We’re baaaaaack.
First standard voyage sails Sunday. Lots of work done by contractors and volunteers to get her to this stage. No square sails yet - our elderly, very fastidious shipwright spar maker has been busy but cannot be rushed.
Today’s photo of STS Leeuwin II at her normal B Berth in Fremantle, Western Australia. Note nice new white sails
Thank you everyone. I had merely wanted to round off 18 months of depressing down-time, following on from the financial misfortunes of surviving the Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation going into receivership after the strictures of Covid in a tightly communal ship strangled the voyages that are our bread and butter, saved by a local mining billionaire only to then suffer the collision that dismasted her, months of indecision as to the survival of the whole organisation with the centrepiece near-fatally wounded, the decision to rebuild and the work to get her seaworthy and sailing again today.
Well done all.Fair winds and following seas.
My first time back in command today for 20 months and not a breath of wind. Some slight wind later and got her up over 1 knot under sail. Still naked without square sails but they are scheduled for next month.
The passengers and crew (below) hoisting the mizzensail for an ANZAC Day day sail with 120 happy passengers. Not enough space for all of them on the halliards.
We didn’t fool everyone but kept the throttles at slow ahead initially to give the budding helmsmen the sense of it all.
