A lot to learn for a fresh sailor

The students from Åsane Folkehøgskole are no exeption, they have also read the handbook, trying to remember and understand.

They embarked in Lisbon. A few days ago, when the ship finally got fair winds and could shut down the engine and set sail towards Cadiz, it was their job to get the sails set.

Practice and practice

High above the deck, struggeling with ropes, knots and canvas, you also have to hold on. Not easy when you stand on thin wires, waves rolling beneath you.

Reading the handbook is not enough, you have to practice before you climb up for the first time. So the crew has made a mini version of parts of the rig down on deck. There, the students learn how all the different knots are tied, and they practice folding the sails together right, so that they can be quickly set again.

The dog's watch

It is not only the acrobatics in the rig that are a challenge to inexperienced sailors. Mikkel Volden (20) is on the white guard team, on watch from 04 to 08 in the morning.

- You have no choice but to get up ... you may call it late, or early, Mikkel smiles, and is happy that he is shaken out of sleep by those who go off duty.

- I would have been harder if I had had to wake up by myself.

The dog's watch is nice when you get used to getting up early. Daylight dawns, and you get to see the sunrise.

- I had chosen this guard again, says Mikkel.

Varies

The tasks of the guard teams vary.

- Sometimes I am on the buoy watch. Then you stand and watch to see if anyone should fall into the water. I stand at the helm, and we also do fire inspections around the ship, Mikkel says.

On the off-duty, people relax, talk and eat.

- Not too much, I have heard that you get seasick more easily on a very very full stomach, says Mikkel.

Below you see the page in the handbook that illustrates how the square sails are hauled up and then secured in place by ropes.