Preparing Tall Ship Tecla to Sail
Australia is currently being invaded by a small fleet of Dutch tall ships - large masted sailing vessels from bygone days.
A Traditional Carved Figurehead on the Europa
The flotilla of three 90-plus year old ships are sailing via Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne and Hobart to Sydney, where they will take part in
centenary celebrations for the Royal Australian Navy. Unlike a previous
visit by the Russian Navy, there is no reason for Adelaide residents to panic!
The Three Masted Schooner Oosterschelde
The three Dutch ships are the three-masted schooner
Oosterschelde, the bark
Europa, and the ketch
Tecla. The sight of these vessels with sails billowing is truly something to transport you back to another time.
The
Oosterschelde is the largest restored Dutch sailing ship, and has sailed around the world since she was restored in 1992.
Bark Europa Sails Near Glenelg in St Vincents Gulf
The bark
Europa was built in 1911 and has 14 professional crew and can take up to 48 paying crew members - age and nationality are no problem. While a journey on the Europa could be really romantic, anyone having a problem with heights will be staying well clear of climbing its masts.
The Tecla Sails Out of Port Adelaide
The third Dutch ship
Tecla is somewhat smaller and is sailed by a family of only four professional sailors. As with all three ships, the appearance of the Tecla is kept as traditional as possible, and polished wood and ropes dominate the deckscape.
The South Australian Ketch Falie
the Dutch ships were joined by local ships
One and All and
Falie to form the largest fleet of
tall ships stationed at the Port Adelaide for 25 years. Another later arrival was the British full-rigger
Lord Nelson, also on its way to Sydney.
A Traditional Wood Cabin Hides Lots of Electronics
At other ports even more tall ships will join in the celebrations, such as the
Windeward Bound which sails from Melbourne to take part in
Tall Ships Hobart 2013 from September 20-25.
Tall Ship One and All
Melbourne is hosting the
Melbourne International Tall Ship Festival from September 6-15, but at time of writing the line-up of local vessels taking part was not available.
The
Sydney International Tall Ship Festival from October 3-10 will kick off with a fleet of Tall Ships led by the Australian vessel
STS Young Endeavour. It will pass Sydney Heads and sail across Sydney Harbour to berth in Darling Harbour, Cockle Bay, Garden Island and Barangaroo.
A Tall Ship Does Have Its Luxuries - on the Tecla
All of the ships are available to take paying passengers on legs of the journey, and will also do day trips at port.
The Europa at Port Adelaide
If going out on the open sea isn't your thing, why not just take part in the festivities to celebrate their arrival, and perhaps do a tour of the boats while in port for the price of a gold coin? It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, and a feast of fun for the family!
Where Would a Tall Ship Be Without Its Ropes
For more information about the Dutch ships
see their website, while
this website gives lots of information about the tall ship festivals around the country.
Information About the Oosterschelde
