Hi, I'm Nic.

I've been with Duyfken since December '99, and visited about 45 ports in 5 countries. It occurred to me, as I answered people's questions in Mauritius, that the questions were the same ones we answer in every port, so I thought it would be worth answering some here.

"This must be where the captain steers, but why does he face the back?" must be one of my favourite questions. I too once had a rather vague image of the captain at the helm, in control 24 hours a day, in all weather, never faltering. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on whether you're a captain) the reality is a bit more mundane. The captain and officers almost never take the helm - It's not their job. The deckies (us) take it in turns to do an hour at the helm, while the officers navigate and take responsibility for the ship.

The second part of this question requires a little more explanation. If you look at a picture of the ship (I'm sure there's one on the website), you'll notice that she has a high, pointed bit at one end, and a slightly lower bit at the other. The high, pointed bit is at the back, and is called the aftercastle, while the other end is obviously the front and is called the forecastle (fo'c's'le).

There are a number of theories which attempt to explain the high aftercastle. These include not being pooped when sailing downwind, and helping the ship to lie head to wind with no sail set in bad weather, however after discussion with Nicko (Nicholas Burningham, marine archaeologist and designer of Duyfken), I favour a different theory.

Duyfken had to defend herself (okay, and sometimes attack), and the swivel guns mounted on the high deck make it possible for her to fire down on other vessels in a close-quarters battle. This gives her a much better chance of hitting whatever part of the ship (or its crew) she is aiming for.

Okay, I'm a bit sidetracked. The reason for explaining this is that modern ships seem to be built the other way 'round, so most people think our bow (front) is our stern (back), prompting the question. The short answer to the question, "Why does he face the back?" is, "He doesn't!"

Next week, after thorough consultation with my watch, I'll try and answer the question, "Do you sail all the time, or anchor at night?"

Nic
Leading Hand