Spanish Tall Ship

A conversation among Whalers
Jefecinco
Posts: 1592
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 6:35 pm
Location: Gulf Shores, AL

Spanish Tall Ship

Postby Jefecinco » Wed Apr 03, 2019 10:25 am

This afternoon we will board and tour the Spanish Royal Navy tall ship during it's visit to the Pensacola Naval Air Station. I plan to ask to see the engine spaces but I don't hold out much hope of being accommodated. Without a hard hat it's pretty easy to get hurt simply moving around in those usually cramped spaces. If the ship's Engineering Officer is available I'll ask him about the generators and auxiliary propulsion system.

The ship is said to be the third largest tall ship in the world. I don't know if that is based on tonnage, LOA, height of the masts or some other criteria. I believe the crew are Royal Navy sailors and Midshipmen of the Royal Naval Academy.

We have never boarded a tall ship so we're prepared to learn quite a bit.
Butch

porthole
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Location: LSD Lower Slower Delaware

Re: Spanish Tall Ship

Postby porthole » Wed Apr 03, 2019 12:02 pm

And the Angels should be flying today
Thanks,
Duane
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jimh
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Re: Spanish Tall Ship

Postby jimh » Wed Apr 03, 2019 1:08 pm

Have fun on the tour and visit.

ASIDE: I spent a week on the SV ROYAL CLIPPER. I got the engine room tour and also climbed the rat lines to the first level crows nest— while underway under sail. I also got to take the helm and tack the ship—under very careful supervision. At first I was not sure I was really steering that 540-foot fully-rigged ship, but I made some minor helm changes and watched the compass move a few degrees—and I really was driving that beast.

Jefecinco
Posts: 1592
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 6:35 pm
Location: Gulf Shores, AL

Re: Spanish Tall Ship

Postby Jefecinco » Thu Apr 04, 2019 9:57 am

We enjoyed the tour despite the large crowds aboard. Because of the crowds and crowd control measures we were unable to move about anywhere but above decks. The weather was perfect at 70 degrees and light wind. Midshipmen were placed all around the ship to answer questions and despite some accents did a notable job. We were provided handouts with some technical and historical information in Spanish. As my Spanish has deteriorated in the 34 years since I spoke it on a daily basis I was only confident in about 70% of my translation. I did speak some Spanish with a couple of the Midshipmen while asking about the ship's machinery. They knew only a little about the engineering spaces but knew everything about the rigging and deck machinery. They spend six months aboard cruising around and learning the basics of seamanship.

The ship is a steel hulled barquentine with four masts and an LOA of 371 feet without counting (I assume) the bowsprit. Displacement is 3673 tons, draft 23 feet, beam 43 feet, height 159 feet and she sails at 20 MPH but makes only 15 MPH under power alone. She flies 21 sails.

Rather than parrot a lot of statistical data I'll refer you to Wikipedia under "Juan Sebastian de Elcano". It's an interesting short read, highly recommended.

The Midshipmen were well represented by young ladies.

As Duane suggested, the Blue Angles were flying in the skies nearby and added a lot of entertainment for the crowds and, I hope, for the ship's crew of 23 officers, 81 Midshipmen, 20 Petty Officers, 140 Sailors and 6 civilians. As we were leaving the Captain was piped aboard in a tiny but nevertheless interesting ceremony.
Butch