Two totally different adventures in the last month taught me interesting lessons. I sailed on the “Tall Ship”, Nelson, which is beautifully built to accommodate able and disabled voyagers, with ten experienced crew and 30 of us with varied experience. Everyone, unless sea sick, was involved and responsible for everything to make the sailing smooth. There was one team of five women, the rest were teams of guys. Having experienced over the years a macho culture in similar situations I was wary.
My first lesson: Not to assume. The atmosphere was exciting, very supportive with laughter and good-humoured banter. Second lesson: I am more capable and courageous than I thought, steering the Tall Ship on my watch with the moon for a guide. I also climbed to the first look out – not to be sniffed at. Third lesson: It was humbling to watch blind people get on with the job in hand and the chef’s assistant, a young blind woman, being the first at the top mast unfurling the sails. She was awesome.
The more recent journey took me to Gdansk, Poland. Ever the fighter for equality and justice, I was interested in the Solidarity past under the communists and of course the German occupation. Having lived as a child in East Germany under the communist regime, going to school with my communist scarf, having been sworn to silence by the family I lived with because they were Socialist, the Solidaritat Museum brought back the bleakness and fear of people’s lives at the time.
The dock yards, now mostly lying idle, evoked the struggle of the people in the 80s. The old town though was amazing, rebuilt with its wonderful architecture as nearly ninety per cent had been destroyed in World War Two. Throughout the town there were cobbled streets and it was CAR FREE.
Lesson for Rye: Tourists, shoppers, cyclists were able to move freely, mingling and meandering through the cafes and shops. Why can’t we find a similar solution for the High Street on odd days and at particular times? Let’s try it. There were little electric trains, 4-6 seaters which took us around town. Rye could have a couple at the station and external car parks like Gibbet’s Marsh. Great fun. OK, I can see ironic smiles and raised eyebrows. However, we had a great time not needing to dodge cars.
[Editor’s note: Heidi sailed with the Jubilee Sailing Trust on the “Lord Nelson”, built in the 1980s to traditional designs, from Jersey to Cardiff.]
Photo: courtesy JST