The change of route from the Northwest Passage to the Panama Canal gave chief officer Laurits Kallan Lauritsen a rare chance to carry out extraordinary maintenance.
If the warming in the Arctic had not filled the Northwest Passage with icebergs from crumbling Greenland glaciers, Statsraad Lehmkuhl would now have been full of students and teachers from the Arctic University of Tromsø, en route to Whittier, Alaska.
Instead, the ship was forced to turn south. The university crew disembarked in Newfoundland, and Statsraad Lehmkuhl is now manned only by her permanent crew.
Quite rare, and nice
Normally, the permanent crew stand alongside the voyage crew, managing, training, and teaching. Now they must handle all sail operations themselves.
– It's quite rare that you see us set sails, everybody, captain and the chief mate and the cook and the engineers. Everybody is putting their weight into the ropes and making things run, and that's actually really, really nice, says Laurits Kallan Lauritsen.
As chief officer, Laurits coordinates the maintenance work together with the boatswain and the carpenter.
– We have a rough schedule for what to do on a weekly, a monthly and a daily basis. And meet to discuss what's possible and what's not possible, in terms of spare parts and equipment, but also people and time. And then we do a specific day to day plan.
A unique chance
For Laurits, having an “empty ship” is a unique chance to complete tasks that are normally difficult to carry out. Floors and tables in the banjer – the voyage crew’s living quarters, are being scraped down and varnished. Paintwork is being refreshed, and areas where painting is usually impossible because of fumes can finally be attended to. Even toilets and showers are getting some attention.
The banjer is getting a make over. Photo: André Marton Pedersen
The banjer is getting a make over. Photo: André Marton Pedersen
The banjer is getting a make over. Photo: André Marton Pedersen
Laurits himself was spotted lying on top of a closet.
– I just helped the quartermaster fix the public announcement system, the speakers. Yeah. We all help out, he explained.
And the system?
– It works now. Yes!
Perfect conditions
The warm weather, with temperatures above 20 degrees, provides perfect conditions for this type of work, and the permanent crew is skilled in carrying it out.
– They are very, very experienced, and they are doing a fantastic job, Laurits says. And also, I have to give a huge, huge thanks to the six volunteer deck crew. They are the reason why the engine is spinning, so to speak. They are here as part of their training to become able seamen, to gather sea time and experience. And while they do that, they take part in the watch systems and of course also the maintenance.
Of course, the work is not without risk. Tasks are carried out high up in the rigging, and chemicals are used for both cleaning and coating.
– Sure, it's dangerous, but no, it's not dangerous because we take care of our people. All crew have courses and are trained in what we do. Safety and health is, of course, our main priority.
So far, there have been no accidents.
Beautiful
Before Statsraad Lehmkuhl set out on the One Ocean Expedition in April, the ship spent nine months in dry dock for extensive renewal. Now, after even more loving care at sea, the result is stunning.
Has the ship ever looked better?
– It's hard for me to say for sure, but definitely not in the past decade, says Laurits.
Still, the crew continues to carry out maintenance and make small improvements.
– It's deep in our DNA as sailors that we sort of grab the opportunities that are at hand. And, you know, the weather always changes and the conditions always change. So we have to adapt, Laurits says.
