European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 31, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Vespucci sail handlers head aloft at right vessel is in italian port of Catania Sicily. Vespucci / masts permanently installed Al Tho naval Academy when the cadets come aboard my Crew will move to Iho foremast and the cadets will Man the main Center and Mizzen Roar mass there will be intense co Pelion Between the Crews to see who is laser at sail handling said Santi who Speaks English locked with a Southern accent a Holdover from time spent in Florida during helicopter Light training with the . Navy. The Vespucci named alter the italian voyager Amerigo Vespucci torn whom America takes its name displaces 4,000 ions More than a Modem destroyer. Ii carries an enormous amount of sail come 3.500 Square meters or nearly an Aero enough to push Iho ship along at up to 18 knots. Not everyone works aloft. Only 80 of the permanent Crew Are trained and insured Lor Iho task. Sailors working the Topmost sails on Iho swaying main Mast balance on a Skinny Loo rope 156 Leet above the deck. There is Lilloo danger working atoll because All Iho men know what they Are said Pelty Allicer 2nd class Giuseppe flu Ghesu a 27-year-Olri Bosun who has been aboard Tho ship Lor nine of the 10 years he s been in the Navy. But each year we Lind three or Lour sailors or cadets who. Because of Loar of Heights simply can t work aloft. So we give whom jobs Down below said flu Ghesu. Who hails irom Sardinia. Petty officer 3rd class Roberto Martini 22, has t forgotten his first trip up a Mast three years ago. I went up to the lop it was a Little frightening Well More than a Little. My Knees Shook. I got used to the Heights and last year i was of now. I m not so sure of myself and a mile afraid again i saw one of my tronds Lall to the deck irom a height of Only five meters about 16 eel this year. To was t Loo badly Hurt but it Shook the Brindisi resident said. The first Lew weeks aboard Are extremely confusing Lor sailors new to the ship hundreds of lines 25 Miles alone in the running rigging Lead Down to belaying pins and even though All lines Are labelled by brass plates newcomers confess to taking weeks to literally learn the ropes. Old fashioned ways and old fashioned materials prove to be Best Lor the Veteran sailing ship. We use nothing but ropes made of natural Libers we tried synthetic fibres but they stretched they produced a Slingshot elect and did t allow us to carry out precise Santi said. All the ship s sails Are of heavy Canvas again a return to yesteryear. To tried using heavy Dacron but in would t Roll up properly when it was wet. It was Slippery too a real Lin Gornail breaker Santi said. Sails and ropes Are turned out by the ship s own sail loll and rope walk Al la spezia. The ship s Home port. Anything needing fixing can be repaired aboard. At one time the italian Navy had both the Vespucci built in Naples in 1930, and a sister ship. Cristoforo Colombo. The Colombo was handed Over to the russians at the close of world War ii. Tho russians Cut Oil the masts and turned it into a Coal Barge eventually in sunk. Imagine doing that to such a ship said a disgusted Santi. While the ship s sailors sleep in Roomy bunks the cadets rough it in hammocks. Food Lor everyone is excellent. Most crewmen there Are no women on the Vespucci serve aboard Lor Only a year although one Salty Bosun s mate has been on Tho ship for 23 years. Unfortunately. I la to aboard Only for the one year. Thai s the limit of my command said Santi. Everyday that passes makes to sad because it brings the end of my time on lha ship for several hours on the first Day s sail to Catania the Vespucci had All sails set. Bui because of Lack of wind Iho ship had 10 run under engine for Iho bulk of Tho trip. In t sail training an anachronism although a wonderful one in this age no. The cadets our future naval Ollices will have so much Lime to serve As technicians but Little time in the Navy to learn about the sea to think this is the Best and Only Way to really Leach people about Tho sea. Serving aboard Tho ship less muscle brain and courage. Ii lakes courage to go aloft at night in a raging storm. This Way we Loam in a Man has enough courage Lobo a real said Santi. Serving on the Vespucci is highly prize duty and everyone aboard volunteered or the ship. The Vespucci gels the Cream of the italian Navy. The skipper said thai the Vespucci if properly maintained should be Able to continue sailing Lor years and years. There Are no plans to build another such ship. And it would to impossible using modern materials to properly replace Vespucci. Even in we spent a minimum of one half billion lire nearly $75 million and thai is what it would Cost the new ship would not have Iho feeling this ship has a now one would have no sailors from one shift relax As another i Page 14 the stars and stripes wednesday i
