Summary: This is the first of a 7-part series describing my 8-day voyage on a twin masted tall ship on the Baltic Sea. Click here to see a list of the series posts.

Last May I took part in a wonderful sailing voyage on the Abel Tasman, a twin masted schooner.

My friend of 38 years, Frank, invited me to join 16 of his closest friends. He had been a guest on the same tall ship the previous year and decided for his birthday he wanted to invite his friends to sail.

It had been decades since I’d gone sailing. In high school, I sailed a Pelican sailboat in front of my home frequently. I can’t remember sailing since.

I’ve often imagined how fun it would be to go on a multi-day sailing cruise, perhaps up the Oregon and Washington coast to the Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia. But I have neither the skills, crew, nor craft to do it. So, when Frank invited me, I leapt at the opportunity!

Our Ship

The Abel Tasman is named after the 17th century Dutch seafarer and explorer who reached Tasmania and New Zealand. It is from him the name Tasmania originates. The ship is 110 years old and 40.5 meters/132 feet long. It can sleep up to 30 passengers, although we were just 17.

The ship was run by only a captain and two young women as crew. We provided the muscle to raise and lower sails, prepare and serve meals, and clean. We were welcome to take the wheel, which I did many times.

We met the ship in Eckernförde, Germany, about 30 miles from the border of Denmark.

Our cabins were small as expected. Each had a sink, but to my surprise, also a small private shower stall.

The galley (kitchen) was well appointed, at least to my eyes.

Up a tight spiral staircase was the mess. This was where we ate our meals, relaxed indoors, played cards, and socialized.

Here is a video walk-through of the ship:

We had developed a meal plan in the preceding months, and at the dock we loaded crates of fresh produce, dry goods, and everything we planned to cook and eat. There was a large refrigerator, freezer, and pantry below deck, and on deck were several large storage containers for all the food.

The Passengers

I was the only American in the group. The majority were German, of course, friends from throughout Frank’s life going back to childhood. Many were from Berlin and Hamburg. One family was from Bavaria, and one individual was Swiss.

The captain was a 29-year-old Swiss man. He’d been sailing professionally for a decade, and the two women crew were German.

Everyone spoke German and English, although I endeavored to speak only German during the trip. I pride myself on my accent, but I have forgotten so many words and my grammar has gotten really rusty in the decades since I studied in Germany.

Click here to continue to Part 2

Sailing the Baltic 7-Part Series:
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Getting Underway
Part 3: Flying Sails, Flying Cards
Part 4: A Lecture and New Speed Record
Part 5: Avernakø and the Captain’s Dinner
Part 6: Sønderborg, Another Talk, and Back To Germany
Part 7: Disembarking and Postlude