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SAILOR and adventurer Pete Goss officially named
his hand-crafted vessel Spirit of Mystery, following months of hard
work on the project.
The
naming ceremony was performed on bank holiday Monday at Newlyn Fish
Festival by Diana Berry – a direct descendent of six of the original
crew members.
The
37ft wooden lugger is due to set sail this October, following in the
wake of seven Cornishmen who made a heroic journey aboard the original Mystery from Newlyn to Australia more than 150 years ago.
Times
were hard and the seven Cornishmen, all related by either blood or
marriage, made the decision to try their luck at the Australian gold
rush over a pint in the Star Inn, Newlyn.
The ritual of naming and blessing new boats stretches back thousands of years, but Pete said he was taking no chances.
We always knew we wanted an official ceremony to name the boat, and as Newlyn is the home of the original Mystery
it seemed the perfect place," he said. As a descendent to six of the
original crew, it also seemed appropriate that Diana Berry be the one
to choose the name. I am not normally a superstitious man, but I didn't
like the idea of facing the Southern Ocean without the boat being
blessed. After years of sailing these strong traditions become embedded
into your beliefs."
Leaving Newlyn in November 1854, the Mystery
travelled 11,800 nautical miles in 116 days before arriving in
Melbourne in March 1855. The only break in the voyage was a week in
Cape Town for repairs and replenishment before heading into the
Southern Ocean
Pete is to re-enact their journey in the Spirit of Mystery,
a boat as similar to the original as possible, using no engine and
navigating only by the stars and sun. Following the official naming
ceremony, Spirit of Mystery was blessed by Keith Dixon from the Mission to Seamen who gifted the bible to the boat.
Hundreds
of visitors crowded around the boat to watch the service. Adding a
unique twist to the traditional ceremony, Diana Berry used a bottle of
Pete's favourite tipple - a bottle of Talisker whisky – to pour over
the bow.
Pete
said: "We have just completed our last week of training and are
confident in our strong and sea friendly boat. We have seen some tough
weather conditions and are confident in the boat and each other. We
can't wait to set sail in just seven weeks' time."
article copyright THE CORNISHMAN
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