A guest entry by Petter Martin Skjeldrum
Petter Martin Skjeldrum
Early may, I got a call from my good friend Henrik. He informed me that Brahawi Expeditions was closing in on a crucial, and perhaps the most difficult, stage of their nine month voyage. As a master knots man, they needed my aid on board, and they begged me to join the crew. I did not have the heart to turn down my colleague, and promptly accepted the offer.
The Captain (Peter) and crew (Sebastian and Henrik) gave me the warmest of greetings, and I could sense by their enthusiasm that they were greatly relieved to finally have a master knots-man on board. After enlisting another crewmember in Cavtat (one that the Captain became very fond of surprisingly fast), we enjoyed a fine meal.
The first day on our journey was demanding. No wind made the crew strange and edgy. I believe they resent the sound of the engine. The Captain, as the salty sailor he is, suggested that I could entertain the crew with some granny knots. He threw me a beer and a wink, and the crew was all the merrier. This would later become a routine; the captain, or sometimes the crew, handing me a beer, and then we would all laugh and cheer at my knots. We were all in high spirits/aquavit!
We could not have asked for better weather in the following days. Sunshine and blue skies and waters took us to the Zlatan wine ranks, were we were had reservations for wine tasting, which in the local tongue means drinking wine to a meal. Fascinating! Nevertheless, we enjoyed ourselves in beautiful surroundings.
From left: Peter, Petter Martin, Henrik.
As we pressed on in the treacherous waters, the Captain informed us that we would restock in Hvar. We were dangerously low on food and beverages, and I believe that Peter feared a mutiny if we were to run out. Hvar, known for the first public theater in all of Europe opened in 1612, is truly a beautiful place. The Island and city is also known for its inhabitants. A tribe of Brits who call themselves “Yacht Week”, rule the seas in the vicinity. One night we came very close to one of their rituals when we were anchored in a bay not far from Hvar, but we managed to stay low and not attract their unwanted attention. After a restless night of listening to their barbaric cries, we woke up to see the tribe on their way.
We quickly set sail for our final destination, with dangerous wind speeds up to ten knots. I suspected that the crew had grown reckless for some time now, and they proved it when they allowed me to take the helm. Despite almost giving Henrik a heart attack, all went well, and tears were shed when the sails were lowered for the last time in the expedition. The fine day of sailing, and safe journey, was celebrated with a feast beyond compare at the finest restaurant in Primosten, and later at the finest Irish pub in Primosten. Forgetting that we had to prepare and scrub CoCo the following day was perhaps unwise, but worth it.
Finally, I would like to congratulate the Peter, Henrik and Sebastian of S/Y CoCo and Brahawi expeditions for completing their impressive journey, and to thank them for being the best hosts a master knots-man (landlubber) could ask for. In addition to getting a new, red skin color, and a beautiful week on CoCo, the crew and my co-guest Elise, actually managed to teach me a thing or two about sailing. So thank you once again.
Petter “Knuta” Martin Skjeldrum AKA Skipsklovn III
Petter Martin at the helm. Peter is paying close attention.
Caribbean Expedition 2015 