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10 February, 2004: "James Craig's exciting program"
Feb 10, 2004
Big and exciting things continue to happen with James Craig. On Boxing Day she was at sea with 80 excited passengers for the start of the Sydney Hobart Race and then, on New Year's Eve, she was the centrepiece of the harbour festivities where 170 guests enjoyed a marvellous night including the fireworks. Australia Day saw her out on the harbour once again, this time with 175 guests, where she took place in the parade and the Tall Ships race. She continues to go to sea, roughly every second weekend, for her regular cruise program, again with about 80 passengers from around the world. She has definitely established herself as a Sydney icon alongside the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.
Two weeks ago, she went out to sea with 45 crew and no passengers. The day had been long planned so that we could capture helicopter shots of her under full sail in a stiff breeze with our, by now highly trained, crew being allowed to show off their wares unencumbered by the constraints of having passengers aboard. We wanted the film to round out a documentary we are making about her recovery, restoration and operation. Remarkably we have archival film going right back to 1972 when the project began.
Only the weather was coming between us and the day out. Thanks to some smart work by the Weather Bureau who turned on a 30 – 35 knot nor’easter on a perfect Sydney summer, cloudless, day with flat seas we had a day to dream about. For a short while, our crew had all 21 sails set although they fairly quickly took down the gaff tops’l as the ship was making too much weather helm. Unbelievably for some, and to the excitement of all, she topped 10.6 knots.
On the 18th February our ship celebrates her 130th birthday, having been launched on that day back in 1874. On Saturday 21st February we are having an open day with members of the public and members of our Fleet invited to come aboard to enjoy what has been achieved. The day will include a march from the City down to the ship with massed pipe bands led by the Clan McLeod (sic) pipe band. Officers, crew and guides will dress in period costume or uniform and it promises to be a grand day of celebration.
In early March the ship is being moved to the Australian National Maritime Museum’s (ANMM) North Wharf to take part in the biannual Classic and Wooden Boat Show which promises to have vast crowds coming along for the event. Apart from the normal guided tours there will also be a Kid’s Deck and a demonstration of rope-making both events put on by ANMM.
Then, in the middle of March we will have a Tall Ships day at our wharf where we will be joined by HMS Bounty replica and barquentine Svanen followed the next day by a sailing-in-company cruise with the three ships going out to sea for the day with fare paying passengers.
A week later James Craig sails to Newcastle, 60 NM to the north to celebrate their Maritime Festival. We will be taking passengers on both legs of the journey and we will take a day cruise out of Newcastle Harbour on the Sunday.
In late June, we go into dry dock for our normal, two-yearly out of water survey and spruce-up before commencing passenger cruises again in August.
Posted by
Hugh Lander on 10 February, 2004
