Making our own history
In 2002, the R. Tucker Thompson set out on a voyage to Korea for 'Sail Korea 2002', a tall ships Festival held to celebrate the Football World Cup in Korea and Japan. Then it was onwards for the West Coast Challenge on the United States... then home to New Zealand. This is Bill Miller's story.
Part 1: Journeys
In April 2002 the Tall Ship R Tucker Thompson left her home harbor in Opua, Bay of Islands, New Zealand for a 20,000-mile journey around the Pacific Ocean. She and her crew of sailors and trainees were to enter tall ship festivals and races in Korea, Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angles, and San Diego before returning home across the South Pacific in December.
In August 2002 Bill Miller and his wife Susan left their home in Fulton, Missouri, USA to travel westward through the United States then around the world to visit Hawaii, the South Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, Bali, Bangkok, Rome and return to the eastern United States and home in March of 2003. Susan planned to branch off during the first part of the journey to visit Hawaii and join Bill later in the South Pacific.
This is the journal of the intersection of the two journeys prepared by Bill with significant help from others who have sailed on the Tucker. It is the story of the people and the places of the ship and the sea as seen by people who had never ever seen anything like it before.
We start at the end, with the New Zealand Arrival:
We sailed into the Bay of Islands on the upper western coast of the North Island. The bay is guarded by rocky projections. Nine Pin on starboard and on the port side an even larger rock structure appropriately called Hole in the Rock. The Kiwi sailors were ecstatic; they were home after almost nine long months. Our Captain, Russell cut the motor needed in the open sea to counter the southeast headwinds that had plagued us for the last few days but were now in our favor. The sea was flat in the protected waters of the bay, the Tucker glided smoothly and silently between the green shores of the mainland.
The Bay of Islands is about fifteen miles long so at our speed we had some time to go, the blue waters were sprinkled with yachts and fishing boats. Many pulled within hailing distance with shouts of welcome to Russell and the Tucker. Russell responded in his hoarse accented voice to all that we had gone 20,000 miles, won races and generally boasted of the journey. To some he kidded about getting out of jail or some other good-natured banter. Quite obviously Russell and his ship were a fixture around here.
Further into the Bay small villages began to appear, the town of Russell on its peninsula nestled between foliage-covered hills. Paihia sloped down a hill on our right and Opua with its wharf, our destination, was straight ahead. We knew the wharf would be crowded with greeters and a formal greeting party of the native Maori. We had been practicing our songs and speeches for several days. Russell had told us some of what to expect, in the old days if you didn't pass the test of the greeting you might have ended in the cook pot and be their supper.
Russell with his flair for the dramatic skimmed by the pier under full sail executed a 360-degree turn while having us drop the sails in sequence and slid perfectly up to the dock. We were on land in New Zealand!
"I was on the pier at 12:00 we knew you would be in about 12:30 there was no breeze. I face the ocean suddenly a small breeze came up. Shortly the Tucker came around the point under full sail, she was magnificent. Russell sailed her full speed twenty feet from the pier made a circle turn while dropping the sails and docked – dramatic and executed perfectly. He could not have done it without the breeze."
Geoff Hindle
We climbed the ramp in a pairs behind Russell, at the top we were challenged by Maori warriors. After dancing around us making threatening motions and noises with hideous grimacing faces and tongues sticking out, a sacred plant was dropped in front of Russell who had to endure all without flinching. He picked up the plant as a symbol of our peaceful intentions. We were then escorted to chairs facing the warriors and the women of the Maori.
Two elders made speeches in Maori and English; the women sang several songs the beautiful melodies floating across the waters. They welcomed us to share with them this beautiful land. After the Maori finished, Russell led us in the song of the R Tucker T followed by his speech. He introduced each of the crewmembers with a little story on each; he concluded the introduction by calling us dreamers; his characterization "Dreamers, Dreamers all with the courage to live their dreams." His words directed at the young Maori were even more moving. He challenged them to be proud of their heritage.
My turn was next, Russell several days earlier had ask me to give a speech. In no way was I prepared for the seriousness of the occasion. These people were solemn, the occasion contained none of the frivolity I had in my prepared words, words that I had practiced for several days. I proceeded stumbling along, deleting whole sections as I went. I knew nothing of the history of the Maori and New Zealand Europeans and the troubles of their joining in this land. Below is what I said:
Bill's Speech On Docking:
Thank you on behalf of the men and the women of the Tucker's trainee crew.
We truly come in peace.
Many of us joined the crew of the Tucker in San Diego for the last third of her long journey.
On our trip we have seen many wondrous things.
We have seen on clear dark nights the heavens filled with stars and the Milky Way stretched from horizon to horizon.
We have sailed down paths of golden moonlight with phosphorescence breaking into thousands of little stars under the bow.
We have anchored in bays surrounded by cliffs three thousand feet high, picked mangoes from the jungle floor and bathed in a pool under a high waterfall.
We have been in bustling cities and small villages.
We have seen a king's mansion and been in the homes of ladies weaving straw mats.
We have experienced all of these things and more on our voyage on the R Tucker Thompson and it has changed us. Changed us each in our own way.
We wish to express our gratitude to Captain Russell Harris and the crew for sharing this experience with us.
Many thanks to all. Thank you and we are so proud to be in this enchanting land.
The final part of the ceremony was the Maori nose pressing, the elder explained nose pressing was not to be confused with the nose rubbing of the Eskimo. Each person from the ship pressed noses with each of the Maori thereby symbolizing the mixing of our breaths into one to share this land together peacefully.
Now we were in New Zealand and were "bona fide".
Click here for Part 2. Authors note: For more information contact Bill Miller at claci@sbcglobal.net or write to 2A West 5th, Fulton MO 65251
