Some 60 years ago an Auckland sailor Lou Fisher noticed something special. Teenagers who came sailing on his family yacht developed a gleam in their eye as they discovered the magic of sail – using just the power of the wind to move a ship anywhere they wanted to go.
Fisher’s observation became a vision which he turned into reality. Two ships and 85,000 youth trainees later, we can reflect on the marvellous impact one man’s vision has had on New Zealand society.
Spirit of Adventure, length 30m, was launched in Auckland in December 1973 and gifted to the Spirit of Adventure Trust. She was designed by Jack Brooke, a friend of Lou’s. During the design phase a two-masted brigantine rig with square sails on the foremast was adopted in keeping with other sail-training ships around the world.
By early 1974, Spirit of Adventure was sailing on 10-day voyages around the Hauraki Gulf with 24 boys on board. Schools throughout New Zealand were invited to nominate boys aged between 15 and 19. The six crew, led initially by Captain Pony More, soon discovered what worked best with spirited boys and it became clear that youth development, rather than just sailing skills, would give the trainees the best adventures and challenges.
After a year or two girls’ voyages began, soon to become a mixture of boys and girls. There were far more hopeful trainees than available bunks and thoughts turned to a bigger ship. Sadly, Lou died in 1977 but not before he saw his vision become a remarkable success.
Lou’s son Stephen took over as chairman of the Trust, a position he still holds. In 1983 he asked Jack Brooke’s son, Don Brooke, to design a new, much larger ship, with Ted Ewbank looking after technical aspects.
Spirit of New Zealand at 45m and displacing 250 tons, (Spirit of Adventure was 120 tons) was launched in August 1986. She is a three-masted barquentine, with square sails on the foremast. She is home to 40 trainees for 10-day youth development voyages in New Zealand and has made two voyages to Australia. For 11 years the Trust operated both ships until, with increasing maintenance costs, Spirit of Adventure was decommissioned.
Spirit of New Zealand operates a tight schedule of 10-day voyages, often with just a few hours between the end of one voyage and the start of the next. Over time, the increasing demands of society and a much sharper focus on accountability and safety has ensured the 12 crew and the shore team have a high workload running the busiest youth sail-training ship in the world.
It’s early morning and there is a hive of activity near the Maritime Museum in down-town Auckland. Spirit of New Zealand has just berthed at the end of a voyage and families have gathered to welcome home their teenage daughters and sons, who have now graduated to become ‘Spirit Voyagers’. They form a human chain to unload luggage, rubbish, cooking-gas bottles and any number of items needing attention.
There is just time for one last circle to form with arms around each other and tears dampening young cheeks. It’s the last time this group of 40 will be all together and they don’t want the voyage to end. They have their mobile phones back after 10 days without. But phones can wait; their mates are now much more important as they linger over teary farewells to new best friends and the ship’s crew, some also clutching a tissue or two. Reluctantly they collect their bags and head back to families, or onto the airport bus.
A hose begins filling water tanks, a technician arrives to fix
a fault, the weary crew have one last debrief and take a moment to unwind before updating and handing over to the new crew who arrive at 1100. A truck with supplies arrives and before long the first trainees wend their way along the wharf with large bags, looking about nervously wondering how they ever agreed to leave the comfort of home for this big black ship with so many ropes. A new voyage has begun.
The new crew are meeting, greeting and organising watch bills, checking equipment and stores, updating safety briefings, showing trainees their bunks and initial safety tours. The mates and captain study weather maps which shape the voyage plan, checklists are consulted, the engineer confirms all systems are working, and by 1500 the mountain of food is stowed. With trainees on board, the formal safety briefing, mustering and lifejacket wearing all complete, mooring lines are hauled aboard and by 1700 the ship is underway with a blast from the horn to inform other ships nearby.
Dinner is welcome and friendships are forming between trainees who have just met. The anchor watch roster is set for the night with two trainees at a time on duty. There have to be a few rules for safety and well-being. The captain and mates set the tone and warn what is not acceptable, and the importance of friendships, not relationships.
No trainee wants to make a mistake. But there are no mistakes on Spirit, only learning experiences and the quickest way to learn is by not getting something quite right the first time.
Trainees are asked what they want to get from the voyage; for many just being away from home is a huge challenge.
A canvas bunk is no feather bed and the call on deck at 0630 with a swim to start the day, making sure tasks are done on time, keeping their area tidy, cleaning and cooking are all new experiences. The voyage includes not just how to run the ship with sail setting, tacking, gybing, and working aloft, but going on a 10km hike up a mountain, cleaning a beach, inflating rafts and paddling ashore, beach games, mustering in an emergency, leadership and team building.
An on-board community forms outside the digital world. Human connection and the natural environment are all consuming for 10 days.
Colours at 0800 is the only formal activity. The four watches line up on deck for hoisting the Red Ensign, a maritime tradition going back centuries. It’s the opportunity for a karakia, the crew to outline the plan for the day, the expected weather, sea lore and law, and for the trainees to have their input.
By 0900 the ship has been cleaned and it’s all hands to sail stations. Safety is paramount. How to handle ropes without damaging fingers, how to don a safety-harness and use two tethers so as never to be unclipped aloft, using knives safely when preparing vegetables, and speaking up whenever something appears unsafe. It is the job of the crew to encourage them to meet all the challenges. Many challenges have perceived risk, but no actual risk.
After four days the watches have worked every area of the ship and the crew step back more and more. Leaders begin to emerge. There are just a few days left before they will elect their own crew, captain, mates, navigators, engineers and cooks who will run the ship for 24 hours. By now, the importance of the cook has been realised, something many take for granted at home.
They also have begun to appreciate and respect differences. A trainee from a privileged background finds someone in the next bunk is from a family struggling to get by. They would never have met were it not for Spirit. By now, they don’t focus on their differences but understand how much they are the same below the surface. Some trainees are still a bit tentative; some relish the opportunity to aim high and meet not only the challenge that the voyage provides, but personal goals as well. All get so much more than they ever imagined.
Tacking a tall ship seems chaotic with flapping sheets, leaders calling “two-six heave!” and yards squeaking as the ship comes about. The ship stops turning halfway through the next tack; the ensuing chaos brings another learning opportunity. Then tack again and again. Now tack silently with no orders, now with just half the trainees while the rest observe. High fives and big grins. “We never dreamed we could do this”.
The yard swing is fun for some, a challenge for others who instead leap from the bowsprit. A grinning trainee does a ‘manu’ from the aft deck soaking the engineer and mate.
The new crew have been chosen by their peers for day-nine, ‘trainee day’, and their task is to run the ship until they hand back command at anchor 30 miles away.
Those elected talk with their counterparts. The captains discuss planning, timing, and ship handling, the mates plan how to turn captain’s orders into action by the watches, the cooks are shown what food is available to feed 52 people at mealtimes. The navigators pore over charts, the engineers are tasked with changing the oil and filter on a generator.
At 1600 the trainee crew hand back the ship, recording in the log: “Anchored at Motuihe, four shackles starboard anchor, all sails stowed, finished with main engine”.
The earliest trainees are now retirement age. Over the years Otago University has studied both the short and long-term effects of a Spirit voyage. The benefits are measurable with many voyagers stating it was a turning point as they grew up, an experience they revere.
The crew – master, three mates, cook and engineer – are normally employed staff with four adult volunteers to look after the four watches, and two leading hands who are voyagers from recent voyages. They form a vital link between trainees and adults. Crews agree on one thing. While the news is full of all that is bad, seeing teenage trainees from every sector of society growing and achieving so much together inspires all who have the privilege of sailing with them. The future of our nation is in good hands.
Ten-day voyages form the core programme, but the Trust also runs five-day voyages with student teams from schools and five-day training voyages for Navy recruits. Just as the youth development programme continually evolves, so does the voyage programme. Starting last May, parent-child weekends for youngsters who are 11 or 12 provide a chance for family bonding and a taste for a future trainee. The public sometimes join for a day-sail when the programme allows.
Ships typically have a life of about 25 years and in 2006 the Trust considered a new ship. Surveys showed Spirit of New Zealand was virtually like new, so the old ship became the new ship with engines, rig and all systems replaced over the next years. The time for similar consideration has now come round again.
Whatever the decision, the excitement of sailing a tall ship in a strong wind and the gleam in the eye of the trainees will remain as real as it was half a century ago.
Words by Jim Lott
Photography by Rachel Evans, Roger Mills, John Eichelsheim and Thomas Coker
Jim Lott has been a volunteer crewmember with Spirit since 1973, sailing as Relief Master since 1996. He was a trust board member from 2005-2011.
