DUTCH TALL SHIPS SET SAIL FOR OZ

Image Source: www.facebook.com/TallShipsAustralia2013 

The tall ships are coming!

Set for a Batavia Adventure, the Australian Sail Training Association has announced the 2013 International Tall Ship Festival will be coming to Australia. Three Dutch ships Tecla, Oosterschelde and Bark Europa departed Mauritius this week, embarking on a world voyage bound for Oz. 

Scheduled to grace the home waters of our own beautiful tall ship Leeuwin II and the Duyfken here in Fremantle, the three Dutch ships will arrive on the 27th of July. Fremantle, the first Australian port to be visited by the fleet, will also play host to the UK's Lord Nelson and Indonesia's Dewaruci. The ships will stay in port for several days before returning to sea, headed out on a special voyage to the grounding site of the Dutch vessel Batavia. Guides on board the ships will tell passengers the historic story of the epic shipping disaster, which left WA's Abrolhos Islands to be later known as Batavia's graveyard. It has been 50 years since the wreckage of Batavia was found.

Several Australians are amongst the crew including a well known name around the Leeuwin community, Fran Taylor. 

“Since departing Cape Town we have had some magic sailing, with glorious sunsets, sunrises, stars by the million and not too much rocking and rolling on board,” says Fran.

“We have had nine different nationalities on board, ranging in age from 20-ish to 70-something, and we are quite an eclectic mix. I always enjoy this aspect of tall ship voyaging as well as the sailing, because you often get to cross paths with people whom you normally wouldn't come across.

“We will hit the Indian Ocean proper on our way home to Fremantle. We're hoping for a bit of the roaring 40's, but perhaps not too far south into them. Given all the Dutch wrecks on the West Australian coast from the 1600's, I'm going to be able to remind the captain with some glee to make sure he chucks a left at Cape Leeuwin!"

More than 1,500 berths are available for anyone wanting to sail with the Dutch ships on this discovery adventure. Tall ships will be open to the public in every port. For information on the Dutch Tall Ships and opportunities to join voyages or visit the vessels in Australia, visit www.tallshipfestival2013.com.