Climbing the Bowsprit, The Myth Of Europa | Bark Europa Day 3
June 28th, Day 3
Endless noise from waves lapping the sides of the ship. My sea sickness has not quite left my body yet. I lay in bed uncomfortable, too warm, too angled, too sideways, too this, and too that. Any which was I turn was the wrong way. I fall out of bed to join the crew on the poopdeck. We drop down to the maindeck and within minutes my clothes are soaked through. The rain is sideways and so is the ship. Heeled over in the deep grey fog, there is enough wind to furl the skysails (The sixth and highest sails on the mast used when there is only light wind).
The Myth of Europa
I climb nervously to the bowsprit on the bow. I remain halfway taking photos near Lars, who was working on some rust repair. He tells me the story of Europa.
Europa is a Phoenician princess, the daughter of the Phoenician King of Tyre, Agenor.
One day, while Europa was relaxing with friends by the seashore, the god Zeus spied her and immediately fell in love with her. In a somewhat bizarre courting strategy, Zeus transformed himself into a white bull to woo the princess. Europa was indeed charmed by the docile animal and decorated him in flowers. Then, thinking she might ride such a gentle beast, she climbed on his back, which was when the bull swam with her into the sea, soared into the air and carried Europa far away from Phoenicia.
Flying bulls perhaps not being the best of aerial transporters, it is not surprising that the bull swiftly fell into the sea and from there the pair swam to Crete. Once on the island, Zeus forced himself upon the princess, and the couple produced three children: Minos, Rhadamanthys, and Sarpedon.
Although he was a frequent love-them-and-leave-them sort of god, Zeus did bestow upon Europa a few parting gifts. There was a hound who always got its quarry; a personal bodyguard, Talos the animated bronze man; and a javelin which always hit its target.
Climbing The Bowsprit
Lars pauses his work and climbs up and starts encouraging me to “go further go all the way!”. He reattaches his harness in front of me and fearlessly climbs to the tip of the bowsprit. As he turns around to face the ship, he hooks his feet around the stay lines, leans back and spreads his arms open wide with the largest smile on his face.
I try next and clumsily make my way around, standing on the last of the metal above the Bull and Europa. My feet are covered in molten rust as I am white-knuckling the Outer Jib. While the first of the cool air to touch the ship, first touches my face, chills run around my body and I smile as the sunshine warms the back of my neck. I feel so f***ing free. This is the coolest s**t I have ever done in my life.
The weather is beautiful and we all share a pasta dinner enjoying the sunshine as the sun begins to set.
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