Almost at sea

24 Nov 2021

Glenelg Bay Probus Club recently went to sea – well, perhaps not exactly, if we’re being technical.

Members didn’t get further than being moored on Adelaide’s Port River, but by the time they had toured the tall ship One and All, they felt they knew a bit about life on board.

With Annie Roberts, the Club's guest speaker from two weeks earlier, as commander, 28 Probus members climbed carefully and slowly – and backwards – down the (very scary) ladders to the saloon of this lovely vessel, where over an excellent morning tea Annie told them about the voyages on this boat.

She assured members they had brought back to land every single person who embarked on either the shorter several-hour river trips or the longer four or five-day open sea cruises around the coast. In her earlier talk to the Club at a General Meeting, she’d talked about the school trips and invaluable learning experiences students had on their week-long trips.

On board, members learned that the chef occupies the excellent galley (a miracle of storage), that all rubbish must be brought back home (only food scraps can go over the side), that the volunteers who assist are most valuable, and that during 24/7 sailing trips four-hour watches mean crew members grab off-duty power naps when needed.

Inspecting the bunk beds in the cabin made members less certain that they’d volunteer for life on a tall ship, but it was a wonderful morning’s excursion.