“SPIRIT OF MYSTERY”

BLESSING AND NAMING OF THE SPIRIT OF MYSTERY

Pete Goss held a naming ceremony on 25 August to officially name Spirit of Mystery. Named by Diana Berry, a direct descendent of six of the seven original crew members, the boat has received worldwide attention in recent months. The official naming ceremony took place at Newlyn Fish Festival - home to the original Mystery.
 
The 37ft wooden lugger is due to set sail this October, following in the wake of seven Cornishmen who made a heroic journey from Newlyn to Australia more than 150 years ago. Times were hard and the seven Cornishmen, all related by either blood or marriage, made the decision to try their luck at the Australian gold rush over a pint in the Star Inn, Newlyn.
 
Leaving Newlyn in November 1854, the Mystery travelled 11,800 nautical miles in 116 days before arriving in Melbourne in March 1855. The only break in the voyage was a week in Cape Town for repairs and replenishment before heading into the Southern Ocean. Pete is to re-enact their journey in Spirit of Mystery, a boat as similar to the original as possible, using no engine and navigating only by the stars and sun.
 
The ritual of naming and blessing new boats goes back thousands of years.
The seas were viewed with fear and superstition, known as the destroyers of men. Blessing a boat was seen as a way to protect the sailors against the evils of the oceans. Hundreds of visitors crowded around the boat to watch the service and, adding a unique twist to the traditional ceremony, Diana Berry used a bottle of Pete¹s favourite tipple - a bottle of Talisker Whisky
- to pour over the bow.
 
Pete, who was awarded an MBE after his dramatic rescue of a fellow competitor in the 1996-7 Vendee Globe single-handed yacht race, said the crew is becoming increasingly excited, although they are more than aware of the difficult task that lies ahead of them.
 
We have just completed our last week of training and are confident in our strong and sea friendly boat.  We have seen some tough weather conditions and are confident in the boat and each other. We can¹t wait to set sail in just seven weeks time.

Arrival in Melbourne is scheduled for March 2009. More information about the project and the original voyage of the Mystery can be found on Pete¹s website (http://www.petegoss.com).

Tall Ships Victoria together the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria will act as hosts for the visit and together with Australian Heritage magazine, 3AW, The Cornish Association of Victoria, Scienceworks and Hobsons's Bay City Council (Arts, Events and Tourism) will follow this remarkable adventure and provide liaison and assistance with the project. The TSV website will carry updates following the progress of Spirit of Mystery and her crew as they head for Melbourne."

"The Ocean Education Ship - Engaging with the marine environment"

Tall Ships Victoria has developed a project involving the use of tall ships in marine science and research, education, edu-tourism, and marine construction and training.

Potential stakeholders in this project attended a wonderful reception at PricewaterhouseCoopers on 20 September 2007 and a Scoping Workshops on 21 September at The Royal Society of Victoria, Melbourne.

Many thanks to our sponsors -  PricewaterhouseCoopers and The City of Melbourne.

Workshops details can be downloaded from this site and  summary report will be available shortly"

Many people with an interest in Tall Ships will know of Captain Bruce Hitchman, who died tragically at his home in Sydney.  Some details of his very full life and the respect that others had for him, are available on line at the Sydney Heritage Fleet web-site at http://www.shf.org.au/SpecEv/HitchmanTribute.html.  .  An Obituary in the Sydney Morning Herald is also available on line at http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/06/13/1213321615564.html

One and All visited Williamstown from 9 May to 2 June, bringing the annual contingent of trainees from Carey Grammar School. While in Melbourne One and All established new contacts with other secondary schools in Victoria and provided day sailing experiences for passengers and crewing opportunities for Tall Ships Victoria, Enterprize and Alma Doepel volunteers.