Life’s a high for ship’s leading hand (+ video)

Matthew Smith, of Dunedin, scales the foremast of Spirit of New Zealand during a public open day...
Matthew Smith, of Dunedin, scales the foremast of Spirit of New Zealand during a public open day at the Dunedin harbour basin. Photo by Stephen Jaquiery.

Dangling precariously from a sailing ship's 35m-high mast in soggy weather used to shiver Matthew Smith's timbers.

But yesterday, the 18-year-old Dunedin man made it look like a piece of cake, as he made his way up one of the three masts of Spirit of New Zealand in Dunedin Harbour.

"When you're sailing on this ship, you really do push your physical and mental barriers.

"I've seen many trainees who are really frightened of climbing up big heights on the mast, but come day eight or nine of their voyage, they get more confident up there.

"When you're up on the yards [the cross beams that hold the sails on the masts] with the ship going at full speed, that's definitely a bit of an adrenaline rush.''

Mr Smith did a training voyage on Spirit of New Zealand in 2014, while still at secondary school, and has since gone on to become a leading hand on the vessel, helping the crew and other trainees on several voyages around New Zealand.

He was one of several guides who showed about 600 visitors around the Spirit of Adventure Trust's training barquentine during its open day in Dunedin yesterday.

Life aboard the tall ship was simple but challenging, he said. When trainees boarded the vessel, all mobiles and other electronic devices were taken from them.

There is little water on board, so a plunge off the deck into the sea each morning substitutes for morning showers.

And the rigging is all "block and tackle'' - there are no winches, so it requires manual effort to hoist and lower the sails.

"For some people, being on the ship is a bit like going back in time.''

While there are mod-cons, such as computers, radio communications, the latest navigation equipment and a large diesel engine, it was mostly run manually, he said.

The trust's chief executive officer, Dean Lawrence, said Spirit of New Zealand made about 25 voyages per year, regardless of the weather.

The vessel is expected to leave Dunedin at noon today.

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