Australia Sea Tails
OZtralia Sailing Adventures
By: Phoenix Arrien
As I approached the wharf in Geelong on the southern coast of Australia I stopped and stared in awe. I was looking at a tall ship and she was stunning.
The One & All is beautiful; a sleek two masted Brigantine. Designed by a racing yacht designer, it’s a vessel boasting clean flowing lines and a white hull. I boarded her with glee; this was going to be great.
We sailed out of Geelong and into the Southern Ocean aiming for South Australia. Having experienced the Leeuwin, I found this sail easier and soon fitted in with the four hour shifts that crewing tall ship demands.
The captain on a sailing ship is the pinnacle of a hierarchy stretching back centuries and his or her word is law. Next in charge is the Mate, then it goes to bosuns, engineers and most importantly a cook, for every ship runs on its stomach.
Storms blew in after the second day and we tossed about on the ocean like a white matchstick. For several days, we ploughed on. Fog closed in around us and visibility dropped to metres. The sheer cliffs of the Great Ocean Road vanished into greyness until sighting the Warrnambool lighthouse we found shelter at Portland. The West Victorian coastline is also appropriately called the shipwreck coast and skeletons of many vessels litter the seabeds.
We were pitching hard. Were we going to join them? Next Friday find out…
Tags: , Geelong, Leeuwin, South Australia, Southern Australia, Southern Ocean
