Swedish East Indiaman, The Gotheborg

[harry hackedoff]

Ahoy and avast there me hearties! Fetch me another cabinboy, this`uns split
I`m only posting this here because you Jolly Jack Tars talk such boring shite, mostly. Don`t ee ever get out, ffs?

Anyways, to my point, Gentlemen, and Ladies,.....

As some may know, I have a fascination for the age of sail, nay The Great Age Of Sail, hearts of oak and bollocks of steel. Down here we have a copy of James T Cooke`s ship, H.M. Barque Endeavour and mighty fine she is too. Then there`s the first Cloggie ship ever to clock the excellant surf break at Margaret River, the Duyfken(little dove)
Well me hearties, those nice lads wot makes Volvos used to be pretty good at the old sea faring routine and they have re-created in every minute detail, as fine an example of eighteenth century craftsmanship as you are ever likely to see. Every single item in her, nails sails cordage and line spars masts and decks, everything, have all been made by hand.
She`s on a goodwill visit from Sweden to China for no good reason, but the thing is she puts in to Freo in five or so days and I`m going aboard

Here`s her website, broadbanders watch the vid, bloody good thing to see a young English girl atop her mainmast as they hoist the top gallants, what`s even more impressive is she can say "t`gallnts" like a natural
Take care, mind, for some of you Lubberish types might come over all peculiar like,

Imagine if you can, JR and Owdun, climbing the rigging with a Brown Bess in one hand a Cutlass in the other and a bottle of Pussers in the third as they tried to evade extra duty off the killick

Enough of this, here is her website, bloody good too, even if it`s partly in Svenske Knock yerself out

www.soic.se

[OMSSMretd]

Beat to quarters, tis a sailing ship of old me thinks, ladden with spanish gold. Let fly the Jolly Roger. Ahgrh.

[harry hackedoff]

Surface Contact. Range three thousand, bearing and Mark, down periscope! Open outer doors on tubes one and four.

[OMSSMretd]

Roger surface contact, microwave manned and ready.

[Doc]

One ping only number one...........

[harry hackedoff]

Roger, microwave. Stand by washing machine crew.
"Washing machine, Aye Sir"
Set spin cycle revolutions to nine hundred,
"Nine hundred Aye, Sir"
Stand by powder, stand by conditioner,
"Powder and conditioner standing by Sir"
Set half-load and economy,
"Setting now, Sir"
Stand by to wash, engage on my mark, and, three, two, one Mark
"Washing cycle engaged, commenced rinsing"
Roger, secure when spin cycle is complete and revolutions are zero.

[Artist]

Oie just wish I could find me Mary Celeste post Bert...............

Gun fireing gun stops.

Force Cabin boy to have a dekko down the barrel. BOOM!

Indent for another Cabin boy.

Artist

[harry hackedoff]

Forgot what I came on here for?
Oh yes, that was it, she`s made such good progress that she`s here! Saw her sailing back and to on reciprocal headings about fifteen miles offshore late yesterday arvo. No mention in the press, mind I`ll keep me eye out for when they declare ship open to visitors and in a vain attempt to secure preferential treatment, oi`s sent`em a BZ on behalf of you know who
They can only say "Herry, vy done chew ferk offe"
We`ll see

[harry hackedoff]

Artist, since oi`s sacked the mod gig, oi duzzent know wer tiz, moi luvver

[harry hackedoff]

Clock her website, there`s stacks on there. Great phots as they stood up her frames and began planking her, an idiots guide to 17th/18th cent shipbuilding techniques

Here`s the last from her site
www.soic.se

QUOTE


8/5 2006
Australia!
The Swedish Ship Götheborg has arrived in Australia, one week before expected time of arrival. Strong winds during the final days made the sailing very fast. Already Saturday we spotted the approach lighthouse on Rottnest Island off the coast of Fremantle. The entire crew was on deck to see it was really true. After 4,900 nautical miles and 42 days at sea, seeing only one other ship, it felt good to see land again. We are now a few nautical miles from Fremantle, awaiting the port-call on Saturday, May 13th. The next few days the crew will do various maintenance jobs on board, making Götheborg ship-shape in every way before we sail into Fremantle harbour

Fark me She must be in a right shite order iffen they need a whole week to clean her up What the flock have they been doing on the way down here And they must know a short-cut 4,900 miles my arse, it`s at least 9 000miles from Svenske to here
Bloody good effort all round, I say. Here`s to`em

[harry hackedoff]

I can`t believe the sheer lack of imagination here.
These young kids have dug out blind, forty two days worth, to sail her down here the hard way. That`s via Brazil and Cape Town not via the canal. They`ve been giving it rocks and beat their eta by six days but because all the welcome events are geared for next Saturday she has to ponce about over the horizon and just come inshore occasionally.
Fark my old sea boots! Why the fark didn`t she put in up the coast ffs.
How threaders would you be? Close enough to Cottesloe beach this arvo to see the nipples on the surfeys but no shore party. I`d be farking ballistic.
When I finally get on board I`ll be asking about this shit

Here`s the official word from the hurdey gurdeys. By the way, did you know that this ship is the biggest flat pack that IKEA have ever made Read this and weep, girls. What an adventure

9/5 2006
At anchor
Awaiting the portcall in Fremantle the crew is working hard to get the Swedish Ship Götheborg ship-shape. Weather is great, sun and nearly calm. Today and yesterday the watch off duty have had the opportunity to row over to a small beach to sunbathe and swim. Those on board have been very industrious, some hanging along the sides of the hull smearing it others painting details that have taken a beating during our voyage. Our plans are to sail out Thursday, arrive to the roads off the harbour Friday and then make our entrance Saturday.


Yesterday the immigration authorities came to check our passports. We also had a shipment of fresh provisions from land which was very popular. Furthermore there was a delivery of fresh fruit. It is strange that things you otherwise take for granted can taste so wonderfully!

heyup, what`s that

some hanging along the sides of the hull smearing it,

Presumably with man fat

They`s been going ashore on a quiet beach on Rotto when they are less than fifteen klicks from pardy pardy and neat sex. I`m surprised they haven`t keel hauled the Skipper and mutiny-ed

[harry hackedoff]

Well, she finally made it into Freo and Jack and I went aboard her this arvo. Very impressive she is. Not a museum piece, but as accurate as could possibly be reproduced, an eighteenth century armed merchantman of the Swedish Ost India Companiet. She has the feel of a working vessel and the smells, too. Especially the smells! I spoke to many of her crew, both Swedes and a few English and they all had the look of old salts about them, walking barefoot across the decks, pony-tails freshly tarred, pipe drooping out of the corner of the mouth. And that was just the girls . Everything needed a damn good scrub and the decks have never seen holy stones. I asked about the errors on the web page and once they explained, it made sense to me at last. They had made the first leg down to Brazil, then sailing almost due easterly, they had caught the trade winds and crossed to SA. It took forty-odd days and four and a half thousand miles to make the passage from Port Elizabeth to Fremantle and these youngsters were as proud as, of their achievement. Quite right too, I say. I asked why they never put ashore further up the coast till today. I realise all the official shit was organised years in advance but it wouldn’t have hurt would it? “No Herry, Ve heff to gleean ze ship she vaz really filthy” I did wonder why they never finished then. Then I realised the wet-look stuff they had smeared over her sides was some sort of pitch and it was everywhere.
They did get ashore on the RAN Naval Base on Garden Island for a few wets and were all looking forward to a week off in Perth. I gave them a few places where a good run can be assured.
Her next leg is up to Jakarta then over to Canton before the return leg to Sweden via Suez and Cadiz. I think it`s bloody marvellous that people have the drive to put things like this together

[OMSSMretd]

Great phots 'aitch, see you've trained the lad to pull up a bollard . Nice to see you using the traditional heads.

[harry hackedoff]

Nice to see you using the traditional heads

Oi you "Seats of ease" if you please
I`m actually dumping on the first class passenger`s viewing platform
Where the flock is JR when you need him?

[harry hackedoff]

Today she set sail for Jakarta and China, fantastic site to see. Watching her as she passed the north mole had me thinking of the Golden Age.

Walking pace was what these ships made.
Most of the time.
Four knots up to twelve on a good day. Walking pace up to marathon pace.
She was doing less than three knots by my reckoning as she passed the mole and once again I was reminded of the death of Nelson. The Viccy was tear-arsing towards the frogs at the breakneck speed of four knots and for abouit fifteen minutes was standing into the French shot with no way to reply. Nelson had given his orders and the plan had taken over.
"It" was running him, he was not running "it".
So, what else would a gentleman do? Stroll up and down her quarterdeck like he was on Brighton Prom, chatting to old Hardy, smilling at the young matelots about to give their all. How inspiring that must have been.
And here`s me point. On a ship making four knots headway, if Nelson and Hardy are going for`d, well then moi luvvers, their total speed would be eight knots(ships speed plus their walking speed ) However, when they`s a`going aft, they actually present a stationary target.
Ship`s speed minus their walking speed equals zero. Geddit?
So called experts dispute that Nelson was shot deliberately. From the foretop of Redoutable it was an easy shot to make.
However me hearties, here she be, a`slippin the coast of Hostralya


She`s under way with about two thirds of her square sails up. None of her fore and aft sails are out. (From the jibboom aftwards) She has a further two sets called studding sails. They are hung on extensions to each end of every yard either side and effectively triple her square sail area. The yard extensions to carry these "stunsulls" are either slung on deck or lashed vertical to the mast. There is a knot called the "stunsul bend"




Finally she drops the rest of her square sails and engages warp drive


How gracefull she sails, travelling the globe at walking pace.
Sunset on me way home, bastard, hey?


Surface contacts Aft.

Kiev Class destroyer and two anti submarine frigates, high speed targets in the water,approaching, impact in one minute fifteen

Flood Q, hard a starboard, maximum negative dive angle, maximum revolutions, deploy counter measures, brace brace brace

But darling, it`s only the cash machine at Tesco