Life on a Tall Ship - Life on Deck

Ethan and the crew of the Hawaiian Cheiftan spend the majority of their time on deck, regardless of the weather. There is always someone standing on guard whether they are in port, or in transit (sailing). The crew takes turn taking watch. Each day the crew is given assignments. From time to time they have emergency drills.

Ethan is often working with or on the sails. This photo is of the bosman's chair and bucket. Many sailors work barefoot so that they can use the dexterity in their toes and feet to help them stay balanced and safe.

Here is the outside of the galley (kitchen). I have great respect for the cooks on the ships. Theirs is an important, but difficult, hot and cramped job. Still, they seem to do it with pride and joy. Thank God for Rosie and the other cooks who do such a great job of feeding my boy so well.

Here you can see the butterfly windows from the outside. That doorway next to the windows is the exit where the ladders leads to. The top part slides back to make it possible to exit.

Ethan also works with the ropes a lot. He has a strong arm and can throw the ropes to the deck. Sometimes a sailor will miss the mark, while other times they will throw the rope with such vigor that he/she sails overboard, too. Ethan tells me that most of the old time sailors did not know how to swim. If they were under sail, they were as good as dead since the boats were wind powered and could not turn around fast enough to get them. Going overboard, even at port, is dangerous as you run the risk of getting pulled under the boat.

Here are a few videos that show a bit more of what life is like on the ship. The first one was done by Willow Jon, a friend of Sophie, one of the sailors. He spent a short bit of time on the boats and hanging with the crew. Ethan thought he was nice. Willow Jon needed some new boots so they went into town. After Willow Jon purchased a new pair, he set the old pair neatly by a trash can so that some other person could claim them and use them. Ethan's friend, Sophie, is in the film. She is the blonde sitting on deck with a guitar.

The next two give you an idea of what the battle sails are like. I think they are a favorite. Each ship uses real cannons, real gun powder, but only shoots out air. Each week they do a real battle with a score being kept. The sound of the air hitting the ship in different places takes on different tones. The Cheiftan usually wins.