Riders on the storm
When I was at school I was fascinated by the novels of C.S.Forester. In the book “the happy return” his hero Horatio Hornblower, captain of his majesty’ frigate ”Lydia” crosses the Atlantic Ocean and rounds Cape Horn on a secret mission without touching land.
The bow figure: Europa riding the bull Zeus
Last week, after a non-stop trip of 81 days the barque “Europa” arrived in her home-base, the port of Scheveningen. A port which the ship hardly ever sees. The boat was surprised by the outbreak of the Corona Virus in Argentina. It happened to a lot of other ships and their crews that there was the danger that it would not be possible to come back. In March, there were no more flights to bring the crew back to Europe. So the captain, Eric Kesteloo, decided to sail her back home. Since he was afraid that the boat would either not be welcome or even grounded for quarantine in one of the possible stopover ports on the way the crew of 19 bought provisions for 3 months and on March 27th they started for their way back non-stop from Ushuaia, Tierra de fuego, Argentina, to Scheveningen in the Netherlands, 10860 nautical miles. Since they were sailing they did not have to stop to bunker fuel on the way. In a radio interview, when the captain was asked what he missed most during these 81 days, he answered “a good storm”.
Eric Kesteloo briefing the plans for the next day
“Europa” was built as the lightship “Senator Brockes” in Germany in 1911. Unimaginable today, but begin of the 20th century there was such a lot of ice floating down the Elbe river in winter that the boat was built with a hulk of steel double as thick as normal. So lying in the mouth of the Elbe river for many decades it guarded as lightship “Elbe 3” the entrance to the port of Hamburg. After the second world war and the start of satellite communication lightships came out of use. For many years the ship was stored as a reserve in ports in Germany.
Europa at sail Amsterdam in 2015 sailing down the North Sea Canal
In 1986 the ship was brought to the Netherlands. A lightship was not meant for sailing. So she was completely renovated, equipped with full masts and re-rigged as a three mast barque. Cabins, a galley and common areas were built in. The ship can house 48 trainees and 16 crew. The EUROPA is an official Sail Training Vessel. As one of the (paying) trainees you join the activities on deck and you participate in sailing the ship under the instructions from the crew.
Europa leading a line of windjammers at the sail out, Amsterdam 2015
The original design of the ship as a lightship with a strong hull predestined Europa to sail in icy waters. The ship has a lot in common with Shackleton’s barque “Endurance”, which was built in 1912. So for many years Europa’s prime destination is Antarctica. Each year she sails from the Netherlands to Argentina in autumn. From Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego she sails to Antarctica for 3 or 4 trips of three weeks in every antarctic summer. Then they sail the roaring forties from Cape Horn to the Cape of Good Hope, a trip scheduled to take 52 days with stops in well known population centers on the way such as South Georgia and Tristan da Cunha. From South Africa they come back to Europe in early summer to take part in sail events and tall ship races.
Europa in Antartica
Some time in 2006 I sat on the ICE in Germany and read an article about “Europa” in the on-board magazine of Deutsche Bahn. The idea to go to Antarctica in a sailing boat fascinated me. By chance it turned out that there was an information meeting on the trips in Amsterdam the week after I came back. I talked to one of the captains and some crew members. I had to go and booked a trip for December 2007.
Europa in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego
So begin December 2007 I flew to Buenos Aires and on to Ushuaia a couple of days later. There I joined the “Europa” as a trainee. The captain was Eric Kesteloo. For several month I kept myself busy reading expedition journals and novels about the discovery of Antarctica. I have already written a lot about these fascinating stories and that trip so I do not repeat myself and only provide some links.
Europa, The Hague
In the years since, climate change also has hit Antarctica heavily and will do so even more in the near future. The shelf ice already is widely reduced. A recent article in National Geographic showed that all except of two of the emperor penguin colonies are threatened in their survival. These animals are untouched by civilization. Even the arctic cruises don’t get so far. But human activities have reached a degree that even the remotest are endangered.
Europa moored in the middle of a construction site in the port of Scheveningen in the 2020 of Corona
After her tour of 81 days Europa ended up in Scheveningen’s third harbor, a construction area, and is moored in the middle of a construction site. You can see the traces of rust and blistered paint after the long time in rough sea. I wonder what the crew feels after they only heard the wind and the waves for many months and now they are surrounded by the sound of sledge hammers and compressors.
Europa in the port of Ushuaia, ready for a trip to Antarctica
In comparison with the cruise ships plowing to Antarctica, tall Europa is tiny
Captain Eric Kesteloo observes the position of the sails after first setting in Beagle Channel off Ushuaia
Sailing in the Drake Passage south of Cape Horn is usually not so quiet
Taking 4 hour watches at the wheel in the Drake passage ... just to stay busy
The control center
Charting the route .... some of the maps are from 1947
Even careful navigation cannot always avoid hitting ice
Bringing the boats to water for a land excursion
In quiet waters this is not a problem
Landing in Yankee harbor
\Europa at the face of the glaciers in Yankee harbor
Some pictures of the end of the world are here: https://eisstahl.blogspot.com/2008/02/ or
For those who want to read more, learn of some of the incredible stories about the discovery of Antarctica or see more pictures https://antarcticamia.blogspot.com
And of course there is the book. You can see a selection of pages when visiting the link https://www.blurb.com/b/652781-shades-of-whiteness
Gentoo Penguins observing the strange intruders
Gentoo penguins breed on nests of little pebbles. Their favorite pasttime is stealing each others pebbles
Oh god, they again
Bredding Gentoo penguins
The first chicks come out end of deember
Skuas are predators who steal eggs and chicks
Europa in the bay of Deception island, the caldera of an active volcano with the ruins of a whaling station
Layers of ash and ice on deception island
The alnost circular bay of Deception island
Anchored among ice floats which kiss the hull at night
The deserted Argentinian antarctic station Almirante Brown in Paradise harbour.... appreciate the naming of the place
Paradise harbour
The whaling vessel Gouvernoren was wrecked on Grahams Island in 1915. It is still there
Caqtain Eric contemplating the loss of one of our anchors
Setting sails
Better not look down ... even in quiet whether there is swell
Europe in full sail is not a frequent sight in the narrow fjords and treacherous winds of the Antarctic peninsula
Cape Horn ... quite unspectacular in nice weather
New Year's party in Antartica ... at +5 C
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