Page 66 - NHS Beyond the Classroom

Joy Bullen & Pita Dean 1976

Joy Bullen Pita Dean

SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE prunes. The toilets, known as “heads”, were
In 1976 two pupils, Joy Bullen and Pita complicated to work and, to begin with, all the
Dean, sailed on a 10-day trip aboard the “Spirit of girls were most reluctant to use them.
Adventure” sailing ship. Pita was sponsored by the To begin with, getting them to work was an
school and several fund-raising efforts were made art-and-a-half; then there was the major task of
to supplement this sponsorship. Joy was sponsored staying on them, especially when the ship would
by the Ngaruawahia Leo Club and has written a abruptly heel to a 45 degree angle. If you were
brief account of her voyage. lucky you would end up on the knees of the
Joy sailed on the ship’s 52nd voyage for girls occupant in the opposite head.
from April 13th to April 23rd. She has noted that, It was, in fact, quite simple to operate (if you
although parts of this account may seem had a good memory). It was just a case of “pull the
exaggerated, these things really seemed to be lever, pump, pump, pump . . . . . Pump, pump,
happening at the time. pump, pump, and push the lever again”. For most
——- of us a few days was enough time to “master the
As you know, Easter was very cold and head”.

windy. We were sailing to Coromandel when it Showers - well, what a hassle. We were
really struck us. We had left the shelter of Kawau allowed two minutes each, and the parts which
Island and hit the mountain-high waves. missed getting wet the first time around got wet in
My watch - Red - happened to be on the jibs the next shower, which, after going through the
(the front sails). The ship, sailing along on a 55 watches, was four days later.
degree angle made mountain climbing look easy Looking through the book of records, we
compared with struggling from the lee side. This found that a record had been set for streaking
was favourite on our sail, as the waves were big around the deck twice! This was done on a boys’
and broke over you, nearly sweeping you out with trip, and it didn’t look too good in this year of
them (special thanks here for the safety harnesses). women’s lib’, so we decided to give it a go.
One rather big wave broke over us, sweeping us all We broke the record by streaking around the
off our feet. Just then the Captain yelled “Lee- deck twelve times! A few slipped over in the wet,
Ho!”. but the deck was pretty worn and splinters weren’t
As we had been sailing without needing to too much of a hazard. The male crew members had
tack or jibe the people manning the topsail were on discretely retired to the Captain’s cabin, although it
the lee side where it was more exciting. The is hard to say at what stage of the streak.
Captain was yelling and really going to town on his To me, the “Spirit” voyage was very
adjectives when we couldn’t manage to release the worthwhile, both meeting new and different
sheets and tack.. people, and learning how to sail. The whole trip
We had finally carried out this order after was full of funny, exciting tales and adventured
getting to our feet and rushing to our post, when which would fill a book. The boys and girls trips
one of the girls close by me vomited on my feet! differed in the antics that the crew and the mates
At the end of the voyage she was awarded the get up to. But on both, jokes are told and songs are
Chunderthon Trophy! sung: people are willing to learn in an atmosphere
Waking time was 0600 hours (6 o’clock). where everything is natural, and where there is
Then it was to work scrubbing the decks until never a dull moment.
breakfast. This usually consisted of toast, eggs and - JOY BULLEN