After watching ‘Around Cape Horn’ by Irving Johnson

5 November 2013

Written by Leonard Blussé:
“Irving Johnson, what a guy he was! Was this the same captain that bought a Dutch schooner in the war and sailed around the world? I remember his beautifully illustrated stories in the National Geographic: colourful pictures of indigenous ladies with flower chains in the Marquesas archipelago and yes also the part of the last hours of the ship before ended up at the reef.
This all happened in the fifties and how do I all know this? On my way home from school in Rotterdam I bicycled by a bookstore and bought the National Geographic. This already fifty years ago but it doesn’t seem that far back.
That same man filmed with his 16mm camera on board. How did he keep his camera horizontal and dry? But even swinging from the rigging like a monkey Irving Johnson showed us how it all was at the time. Indeed what a guy! Without using his feet he slided down the forestay; what a superman. Judging by his voice he also thinks this of himself. The video starts with him as a cyclist. Maybe an example for our Vladivostok cyclists Leo and Arie and Rome pilgrim Marino? With modern equipment Marino has started filming but I don’t see him sliding down the forestay of the ‘Oosterschelde’.
When watching the film you can see what we can expect from the weather. I know how the North Sea can be in winter and early spring with short waves, rain and cold temperatures. But the video shows that Cape Horn can be far worse. Snow and hail in summer time! It is comforting to know that the ‘Oosterschelde’ is not overloaded and will probably sail through the waves far more stable. It will also be wet, but as wet as Irving describes like Niagara Falls? This seems impossible. And luckily we have warm showers that we can use before we return to our bunk. It was very informative to watch the video after a week of heavenly sailing. Tomorrow there might be some indigenous ladies with flower chains waiting for us at the Chatham Islands. After that the road might get a little rough.”