Dan or Justy

The crew asked for a CD. They said mellow. What went wrong I can't say exactly, but the CD I burned for them will probably never be forgotten. It will be referenced by crews I never met. A kind of immortality, I suppose.

Our first day at sea, sailing the Whitsundays. The ship is preternaturally still. Admittedly there is lttle wind, but she is as steady as if lashed to a sheltered dock. The Solway Lass has a long and varied history, starting with it's construction in 1902. Her primary feature of construction was that for a 127 foot ship, she drafted but 6.5 feet. This made her eminently suitable for transporting heavy goods by small rivers, and canals in an age before trucking goods was possible. This she did for years.

World War I saw her be seized by both sides in turn and employed to move war materiel. In the years between the wars, she was bought by Scottish concerns in the Firth of Solway and rechristened the Solway Lass. This name was ignored in the Second World War as she was used by the Germans. An allied mine tore her stern off at one point, but she was refitted and used as a sail-powered icebreaker in the north.

After the war, the age of container ships arrived. Ships like the Solway Lass were on the market for a mere 2000 Pounds Sterling. Each was an albatross around its owners neck.

Solway Lass was sold and she took up general cargo work in the South Pacific. Tahiti, Fiji, etc. This she did happily for many years. Then the container ships came to the South Pacific. Solway Lass was no longer wanted.

She lay neglected for years until an Australian businesman bought her. He refinished her and she was the pride of the 1st Fleet Bicentennial celebration in Sydney harbor. After that, she served as a floating, cruising restaurant for over a decade. Alas, this was not so successful. The dining room, while exquisitely appointed, lacked windows.

Another change of owners and a refit for cruising in the Whitsundays. Here, the old girl has definitely found her niche. She is a feast for the eyes. At once a classic figure, but also replete with all the miscellany one expects of a tallship. I am a layperson in these matters, so I shall use my own vocabulary: the multiple sails, some small, two large. The many, many ropes tied here and there with a dizzying array of knots. Wooden planking for a deck, each piece sealed by hand. The quarters were small, but functional. She is rated to carry 37, but only sells 32, plus crew. There are no portholes.

For the enjoyment of passengers and spectators alike, there is a swing rope attached to the main mast. The Swedes took advantage of this and I have video of Cirque du Sverige.

Justine took the dive offered in the morning. She came back glowing. As with most uninhabited places, the reef starts just off the beach. It was healthy and quite populated. I remained dry, under doctor's orders. I don't want to risk not getting to dive the Yongala or even risk our liveaboard to the northern Coral Sea at February's end.

Justine also snorkeled in the afternoon and once again had great praise for the quality of the experience. I was shipboard for all of this and found out that the a/c is not run during the day. This is probably fine during the winter (ha!) but in the depth of summer is a real bummer.