FRAN HAPPILY ALOFT AND RIGHT OUT ON A LIMB
RUNNING AWAY TO SEA IN THE 20TH CENTURY PROVED TO BE A BIT DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF MY GENDER … WHEN I WAS 14, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE PART IN A 14-DAY CRUISE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN THROUGH THE SCOTTISH EDUCATION SYSTEM. THERE WERE 500 SCHOOL KIDS AND A NUMBER OF TEACHERS ON BOARD A 10,000 TON CONVERTED TROOP SHIP CALLED THE “DUNERA”. (SHOW SLIDE) THE TRIP WHETTED MY APPETITE FOR TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE.
A YEAR OR TWO LATER, WHEN IT WAS TIME TO CONSULT WITH THE SCHOOL VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE OFFICER, I TOLD HIM I WANTED TO TRAIN AS A DECK OFFICER, JOIN THE MERCHANT NAVY, AND GO TO SEA AS A CAREER. THIS WAS IN 1962. HE LAUGHED AT ME AND SAID, YOU CAN’T GO TO SEA … YOU’RE A GIRL! SADLY, IN THOSE DAYS BEFORE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND ANTI- DISCRIMINATION, HE WAS BASICALLY CORRECT.
I EMIGRATED TO SYDNEY IN 1966, THINKING I MIGHT TRY AND GET ON A CRUISE SHIP IN SOME CAPACITY ONCE I WAS OLD ENOUGH; YOU HAD TO BE 21 IN THOSE DAYS.
AND THEN ONE DAY, TO TAKE PART IN ONE OF SYDNEY’S MANY MARITIME FESTIVALS, SOME “TALL SHIPS” CAME TO TOWN.
NEVER MIND A CRUISE SHIP I THOUGHT TO MYSELF; HOW CAN I GET ON ONE OF THOSE? MY DREAM WAS WELL AND TRULY ALIVE AGAIN, ALTHOUGH IT WASN’T UNTIL 1989 IN FACT, BY WHICH TIME I WAS LIVING IN PERTH THAT I GOT THE CHANCE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
I WENT OUT FOR A WEEKEND WHALE WATCHING VOYAGE ON BOARD OUR LOCAL SAIL TRAINING SHIP THE STS LEEUWIN. I STEPPED ONBOARD AND FELT LIKE I’D COME HOME. I’VE NOW SAILED THE WHOLE OF THE WEST AUSTRALIAN COAST ON HER AT VARIOUS TIMES FROM ESPERANCE AND THE RECHERCE ARCHIPELAGO IN THE SOUTH, TO THE ABROLHOS ISLANDS, THE KIMBERLEY AND UP TO DARWIN IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY.
LEEUWIN AS MANY OF YOU WOULD KNOW IS OUR LOCAL SAIL TRAINING SHIP AND IS PRIMARILY AIMED AT THE YOUTH OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, MANY OF WHOM HAVE BEEN SPONSORED BY ROTARY CLUBS OVER THE YEARS. I’M USUALLY ON BOARD AS THE PURSER ON THE YOUTH VOYAGES, ALTHOUGH I OFTEN TURN INTO SHIP’S MUM AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS, ESPECIALLY IF THEY’RE SEASICK. IT’S WONDERFULLY REWARDING MENTORING AND WORKING WITH THE YOUNG PEOPLE ON BOARD AND SEEING THEM BLOSSOM.
WE CAN’T TEACH THE YOUNGSTERS HOW TO SAIL A SQUARE RIGGER IN THEIR SHORT TIME ABOARD, BUT WE CAN TEACH THEM ENOUGH THAT THEY TAKE OVER THE SHIP FOR A SHORT TIME ON THEIR LAST DAY. IT DOES WONDERS FOR THEIR CONFIDENCE ELECTING A CAPTAIN, FIRST MATE AND SO ON FROM AMONG THEIR OWN NUMBER.
WE ALSO TEACH THEM A GREAT DEAL ABOUT TEAMWORK, RESPECT FOR THEMSELVES AND OTHERS, DEVELOP THEIR CONFIDENCE AND SELF-ESTEEM AND GIVE THEM A TRULY MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE. MANY OF THEM ARE INVITED BACK AS VOLUNTEER CREW FOR FUTURE TRIPS, AND QUITE A NUMBER OF THEM HAVE GONE ON TO MAKE THE SEA THEIR CAREER.
I’VE JUST RECENTLY SAILED ROUND CAPE HORN ON AN ENGLISH SHIP CALLED TENACIOUS AND THE 3RD MATE ON BOARD WAS A LAD I FIRST MET ON HIS FIRST VOYAGE ON LEEUWIN, WHEN HE WAS 17!
UNLIKE MY YOUTHFUL DAYS, GIRLS CAN NOW TRAIN AS DECK OFFICERS AND EVEN MARINE ENGINEERS. INDEED LEEUWIN’S CURRENT CAPTAIN AND THE FIRST MATE ARE WOMEN.
CAPTAIN SARAH ROBINSON
BECAUSE OF MY EXPERIENCE ON LEEUWIN, I THEN BECAME VOLUNTEER CREW ON ENDEAVOUR, AND HAVE BEEN ALL OVER THE WORLD IN HER IN THE LAST 20+ YEARS.
FRAN'S WATCH GROUP
LINE HANDLING
IN THE ROUGH
BEFORE THEY DISEMBARK, WE ASK THE TRAINEES ON LEEUWIN TO WRITE IN THE GUEST BOOK, AND MANY OF THEM WRITE “THIS SHIP HAS CHANGED MY LIFE”. SHE HAS CERTAINLY CHANGED MINE AND MANY YEARS AGO PEOPLE STARTED TELLING ME TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT MY EXPERIENCES, WHICH STARTED OFF AS NOSTALGIC MEMOIRS ABOUT LEEUWIN BUT GREW INTO A 300 PAGE BOOK, OF WHICH I’VE NOW SOLD ABOUT 3,000 COPIES.
I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD ALL THESE AMAZING EXPERIENCES AND MET SO MANY WONDERFUL PEOPLE HAD I NOT GONE OUT FOR THAT WHALE-WATCHING WEEKEND. SOMETIMES WHEN I’M UP IN THE RIGGING I THINK ABOUT THE MAN WHO TOLD ME I COULDN’T GO TO SEA BECAUSE I WAS A GIRL, AND WONDER IF HE’S UP THERE WATCHING!
FRAN WITH ASHLEY WEST WHO GAVE THE VOTE OF THANKS
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