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PACKING FOR YOUR TRIP
A complete list of clothing and personal gear is contained in the Soren Larsen’s Voyage Handbook, available only after a booking has been accepted. Here we make a few specific recommendations with regard to your voyage.
Luggage:
One main piece of luggage, which should be a soft kit bag. A hard suitcase is NOT suitable as space is strictly limited.
Accommodation:
The ship has 7 x 2 berth cabins and 2 x 4 berth cabins and generally they are allocated on a first come/first served basis, or occasionally on a needs basis.
Cabins are comfortable but compact and are intended as somewhere to keep your gear and sleep and the ship's layout is designed for having larger social areas in the main saloon. Being a traditional timber ship she does not have air conditioning and when operating in tropical latitudes it of course gets quite warm below. Some like to bring a sleeping roll mat for sleeping out on deck.
Clothing:
The ship has Musto wet weather jackets and trousers for your use. For any extended sea passage it is wise in invest in a quality wet weather jacket of our own. It would also be sensible to have warm clothes for night watches. Cotton tops, t-shirts and shorts get worn on sunny days.
Footwear:
In these tropical latitudes most go barefoot on deck. Bring a pair of trainers or velcro strapped sandels (reef walkers) for excursions ashore.
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 PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Seasonal Climate
Noumea 25-29 deg C., Auckland 15 deg C. during the day, slightly cooler at nights, although in tropical latitudes you should expect it to be still warm and humid.
Equipment: High factor sunblock and sunglasses are recommended protection from sun on water; sea sickness tablets (Stugeron recommended); a large and small towel; earplugs, a torch and spare batteries; extra camera film; binoculars may be handy. A lightweight rain jacket would be good insurance as when it rains in the tropics, it really pours. On tropical journeys bringing insect repellent, ideally containing Deet, is vital for taking ashore. A personal waterbottle is also highly recommended.
Meal Plan
Local Food and Drink: Three meals a day are included in the voyage price while on board the Soren Larsen. Soft drinks and alcoholic drinks are available on board and are paid for separately at the end of the trip.
Personal Expenses
You’ll need some extra money to cover drinks and souvenirs not included in voyage price, and some local currency for sightseeing and spending money at islands visited etc. Credit cards are accepted on board.
Health - Useful websites are wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/regionOceania.aspx
www.who.int/ith/map_pacific.html Freedom and Flexibility
Voyages are planned to allow us some flexibility en route as to where we stop and anchor, how long we stay at each place and where we choose to go. We feel this is the key to the sailing authenticity and the genuine adventure of the ship’s voyaging. Itineraries may change due to weather conditions, readiness of the vessel or any other reason and so are without guarantee. If winds are unfavourable we may make use of the ship’s engine to maintain the schedule. All decisions regarding our route and itinerary will be made by the ship’s Master.
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About the Søren Larsen
 Now famous for providing sail training adventure voyages and as the star of the BBC’s classic series "The Onedin Line", the Soren Larsen was originally one of the last cargo carrying sailing ships trading throughout Scandinavia, northern Europe and Britain. Built of oak by the Danish ship building company of 'Soren Larsen & Sons' in Nykobing Mors in northern Denmark, she carried timber, grain and general cargo from 1949 to 1972. Purchased in 1978 by Tony Davies and his family, she was taken to Colchester on the east coast of England and lovingly restored and rerigged as the graceful 19th century brigantine she is today. Captain Davies specialised in period film work and so the Soren Larsen began her working life again in early 1979 starring in "The Onedin Line". Other projects followed including "The French Lieutenant’s Woman" and "Shackleton". In 1982 she was invited to pioneer sailing for the disabled for the Jubilee Sailing Trust in Southampton before being chosen, in 1987, to be Flagship of the First Fleet Re-enactment Voyage to celebrate Australia’s Bicentennial. She led a fleet of squareriggers on an ambitious 22,000 mile voyage from Portsmouth via Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town, arriving to a tumultuous welcome in Sydney in 1988.
She came to Auckland in 1989 to represent Britain in the 150th Celebrations and was made so welcome that she adopted New Zealand as her base from which to cruise the idyllic South Pacific Islands, taking many first time sailors on adventure holidays to Tahiti, Tonga, Fiji and Vanuatu. In 1991 she made a passage back to Europe along the Clipper Route across the Southern Ocean and in December 1991 she became the first British tallship to round Cape Horn since 1936 and is now one of the very few authentic square riggers still operating in the 21st century.
 After a major refit in the UK at Gloucester, Soren Larsen returned home to Auckland. She established herself as 'Flagship of the City of Sails' and has won Tourism Awards for Adventure and Experience categories. This illustrious ship celebrated the Millennium with a spectacular round the world voyage, the 2000-2001 Global Odyssey, visiting 25 countries and sailing 30,000 nautical miles. This 2008 project sets out to visit the further corners of the Polynesian Triangle and visit the very best of the untouched tropical South Pacific.
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Tall Ship Soren Larsen Bridgewater Chartering Ltd.
P.O.Box 60-660, Titirangi, Auckland 0642. NZ
Tel: +64-9-817 8799
Fax: +64-9-817 6799
E-mail: escape@sorenlarsen.co.nz
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A4 Print Version of these Voyage Notes |
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Around Noumea, lie reef fringed atolls with white beaches, palm lined shores and local sailing canoes which make an idyllic spot to spend a night before setting out on our ocean voyage. Once we clear Customs at Noumea we set sail south. 
On arriving onboard you will be shown your berths, introduced to the crew, and signed on Ship's Articles as Voyage Crew. Much of the first morning will be spent introducing you to the ship and explaining the various routines, safety procedures and equipment and how the watch system works. For those who wish we try to give you a chance to be shown aloft in the rigging before we get underway.
Here we have a proper ocean passage of 1200 miles, possibly broken by a visit to Middleton Reef and then Lord Howe island some 700 miles south of Noumea. A visit to Lord Howe will depend on weather as it has a fairly exposed anchorage but it is a rare chance to visit this beautiful and spectacular sub-tropical island. There may be a landing fee that is paid individually. 
On the longer sea passage there's time for talks about basic navigation, seamanship theory, rope work, history and development of square rigged ships. The timeless routines of the sea and unique beauty and grandeur of the ocean can only really be appreciated by those who have undertaken a blue water passage several days out from land. 
There are 13 permanent crew who maintain and sail the ship who are there to assist and help you enjoy your time aboard. Once we drop anchor the deck watch is undertaken by the permanent crew and you the Voyage Crew are free to explore ashore.