both sails. The schooner has a long tear in the upper part and has to be dowsed immediately. The main has a long tear below the third reef. It can only be sailed in third reef.
Everyday life on board the AVONTUUR? No, not quite.
The last miles of voyage 13 to IJmuiden and on to Föhr and Hamburg still lie ahead of the ship and crew. They have once again crossed the Atlantic together and are bringing us coffee, cocoa, rum and Korn back from the Caribbean and Central America.
Departing from Hamburg last summer, the intrepid men and women on board the AVONTUUR have once again crossed the Atlantic many times on the last two voyages, sailed more miles in total than the equator is long, loaded in tropical heat, delivered coffee to the US East Coast in sub-zero temperatures in the middle of winter, swam barrels of rum from tropical beaches to the ship and never tired of sailing our faithful ship safely through storms and doldrums day and night 24/7.
The crew have more than earned their holiday.
Only the sails are tired. They are eagerly awaited by the best sailmaker in Hamburg to propel the AVONTUUR at full speed again on the next voyage. Only with the power of the wind and the skill of the crew. Without fossil fuels and without harming the environment! That’s how you treat the environment!
Travel report by deckhand Elijah
Saturday, June 15th 2024
Lenny spotted land today!
At first I thought it was a cloud, but it neither moved nor changed shape, and soon it came closer, bearing a striking resemblance to a volcano. In fact, it was a volcano.
The Azores
If you’ve never sailed to an island in the middle of the ocean before, this was exactly as you’d imagine it. An emerald shining in a world of sapphire.
The rugged cliffs ascend to gently rolling farmland, all in neat squares of soft greenery. Mist at the base of the cliffs, the waves leaping up in rows. A lighthouse atop the hill. We all watched the island in wonder, having a pronounced appreciation for the color green after our 29 days at sea. Right then and there, I decided I wanted to go on a very long walk.
The next day was Sunday, traditionally a day off on sailing ships, and we all had our chance to go ashore. Lenny and I endeavoured to see as much of the island as we could, taking care to do all the things on our land wish list. We walked for hours, passing through the downtown, up the hill, past all the cows, through the botanical gardens, and through a forest so dense you could not see the sea anymore. We ate fresh strawberries, mint in abundance, nasturtiums, pastel de nata, and even a plate of snails. We got to pet horses, climb a tree and sit on a real couch for half an hour! Above all, I was overwhelmed by the absolute verdant luxury of this place. The island of Faial is so abundant in strange birds, sea creatures of all kinds, and grasslands and forests shrouded in mist.
I can’t say how many different species I saw, but the highlights included a giant manta ray, moray eels, and the octopus our cook caught and killed with his bare hands. We ate it for breakfast the next day.
I would be remiss not to mention the good company we had during our stay in Horta. We were very fortunate to raft up the Ide Min, a lovely cargo schooner from the Netherlands. I was jealous of their yard on the foremast, and their crew were excellent hosts. We spent a good week doing maintenance alongside them, including unbending our sails and lots of rust busting and painting. I got to make new gaff leathers. Finally, no trip to Horta is complete without a stop at Peter’s Cafe Sport. More than a bar, this place is an institution. You want a drink? Yes, you go to Peter’s and get their Gin do Mar. You want your mail? Also go to Peter’s. You can find anything from bikes to rent to boats to sail with at Peter’s. The walls are lined with pictures or sail cuttings from every tall ship you can think of, but the front desk has all the current crew enquiries for boats leaving the Azores. If you spent half a week at Peter’s, you could find yourself on a boat going almost anywhere you wanted to.
On our last evening in port we had a very nice dinner together as a crew at Peter’s. I thought it was a proper way to leave the Island. We also left our mark on the pier. It is tradition in Horta that visiting ships leave a small mural after their voyage, and here was our contribution.
Secret Cargo
For all rum connoisseurs. We have something very special on board for you again.
5 barrels of the finest rum.
Two 50-liter barrels and three 30-liter barrels, which we will not be bottling.
More info in the next newsletter and in person upon the arrival of the AVONTUUR on Friday, July 19th in Hamburg Harburg at 10 a.m.