27/04/12 - Lord Nelson

To bring a ship such as the Lord Nelson from the Azores to home waters in Southampton is no mean feat, especially so when the majority of the crew are new to sailing and tall ships. Make no mistake it is not a cruise ship and all on board have to muck in on galley duties, going aloft, cleaning the heads ( toilets to most people ) and peeling spuds.No matter what the brochure may say, it is not a glamerous task and must be undertaken to avoid anarchy prevailing!!
But what happens may you ask if there is a refusal or to put it into nautical terms, a Mutiny?

Well, I think the JST are ahead of the game on this and have looked at other organisations such as, for example, the Moonies.
What follows is a system of psychological measures designed to erode any thoughts of said mutiny. First there is sleep deprevation by arranging the cabin to pitch and roll, then altering sleep patterns by a watch system designed to one day get you up at midnight and the next at four in the morning. The watch system changes in such away that the body clock cannot keep up. Alarms are forbidden and fellow crew are tasked to awake fellow crew members.
Then there is the constant work ethic allowing no idle time to conspire. The jobs undertaken are then rewarded with treats such as a smoko, a strange recurring ritual of tea and special cakes from the galley.
You are also taken away from your family with no means of contact (especially so on the Azores to Southampton trip )

Through this system we all become compliant to the Reverent Moon (aka the Captain ) and his henchman the First Mate, with the result that the ship sails on homeward bound with no talk of Mutiny as we become reliant on their leadership to pull us through.

I have just returned from the platform on the mast enjoying spectacular views of the Jurassic coast as we sail home to Southampton, views that only a low flying light aircraft can enjoy. Not a bad way to spend a Thursday afternoon. However must get back, 42 meals to serve up and it wouldn't be good to be late!

Update, Friday 27th........we are alongside in Cowes, after a great day of sailing from our overnight anchorage in Swanage Bay. We picked up a film crew in the Solent, and it has been lights...camera ..action... all the way in! So, time to take off my pinny and go ashore.