Your Stories

I won this voyage, (to be a crew member on the Lord Nelson), on a BBC Radio Newcastle competition back in the summer of 2005, when the Tall Ships Race entered the River Tyne.

The competition was open to applicants with a disability, as the Jubilee Sailing Trust has two Tall Ships, (The STS Tenacious and the STS Lord Nelson), specially kitted out for disabled sailors.

Saturday 4 Feb

I flew from Manchester to Gran Canaria and transferred to the Sail Training Ship the STS Lord Nelson, berthed in the port of Muelle Santa Catalina, Las Palmas.

I was met at the top of the gangway, on the Bridge, by the Ships Mate, Dave, who welcomed me aboard, told me my berth number and introduced me to my watch leader Graeme, who showed me down to my berth.

Graeme had sailed on the Lord Nelson for one week a year since 1998. He had many talents and was full of energy, despite having a disability himself.

The crew are all split into “watches” which means there are crew members at all the important places 24 hours a day – we all had a time for a snooze!

I was in the Aft Starboard Watch and met fellow members of the watch as they arrived. Roger was to be in the bunk above me and was my “buddy”.

Other members of the watch were Ian, Kathy and Wendel. Ian and Rodger had come together with another friend Kate and all three had come along with and to support Sam, a wheelchair user since he had a bad climbing accident. Wendel was on the trip with her brother Owain, Kathy and I had come alone.

Mike's home on the water for a week

Surrender passports!

After stowing my gear and a stroll around the ship, I was signed on as a crew member and I was parted from my passport taken.

After dinner in the lower mess we hand the chance to meet fellow crew members and have an initial safety briefing from the Mate, Dave.

We then got together in our four Watch groups to be given more information about the ship and our duties aboard.

I was on mess duties, with three others (one from each watch) from joining the ship, for the first 24 hours.

This involved setting up the upper and lower mess areas for eating, serving food, clearing away and cleaning up mess areas and the galley after each meal.

Life on board is all about mucking in. If you cannot wash up or cook – you’ll soon learn… I became quite a dab hand at clearing the table after the odd wave had spilt the cereals and coffee!

Our Watch was also on duty that night, from midnight till 4am.

I was excused watch, being on mess duty and as we were in port, only two of the watch at a time took on watch duties, from midnight till 2am and 2am till 4 am.

Their main role, of course, was to repel boarders, but they also continually checked out the safety of the ship.

More soon guys…

Mike Newton
Lord Nelson Voyage crew Member
4 – 11 February 2006