Just Me, Nobody Special

Tuesday 6th May 1998

     What a morning, up at 0730, ready for breakfast at 0800, up on deck to enjoy the morning sunshine. Then all crew ashore for the voyage photograph and watch photograph. Followed by helping to spread the main top sail which got wet when they were lowering it onto the quay. People milling about so no gangway guard making sure that only crew and officials boarded. The sunshine is lovely and warming, rumour has it that the wind direction is changing, Captain John thinks it will go NW but Piers thinks it will go SW (we are all quietly hoping Piers is right).

 

    The helming chair has not been mended yet, shame I am quite attached to that chair we have been through a lot together, so any helming I do will have to be from my wheelchair using the digital compass, which although good does not give you any indication of which way she is intending to go, so you can out think her.

 

    Anyway got early lunch as we are on watch from 1230 to 1600, another chance to see the river and count bouys. Blimey, lunch today and a choice, jacket potatoes with a choice of fillings, cheese, coleslaw, beans or tuna mayonnaise and salad, it was hot and tasty.

 

    On watch I was stationed on the starboard side with pad, pen and a pair of Nockers (binoculars to you and non Nelsonites) to take down the bouy numbers and time it was passed. While I was busy staring at red bouys there came some mutterings from Piers and Cyril as they started to repair the helming chair, which at the moment is leashed to the starboard lift.

 

    Although the wind breaker on  the Bridge is very effective it does mean that a stream of cold air blows through the edges right in line with my face, when I rest the knockers on the wooded rail to read the numbers. Captain John was our Officer of the Watch, complete with silly hat that we are not allowed to mention. The expected happened while I was on watch, it rained and I got wet, very wet.

 

    As we came off the Bridge it was announced that it was happy hour, I was stationed in the bar to clean, wash, polish and straighten everything, which I did and it even took me a whole hour, but unfortunately no time for samples!

 

    A couple on board were on their honeymoon and as a special gift a copy of the picture of the Lord Nelson leaving the Clyde has been mounted and framed and all the crew are signing the edge, it looks wonderful and I think Steve and Annie will be quite touched by it.

 

    It is 1726, I am sitting in my cabin trying to make an important decision, do I have a wee before or after dinner, and when is dinner? I am absolutely starving. Dinner was beef stew with carrots, peas and mashed potatoes – umm seconds please! I should have known better, just as the last mouthful was going down the call came for all hands to bracing stations and while you are here we will do some sailing setting too, great that will really aid digestion.

 

    The wind is still cold but the sea swell has settled, several of the voyage crew still suffer from the sea sickness, perhaps it is their minds remembering the first few days. Early night tonight as my wake up call is 2315 for a cold night watch and it will be really cold.

 

Wednesday 7th May 1998

     Captain John insisted that all the sails were set and the engines turned off so we could have a cracking good sail back across to the UK. The only drawback is that being on a starboard tack my bunk is about 20 degrees up in the air.

 

    Did not need a wake up call as I did not get much sleep. I tried to get up and put my tee-shirt on and nearly rolled out of the bunk, while trying to get into my wheelchair I nearly collapsed on the floor, with the roll of the ship it was nearly impossible to get anything else on. With most bits of me covered, it took ages to get to the bar where there is room to put the thicker clothes on and the waterproofs. We were rolling around so hard that the brakes on the wheelchair could not stop it from travelling on its own, it was an awful feeling, it is the only time I have ever felt that I was not in control.

 

    Up on the Bridge you could hear the wind cracking through the rigging and occasionally cracking the sail as the person battled with the helm, this was the stuff of old black and white movies. My wheelchair was strapped to the deck with the unwin straps and I harnessed myself to the superstructure, just in case. It was so difficult trying to breath and keep my eyes open as the force 8 blew through, and there was another 31/2 hours of this, everything was so black somewhere out there is a horizon.

 

    After a couple of hours I was so cold from the wind and wet from the sea spray, I was unleashed from the Bridge and moved to the Charthouse, where it was a little less breezy and not so wet. Because of the conditions Piers needed to be on the Bridge, we were short handed Chris, Roy and Deryck were too ill, so I was left alone to concentrate on the radar and shout for Piers if anything appeared. At times he took the wheel so that crew could come into the Charthouse to get out of the wind for half an hour, no-one felt like going to make a cuppa. As we came off watch we were told that we were ahead of time and would probably call in somewhere, it was little consolation for the past 4 hours.

 

    The next watch took in the T’Gallant sails which reduce our speed from 7 knots to 4 knots, but did nothing for the swell or the tilt of my bunk. Come 0730 and now under motor it was reasonably safe to get up and walk and watch the next port appear. Hang on a mo, this looks a bit familiar, where are we? LOWESTOFT! Wow what a place to visit on your holiday.

 

    Breakfast was delayed until we had docked, so all hands were on deck for the usual harbour stow, consequently things were a bit of a muddle as everyone arrived together. Happy hour had me cleaning the port heads, lovely job, but at least the Ajax smells quite nice, I got wetter cleaning the showers than when I was having one. Anyway I quietly beavered away and put the dirty kit in the laundry. Tidied up the cabin and all the stuff discarded from the night watch that had made its way to the floor. Most people were commentating on the rolling around last night and the noise of the anchour.

 

    The anchors are not flush with the hull, they overhang, so when you hit a wave it forces the anchors away from the hull and as you start to rise they bang against the metal, sending a resounding thud throughout the ship.

                

         Lunch today was pasta shells with creamed leeks, it was so warm and filling that I had seconds. Just after lunch Watchleader Derek came into the Lower Mess and said that he had been told we would be most welcome at the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club,”Not the nobs and snobs club, even Lizzy Windsor needs an official written invitation to go in there!” I cried.

 

    I found out today that Cyril the Bosun is from Lichfield Road, he is sneeking home to sleep in a proper, still, flat bed, that’s not fair. Today I am on mess duty, Mark said we were not needed until 1730 as there was no need for a smoko at 1500.

 

    I had a shower and this time it was the dirty knickers that fell on the floor and got wet. Then I helped Jo with her stocktaking of the ship shop, counting tee-shirts, sweatshirts, polo shirts, mugs, badges etc. It was a chance to catch up on the gossip, she has become a lot more tolerant and understanding since her illness.

 

    Did something a little wicked this afternoon, Val had got some spare postcards of Antwerp, so I posted one to Dad saying ‘wrong, I am in Lowestoft!!

 

    As I can visit Lowestoft any day of the week I had elected to stay on board, so it was left to me to set the Lower Mess tables for twenty people, and serve the sweet and sour pork with rice followed by cheesecake. It did not take long to clear the Mess and Nigel saw to the dishwasher and the Upper Mess, so my job was over quickly.

 

    Sitting in the Lower Mess gave me a chance to have a chat with Martin who is a full time professional carer (He is buddy to David, a very difficult person to handle), it was sad to hear David’s story. All his problems are self- inflicted, he has no fear, he drove into a brick wall for a dare, David is still obnoxious and rude but he so wanted to sail. John the Doc had given David a sedative to calm him down and make him sleep, which gave Martin some free time, we had a lovely time talking about love, life and the universe, you know the thing you always talk about to a perfect stranger over a pint or three.

 

    It did not take me long to fall asleep, it could have been the alcohol or the lack of sleep from the night before.

 

Thursday 8th May 1998

    I had a really good nights sleep and woke up about 0500, which was a shame as I did not need to get up until 0645, but I got up at 0630 anyway.

 

    Set up for breakfast in the Upper Mess before we got ready to leave Lowestoft Harbour. We used one of the local college boats to pull around the bow so we were facing the right way, give them touch of real boat work was the general comment made by the permanent crew. We motored through the Bridge at 0915 (sorry traffic but tome and tide and all that), as soon as we left the pier heads all sails were set and we made way up the coast, just far enough out to make out landmarks, Gt. Yarmouth Tower, Hemsby windfarm, Winterton church, Happisbourgh Lighthouse.

 

    After the dishwasher had done its stuff Mark set about happy hour jobs, I cleaned the Upper Mess seats. The next job to make muesli, a hand full of mixed fruit, raisins, some sun dried apricots, hazelnuts, walnuts and then handfuls of oats – it looks, smells and feels disgusting. My fellow mess men are Les ( a bit my way or not at all), John the Doc (really nice) and Jessica (who gets seasick walking through a puddle). After that cut and chop the lettuce, peppers and tomatoes for the lunchtime salad. Then put away and clean up and lay the table for the lunch, beef burgers with fried onions and salad. Thankfully after the dishwashing and clearing was done I was relieved of duty.

 

    I was sitting is the Upper Mess for ages and I could not understand where Sue was, I had asked her to bring the wheelchair up to the Upper Mess after lunch. At 1500 I gave up and asked someone else, when I got back to the cabin Sue was fast asleep.

 

    Back in the Upper Mess for dinner as we were on the 1800 to 2000 watch, dinner was roast chicken breast with broccoli, cauliflower and rice, delicious.

 

    On watch I was placed into the repaired helming chair, where I stayed at the helm for the whole two hours. Piers wanted me to stay at the helm as sails were being stowed to slow us down and he knew I could cope with the way things are pushed about. This was going to be our last watch as we are due in Kings Lynn at 0530. It was a pleasant evening, breezy but we had known it colder, light blue skies with fluffy clouds, we had known them darker and that strange orange ball in the sky, debated whether it was Venus or Mars, it could’nt be the sun!!

 

    Came off watch a little after 2000 and retired to the bar to toast the success of the watch and the holiday and to join in the singing and tall tale telling. As I write this log there is only 5 hours of the voyage left and that will be while I am asleep, but the fun does not stop there!!

 

Friday 9th May 1998

     Woke early by the travellers packing and getting ready to leave the ship as soon as the gangway is lowered. Sue is busy packing. There is a bit of sunshine but the quay is not exactly picturesque. After a cramped breakfast I the Lower Mess the Captain came down and gave us the debriefing.

 

    We had bad wind direction and seed at the beginning of the voyage, which made things a little rough (muffled comments by the crew), but the second half had been better (even more muffled comments). We had covered a total of 549 nautical  miles and sailed 42% of it. He thanked us for all pulling together and making it a fantastic voyage and reminded us of the signing-off procedure.

 

    The sun was shining on deck and it was lovely and warming, such a difference from the beginning of the voyage. It was sad to say byr-bye to all those people some of whom I had only had a couple of conversations with but still it was hugs and kisses and “take care”, “Hope to see you again”, “Nice to spend sometime with you” and “Sorry if my hands grabbed anywhere they should not have while you were rolling around”. People were leaving throughout the day and the ship took on a very different feeling, gone was the holiday atmosphere, replaced by the feeling of a commercial ship. 

 

    I was enjoying the sunshine, minding my own business when John the Doc came and found me and asked if I would do an interview for Radio Norfolk, which I did. Captain John came and said thank you and admitted not enjoying talking to the media.

 

    Barbara saw me on deck and pointed “Your staying for the weekend aren’t you?”, “Err Yesss” I cautiously replied, “Can you do me a small favour” she says smiling, “Yes” a bit more cautious and suspicious, “The French flag has a hole in it and when that’s done you can repair the JST flag it is up the fore mast, thanks I will get my sewing kit” and off she disappeared, Steve and Roger giggled, my fault I should have made myself look busy.

 

    Lunch was a serve yourself buffet affair of quiche lorraine, pork pie, ham, cheese, spiced rice and peas, tomatoes in balsamic vinegar, salad and French stick bread, it was tasty.

 

    After lunch, back to the needle and thread in the Charthouse to finish the neat blanket stitch before the herringbone stitch, more work than the French deserved, but Captain John was impressed. Then a strange moment of nerves, which one of there ropes is the fore mast flag rope? I ease the flag down through the rigging and remembered to keep hold of both ends as I released the flag, then to survey the damage. A little ripped at the ends, its shredded!! What a job every time I finished repairing a rip I found another hole, I wish I knew about this when we were in Lowestoft, I would have gone home and repaired it in my sewing machine.

 

    Throughout the day people have been arriving to do some general maintenance or get things ready for the forth coming port visit, slowly the ship took on another air, back was the feeling of strangers.

 

    Tonight I am eating ashore with Val, Alan and Monica, it made a nice change, then back on board for a night cap and bed.

 

Saturday 10th May 1998

     Awake early and up to the Upper Mess to get breakfast, serve yourself time. Then back to the flag before briefing about the open day, the ship was due to be open from 1000 to 1200 and 1400 to 1600. Today some of the permanent crew are going on leave, Chris the Engineer (and Barbara’s hubby), Jo the Purser, Nigel and Beccie the Bosun’s Mate, Martin the Cooks assistant, new crew were arriving.

 

    At 0930 the briefing was held in the Lower Mess, the queue of interested on-lookers was already along the quay. I was to be positioned by the Main Mast with leaflets and the sea chest for donations and also to sell keyrings and badges. I was just about to dive into my cabin to put on my new polo shirt (both Val and I had bought new shirts as they were the only clean clothes we had), when Captain John shouted me. There was a reporter and photographer from the Eastern Daily Press, another interview and I had my photo taken on the bowsprit, complete with windswept hair!  

 

    It was really busy telling people about the voyage, what it is like to sail and what things are about to help the disabled. I was glad when they had gone by 1215 so I could sit down and have some lunch, buffet style. Then time to spend another half hour on the flag before the afternoon briefing at 1330.

 

    The afternoon session was even more busy than the morning, poor Beryl it must have been exhausting in her Nelson costume. I sold all the keyrings and badges and three teddy bears, and once the ship was cleared by 1700, the sea chest had amassed over £400.

 

    Back to the flag, this is beginning to feel like penance for breaking the chair, managed to get it finished just after dinner before the dignatories evening started. I folded it up so it was ready to be hoisted and unfurled from the fore mast and popped it into the Charthouse.

 

    At dinner I was sitting with Captain John, Francis and Janetta Cator, who remembered me and Lynn from the Keel laying ceremony. Dinner was shepherds pie with carrots and cabbage with cheese cake for pudding.

 

    I helped set up the deck bar, with glasses of red wine, whiter wine and orange juice, slowly people were starting to arrive. The Mayor of Kings Lynn and the Mayor of Hunstanton in their official cars, and chairpersons of various groups like Rotorary, Lions etc.

 

    Time to meet and mingle with invited dignatories at the evening reception. Beryl piped aboard those who’s ranks warranted it, it gave the evening a proper posh feel. Showing people around the deck, it was a great feeling being able to talk with confidence about life onboard (well the edited highlights). Most people seem amazed that the galley is do small, just wait till they see below!

 

    At 2200 we swept and swabbed the decks before a last drink in the bar and to polish off the nibbles before bed just after midnight.

 

    I had just about fallen into a deep sleep, when I woke up with a start and my heart racing – Oh god I’ve gone and packed my house keys!!

 

Sunday 11th May 1998

     After breakfast it was time to unpack to find the house keys and repack (well just ram everything back in the bag), strip the bunk and put the dirties in the laundry, and give the cabin a last all over check to make sure nothing has been left behind.

      What’s this, what’s this, just as the maintenance crew were about to open the varnish tins, it bucketed down with rain, wonderful the weather is never right.

      Barbara is going on leave today (she had to stay on for the dignatories evening last night), whilst we were chatting over coffee at smoko, I found out that this is only the second time she and Chris have sailed together in their ten years together. Chris was on as a relief Engineer.

     Dick arrived just after smoko and after a cup of coffee and a slice of fresh baked chocolate cake, my bags, chair and me were off and heading home.

 

Monday 12th May 1998

     Telephone goes a little after 1800 – Hey Aunty there’s a load of masts in Gt. Yarmouth is it your boat? Off I go to see, it could not be she set off for Amsterdam last night. But there she was, as I walked to the quayside Captain John was just coming down the ratlines, he took a double take as he saw me and said “Bet you did not expect to see us so soon”, mt reply “No, Amsterdam is the

At way! Unfortunately, due to the strong Easterly winds getting across would have been a ‘bit bumpy’ ( translated that means very very rough). Peter the relief cook asked where the nearest supermarket was, I offered to take him now as I had the car. Poor Asda, no fruit juice, ice-cream or fresh bread left.

 

Tuesday 13th May 1998

 

    Arranged to meet Mum and Dad at 1200 to take them down to Gorleston pier so they could see my mended flag flying from the fore mast. Captain John spied me and gave me a lovely big wave good-bye. As she sailed out to sea, she suddenly looked small. A lot smaller than when you are on her leaving port. Watching her head out, there seemed something very final about it, it will probably be a few years before I see her and her crew again – my heart ached and my eyes filled, oh how I miss her. 
 

Closing thoughts

 

    It is strange, for the first few days you think what am I doing here, stop the ship I want to get off, why have I done this again and in the last few days you think, bugger Kings Lynn lets just keep going, due south, anywhere warm and sunny, who needs a job, who wants to go home anyway. Knowing how bad the bad times are and believe me they are really bad, how good must the good times be to make you want to sail on her again and again. I think my next voyage will be on the new ship in 2000 or perhaps a winter voyage in the Canaries before Captain John takes over the new ship or perhaps…..see I am definitely addicted.

 

    It takes me ages to settle when I get home, I find myself doing silly things. I cannot sleep I miss the noise of the generator. Its terrible, I’ve got to wait for the kettle to boil before I can have a hot drink. Oh hell I’ve got to cook my own meals, what do I fancy (another trip) to eat?

 

    I am restless and disorientated, I miss the routine, the people and the life style and I am still swaying all over the place. That ship should carry a government health warning.

 

 

‘SAILING ON THE LORD NELSON WILL SERIOUSLY AFFECT YOUR SANITY’

 

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