The ship: AMERIGO VESPUCCI.

One of its cruises.

The Training Cruise of the year 1965.

This page contains original documentation and rare documentation:

the extraordinary films carried out from one Student has been boarded!

I make a short premise, it is necessary an explanation with regard to this ship, revolt to who had not had the passion, and the wish, to read all I have written in the previous pages, “my great passion” and “sails and masts”.
It is a great vessel still in activity, and held very well, in spite it is passed 75 years from its launches.

It is used from the Italian Navy like a School Ship. During the summer season it carries out its cruise regularly, with various routes every year. It embarks the students of the Naval Academy of Livorno (Italy). It is a School Ship, therefore you will have already understood that who climbs on board does not go to make the vacation! On board the Cadets go to navigation lesson, or theoretical that practical and, at the end of the cruise, there are the examinations of the Academy.

This is the third page of my website that I dedicate to this ship, without to count those in which it partially appears, then I am sure that you shall have understood that I have read and I have felt many things with regard to its. And however this, I am useful here also in order to say that anyone knows others, he can signal them to me, and I will be happy.
I implicate you in my passion, but also, I want to introduce you all the fascination that this ship gives off. It is indicated like “the beautiful ship of the world”, but I assure you that is it true and it is not only “visually”; really it is also a Lady, is not a ship like many others.
Perhaps someone could instead say that it is a simple, antiquated, vessel. Not, you are mistaking yourself! This affirmation is not absolutely true and I want to demonstrate to you!

The Training Cruise… in general terms.

I can say to you that the words, that resort more in the Training Cruise, are: an hard work, to sleep, “raccare” (this is an Italian word! It is similar: to throw on!).
Now I try to understand you, reassuming the most is possible. While, you must imagine the scene: we are in navigation.
The sea is moved, because generally the ship go outside from the Mediterranean Sea. The sailors are therefore in the Ocean with less calm waters; in consequence of this, there is somebody who begins to “raccare”. (I do not write what this means, what is exactly: you must think to a person who is badly with the moved sea… this, on board, is called “raccare”! And, the sailors say to me, that… the crew learns, as soon as possible, to make it under wind!). I’m sure you know, that many terms used on the dry land, once on board of a any floating one they disappear and they come replaced from different dictions.
You add the maneuvers, these are all the operations necessary in order to make to navigate the ship, the Vespucci. Also you must here make local mind the largeness of this ship, to the number, beyond that to the surface, of its sails (in order to haul in or to furl, and this means to open or to close the main course, the largest sail, are necessary the job of thirty men). You must think about all its ropes, about the necessity to go up and to come down from the masts and the yards, and you can not say that the physical hard work is this.
You must also add the turns. The turns are so established: four hours of guard, four hours of fatigue duty and after, there is the deserved rest (but … in order to study). But when it is good! Because it can happen that the Commander calls the “place of general maneuver”, during which all the people on board are essential in order to carry out the demanded operations … and in this case they leave out all the turns! The guards moreover last 24 hours with that cadence, except those from the 16 o’clock to the 18 o’clock and the 18 o’clock to the 20 o’clock that are only of two hours, so in order to make that they never do not happen the same identical turns.
As all this was not already enough, there are the theoretical lessons, with consequent necessity to study, in fact if you remember I had said you, that when the ship reentry from the “cruise” the students have the examinations!
And, after all this, there are still some person that he insist to call it summery cruise! After what they have said to me, and I have read, I do not have doubts: it is more apt the definition Training Campaign or Campaign of Instruction (or destruction!).

In spite of this laborious adventure, for some sailor perhaps penance, who has had the fortune to embark, he has told me that Vespucci is a beautiful ship and, in any case, draft always of a magnificent experience. Even, as a dismissed student has said to me, after to have it… opportunely digested!
Often, in combination with the Vespucci ship, the people says: school of sea, school of life.
And this is true! In fact in the three months on board (generally the period is this: from half or the end of June till September) that they must to live, and I think that lived is the more apt word, the “pivoli” (this is the nickname of the Students) learn to cohabit, to know themselves, but also, above all, to respect themselves and to help themselves, and they create a compact square.
The Vespucci ship is a military ship and it would called with the article to the male one, but for some Students in dismissal “the” Vespucci, to the masculine, does not exist, exists instead “the” Vespucci, to the female one, nearly she was the mother of all the ships, or quite a second mother.
The opinions respect for navigation during the Campaign of Instruction are many, but all however bring, with more or less positive aspects, to reassume itself fundamentally in a beautiful experience.

An other meaningful thing with regard to signaling, and however between those singular ones of this ship, it is that every Student who goes on board of the Vespucci has a its nickname.

The film of the Training Cruise of the year 1965.

ORIGINAL - EXCLUSIVE - RARE - INTERESTING ... ONLY THANKS TO "SPAZZOLA".

I want in the first place to emphasize the exceptionality of the films that you will see.
Following you will be able, in fact, to see an extract of the film originates them, divided in more fragments with the running time to some minute, than shows the beautiful things or more important of the Training Cruise of the year 1965,
 Before leaving to go to the films, and to the description of this Campaign of Instruction, the fundamental thing that you must know is that every images has been filmed with one of the first, and old, camcorder of that epoch, then it has been transferred on VHS (in occasion of the encounter in order to celebrate the recurrence of the 25 years of this Course; it has happened in 1989), and at last now, that we are in 2006, it has been demanded an ulterior job to render it publishable and visible on the web.
All this engagement has been given, then like now, from the same cine-operator (precise who does not make it of profession), comprised the addition of the several melodies and of the several music that you will feel in background sound (I remember to switch on the sound box) and you will notice moreover how much he have been selected with attention.
Therefore I pick the occasion quickly in order to heartfelt thanks, newly and infinitely, to Dr. Nico De Santis, Student of the Naval Academy that in the year 1965 was boarded “on the” Vespucci. To him go all the merits and moreover an ulterior acknowledgment, beyond that for the material job, also because he has given the full availability to me, and I assure to you (if you have not already realized) that I am … a stressful, a curious girl, and a gotten passionate of the Vespucci ship. In the text that follows I will cite him sometimes, like from tradition of this school ship, with his nickname: Brush, because of his hair’s cut, sometimes, friendly, Nico; this last because, I hold to specify you, it has been demanded express from him.

The films, that you will see, has been captured on board of this vessel, used like school military ship, therefore it is not easy accessible to the civil people, and much less in the full load of its life, when it is in navigation. A ship, that for many reasons, is fascinating and, if you have not been bewitched yet, you must waited for to read, and to see, how much it follows respect to this Training Cruise.
The images go back to year 1965! You have understood very well. And they come from one “8 cinema camera millimeters”! Probably many of you will not know what this is!
It is moreover essential that you know that, own for the used this type of camcorder, “our” Nico has been able to verify its job only at the end of Training Cruise, after the development of the films. Although this you will be able to see how much the result is optimal. You must consider the fact that, in order to render the files “less heavy”, every rows opportunely is compressed for which the quality has suffered.
An other exceptional thing is that in one of the fragments the Commander appears quite, than I memory to all he has been the mythical Admiral Agostino Straulino, and of which memory is wanted with this occasion to be honored since he is not more with us.
The images that have been me kindly supplied, and that I public, they moreover to see the braveries of this Admiral and his crew; in order to speak not about the possibility to see, with your eyes the effects of happened the natural and exceptional events during this navigation.
In order to make you understand, how much better that the sailors have told to me, or how much I have read, beside the description of every event you will find the link to the relative film. I hope doing this way, any visitor, also who is in the dark of all, succeeds to comprise and to live again that experience.
And this is an other of the particularity: you will be able to live again that experience, you will be own on board of the ship, and I am sure… will appeal to you.
I recognize that I am so charmed from this vessel that I am arrived to the point to appreciate every thing of this ship, but I am convinced that these films are not a “simple thing”. Draft of the only visual testimony of that Training Cruise, and indeed, I hold to say it to us, this specific and detail Training Cruise.

In principle I think that, for any thing features, a person more knows it, more she can appreciate all the particularities and moreover, later on automatic rifle, he will come also to wish them to always deepen the argument more. And this is the attempt that I am me preset in setting up various pages of this my site: to deepen my acquaintances with regard to the Vespucci ship, to render participates also the others people at last and, I hope to succeed, to drag you in this fascinating world on board of this Lady of the Seas.

Here you find the I recapitulate some fragments in which the film has been subdivided by Nico.
Beside the files you will find the dimensions and a short “contained” description of the respective one.
I council to you to pass quickly directly after such I recapitulate.
In fact you will find the connections to the films inside of the descriptive text of the Training Cruise, will be enough to you to push the button on the several ones links. In this way they will be more immediate, because they will constitute the real images than as soon as indicated in that point of the text, and they will clarify you how much you have just read.
And now, if you have not already made it… you switch on the sound box!

The course named Kon Tiki.

The students of Training Cruise 1965.

The students, embarked on the Vespucci, during the phase of the return from the Training Cruise, for tradition choose a name to give to their Course. This gives place, for once, to celebrations on board, during which the “pivoli” (the young students to the first year of Academy) take possession of the ship. Such name is transmitted to the radio to all the school ships in navigation, and naturally it is transmitted to the Academy, with consequent messages of answer with congratulations.

	film “ Baptism of the Kon Tiki Course”

The course of 1964 - 1968, called Kon-Tiki, is that of “Spazzola” (Brush). This group has created, and manages, the website of the Kon-Tiki.
Many are the particularities of this Course, before, between all, that to have had like commander the admiral Agostino Straulino, than at that time he was Captain. Moreover other singularities are: the obtaining, with this crew, the speed record of the Amerigo Vespucci ship in navigation only with the sails; then, the fact that this vessel was sailing in a strong storm, and the wind has torn its sails; it has been the cruise in which the motors have been less used, because with Straulino it was always gone to sail, say the Kon-Tiki (they was exhausted!). The ship also has exited to explained its sails from Portsmouth (arousing the admiration of who knows to sail), or from Oslo, whose navigation channel is much strait, this port has the backdrops of the sea many lows and this vessel was in the middle of the sharp pain fog. And, at last, during this Cruise often it has become necessary to make of the intermediate stops, outside the program, to the aim to avoid… to arrive in advance in the pre-arranged harbors.

	film “the sails unfurled”

The fans of the sport sail know the Olympic champion Agostino Straulino, but who has instead felt not any to speak of this champion, it is necessary that he knows some things, first of all Straulino is practically a myth in the sail. He has gained many regattas (on small sailing boats to one or two places) and, in the last one to which he has competed, and naturally he has won, he had 88 years old. He has moreover participated to the various Olympic Games, also often winning. Of Straulino, an experienced navigator and, also for this, perhaps rash person, it must say also that he has made some braveries with the Vespucci: he has exited from the channel of Taranto with the sails explained (when the Vespucci is departed, with destination Livorno, in order to go to embark the Students of this Training Cruise); he has been annoying on the Tamigi river with the sails always explained; and at last, when the ship Vespucci has crossed the German school ship, the Gorch Fock, he has not hesitated to defy it. From what I have read with regard to this man, I have been able to understand that he was always ready to the challenge and he was an expert of the sea. It says that he felt the wind and he listened it with  his nose and with his ears.

The Kon-Tiki have had the fortune, or misfortune! (sights the hard work and the efforts demands), to being boarded on the mythical Vespucci, to the commando of a mythical man, beyond that mythical Commander.
This official “was one with the ship, he felt its voice and he understood what it said to him”. “He felt the waves break and the song of the wind” and he understood where to direct the ship and “which sails were to open or to close”. In order to contrast the disbandment of the Vespucci he stuck out him with nearly all his body from the quarter bench, as if he was sailing with a small sailing boat.

During their “cruise”, they have thus been found to compete with the Gorch Fock, a vessel more slender of the Vespucci, having therefore to open all the sails in order to acquire the maximum speed is possible, even the sails of the shallops . Naturally it has been called the “place of general maneuver” and, like I have pointed out over, this means that the crew has to forget the turns of rest.

	film "the competition"

They leave port with the sail, without the aid of some pilot, from Oslo in the navigable channel. Such navigation normally is already difficult because the backdrops of the sea are low, and because there are more infinities islands, you imagined that they were also in the middle of the fog!
Then they have happened in the mean of a sudden storm, than it has not left the time to lock the sails to the yards in emergency conditions. Consequently, for the violence of the wind they have been torn. Of this fact, you can see the photos in the Kon-Tiki website.

	film "the storm and the torn sails"

They have had to take apart a feature of the mainmast, beyond to others masts and yards, in order to pass under the bridge of Kiel. This maneuver are particularly complex. On detail, in order to pass under those bridges, some part of the masts and many yards have had to let go on the deck (that is lowering) also a part of the crow’s nest. Such operation needs, besides the lowering of the mast (that it is of steel and it is heaviest), to remove also all the blacksmith and the ropes that run till the top of the mainmast. They had made a test in the port of Taranto, before leaving for Livorno to embark the Students of the Naval Academy, but in that occasion they was not in navigation! At the end of this job, on the Vespucci deck “there was a high layer a meter of steel cables, ropes and sails”. Naturally then they would be due all to return to their place!

	film "Kiel"

The route previewed also the way between Denmark and Sweden, and it has been very binding. The navigable channel is much strait and little depth, moreover in that occasion it has been crossed with the sail. All this, it has been converted in a great engagement from all the crew, with eight hours uninterrupted in “place of general maneuver to the sails”. But they are not eight hours continuous “normal”, than already you can understand what it means, this time the crew has been available in the deck from eight o’clock of evening to four o’clock of morning, because they had to be ready to the occurrence in order to open or to closed the sails quickly.

It always must be careful, because “the wind makes what it wants”.
As exactly in that occasion in which the Vespucci has been found in the middle of the storm, with the sails explained, the masts folded up him and the wind that increased its intensity. And it was a wind so hard that it could not be risked to make to go up the men on the yards in order to lock the sails. Thus the fireworks are begun: “the sails more aloft burst, the cages fixed and those flying, the gaff sail it opened and the greatest sail of main mast brailed up to hard work”. Practically the sails were tattered redoubts and, at the end of the storm, the crew has had to proceed to their substitution.

	film "The storm and the torn sails"

Our “Brush” remembers moreover that, on the contrary, in an occasion in which the wind there was not, in order to exit from a zone of dead calm, Straulino, rather than to ignite the motors, “he made to put sink in the sea all the sloops. He armed its with nearly all the crew of the Vespucci, with the ropes tied to every sloop, and in order more than four hours he made them row up to catch up, to reach some backboard miles, a zone where the Commander had seen a puff of wind.
In effects the general rule was that: if the wind were not … they had to go to look for it!
If you want to see this curious thing, you look with attention the map that I have brought back over; near the black line, that signals the route of pre-arranged itinerary, you see a blue line; this is the real route followed by the Commander, that he went to search the wind, opportunely brought back from “Brush” every day.

	film "Spazzola"

Nico still tells that during the nocturnal turns, the Commander, with obsessing frequency, left its cabin and salted in bridge. Practically, he being in cabin, as soon as he felt one “I crack of sail edge, because the wind as soon as was changed”, he did not resist and he gone up. He gave the route orders, “you, to the rudder, two degrees to right-hand”, “you, idle, hauled those jibs, slakened the gaff sail of two palms” and the helmsmen blowed to talk silly with the pipes. For who did not knows, one of the other particularities of the Vespucci is that all the orders come given from the helmsmen with the pipes.
Straulino remained some minute “to pull on the wind with the nose, turned the ears in order to feel it to slide to the edges of the pavilions”, ordered “to the way thus, you must call me if there is something”. “And he left us with a little ironic smile like saying: if I aspect that you call me”.
It was as if we had been perennially in a world-race!
A homage to this Commander, and its students, is the piece published in the Kon-Tiki website, in the section “1° Straulino Trophy”, from the title: From the point of view of the “pivoli” (the young students). I invite you to read it, but naturally only AFTER that you will have ended to sail in my website!

I have already pointed out to the fact that the crew of the Vespucci is in reality a square. And this, to my opinion, is an other of the fascinating things of this vessel.
On this ship, as on any other ship, the men are loyal, they are joined. This situation is created as every determined job is very defined, like the persons who must make it each time, during their turn.
If it has been established that one job must have served as eight men, eight men have to do it and they have to do it in tuning. It does not exist that one man, than already gives the maximum, succeeds to make also the job of an other man. And so cannot happen that this group, as an example it is assigned to a rope (and this rope is attacked to the sail, the rope that regulates the position of it), that this group works less well than the other group while it is working with other rope.
Or like when, at the end of the own turn, there are to stretch the hammocks to sleep: those which had been, that day, of lookout-post, to the nautical table, etc, they helped officially “to do faster” those which they had been to the ropes (because they had the hands damaged).
And this force, that it joins, is born also from the fact that the teams are never fixed, in fact  today it touches to me and tomorrow it touches to you. Therefore, on board more than ever, it is worth the saying: “one for everybody and all for one”.

	film "Intense activities on board"

The Admiral Agostino Straulino

to the command of Training Cruise 1965.

At that time of the command of the ship Amerigo Vespucci, in the Training Cruise in the year 1965, he was not an Admiral, but “simply” a Captain.
It is interesting to read what he has written in its diary, that private diary not that official (the logbook), with regard to this beautiful experience. Some parts of this diary have been published in a book. This book, for who wanted to deepen the life of this personage, or perhaps it is better to say “a big Man”, I have indicated in the classified part to the books, in my page of the advised websites.
I have had way moreover to see a television interview of  his, released in the year 2003, and I have been able to state, for those little that I have seen, that fundamentally he was a man of little words, but he was much likeable one, and he was always ready to the challenge, especially if he was found on board of a boat. Its way to think, and one of its recurrent phrases was: until the competition is not ended, you cannot to say to have lost it.
How much I am in order to bring back is therefore its point of view, that are the words said, or written, directly from the Commander, with regard to this Campaign of Instruction.

The happened singular events in this Training Cruise, the cruise commanded by him, and some in reality intentional, are various. Here are some: the fact that the Vespucci has been found to face the worse storm of its life, that has caught up the speed record with sailing, than, with Straulino to the command, the ship and the crew had the tendency to arrive early in the ports.
But we go with order, following the more meaningful stages and things between those published in its diary!

After the departure from Livorno, after to have boarded the Students, this vessel was flanked from two Minesweeper of the Italian Navy that, rather than to surpass it, they are placed side by side and in order a little they are annoying to its flank, nearest. At the end, made the opportune salutes they exceed it and they surpass it.
Navigation then proceeds calm; as the Commander “with some tack … as perhaps the Vespucci had not never made”.

	film "That walk of the ship"

The ship arrives at the beginning to the English coast of August, naturally … early. Of it achieves the obligation to remain to the deep one in the Bay of Torbay. The Commander is useful in order to put sink in the sea the sloops, so that the crew can make training activity.
In this occasion, as often happens, and it happens however up to now, to its arrival in the ports many boats are approached in order to admire this beautiful vessel.
The ship then leaves again and thus it enters in the port respecting the previewed times. The usual official visits and all the pre- arranged Training Campaign program follows.

In Amburgo, successive stage, of onlooker is alone the fact that in the port is not granted to shoot the blank one of salute. But to the arrival of the Vespucci, on the wharf there is however the band that gives to them the welcome, and it is exhibited continuously playing during all the maneuvers, until do not finished to all the long operations of mooring.

During the transfer to the following port, having to cover the Channel of Kiel, Straulino makes to execute a complex sailor’s maneuver, for being able to allow the ship to pass under the five bridges that join the two sides of the Channel. It has been practically dismasted (in great part “taken apart”) the ship: it is proceeded to “scrociare” the topgallant yards and “against” topgallant yards of all the three masts, to “sghindare”  the three fore topgallant masts, to “scrociare” the yard of flying cage and to carry all on the deck. Moreover had to lower of approximately seven meters the cage log. And here, from his diary, on sense that the Commander is truly fierce of his crew, because the maneuver, that already difficult if they are made in port, when the ship is moored, has been completed in short time and without difficulties. Moreover, during the advance in the Channel, Straulino observes his men, they “seemed to express a sure worry” to approaching of every bridge.

	film "Kiel"

Also to Helsinki, with that sailing point, the arrival is early and forces therefore the Vespucci to stopping. They thus executed other practices, even if the sea is moved. The Commander also appears newly satisfied of his Students and asserts that “they are beginning makes the foot and… the marine stomach”.
In this drawn of navigation, since there is a journalist on a little airplane, who flies over the ship, that it is naturally proceeding to sail, with the scope to take some photos, Straulino of it is useful in order to make a pair of tacks and one of breast. This because, as he says, “time and table of march allow us and the Vespucci… is photogenic”.

	film "Wandering about"

During navigation towards port of Stockholm they meet the fog, that it was simply described from the Commander like “from the point of view of pure navigation, one of the more interesting”.
In reality the visibility was inferior to 50 meters, thoughts that the lookout-post, arranged in top to the bowsprit, was not visible from the bridge and his voice seemed came from the afterlife. This navigation has been defined from the Commander “a case a lot interesting”; thoughts that were dealt to be left over in the middle of the complete fog, and in an archipelago more than thousand little islands.

During the successive transfer, the crossing with others happens three ships: Gorch Fock (German school ship), Falken and Gladan (Swedish school ship).
The Commander filler of being remained astonished from the scene, the crossing and the pursuit carried out from the Gorch Fock, lasted approximately two hours, with all the crew on the deck, and the two ships that they spun nearest approximately ten nodes. He says that “he seemed of being entrances of blow in a picture of Claudus”. (Draft of a “painter of the sea”, recognized such the Italian Navy, that he painted above all vessels in navigation and/or it battles).
All this is begun with marks them “sail to the horizon, six o’clock”, that it has made to spring Straulino. It was in fact taking a walk in bridge, with his attitude a little mischievous, and suddenly, his competitive instinct has taken over; thus it has ordered the place of general maneuver to the sails. They have been armed even the windward extremities of nozzles, also to acquire greater speed, and “the Vespucci tightened in a moment the wind”, skidded (that is tilted) on the left, with the “row of porthole “under water ”.

	film "Competition"

The ship is found in the middle of a real storm. A squall of wind with 120 squalls of Km / hour that in few minutes to burst the sails of crow’s nest. The show that is introduced after the squall is truly sad, the sails hangs from the yards literally broken tattered.
You can see the photos, that demonstrate this event, if you go in the Kon-Tiki website and in this page in two of the films: “The storm and the torn sails” and “The wind strengthens”.
The Commander expected a storm, but not so heavy. When he become aware of he violence it was later: “I did not have the courage to send my men to close the sails as they had to be sluices. We have only clewed up the sails”. It means to escape it to the action of the wind with running maneuvers; later it must be "furled" sending the men on the yards).
The deck is remained for two hours completely under water. The following morning the sails are due all to replace, that they weigh quintals and, those of respect are found in the hold at the bottom of the ship. Capacities in blanket must be therefore, extracting them from the hold, then on the masts and at last arranged on the yards, and all this has been made while the sea still was moved. The demanded sacrifice has been enormous (the sails weighs many quintals), the crew already was tried, but the job could not be stopped. They were two days and two nights of hard job with enormous stresses and gravity. But to job ended the satisfaction to have given back life to the Mrs. of the Seas repaid the men.

	film "The wind strengthens"
	film "The storm and the torn sails"

And it is at this point of the navigation that the Course chooses its name. The procedure is a real voting between the several proposals names and, once decided, it is proceeded to the baptism. Tradition is that the students celebrate on board and parade for all the ship, ending then aloft. Always for tradition, the news of the name, this Course is said Kon-Tiki, is communicated via radius to the Naval Academy and the other ships school.

	film "Baptism of the Kon-Tiki Course"

Now the wind, a lot loved and tried from Agostino Straulino, is not more favorable, he thinks well to make to the students a practice. Thus ago to decrease nozzles to sail and addles, even if the sea enough was moved; thoughts that the small boats appeared and disappeared in the wave trough. “All to advantage of the training, of muscles, and… the stomachs of the Students” (he says).

Agostino Straulino has been loved from his sailors. In fact, although the massacring turns, the alarms clock of night in order to maneuver if only there were a drivel of wind to take advantage, at the end he made them proud. He made to feel them the best sailors, of the best sail ship of the world.
And I must say that after all this, being “survivors”, they must be because they are the best ones! and the merit goes also to the Commander, to this Commander.
Draft of a different Course from the usual ones, special, perhaps own because Augustin Straulino was a special man: “always present, always available, always “watchdog”, always father of all”.

	film "Straulino"

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