Sailing on the Spirit — it’s a family affair
Coming from a long line of adventurous women, 10-year-old Mira Dodwell-Schmaus looks set to lead an exciting life with a stint on the seas a possibility.
In the past 30 years, her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother have all sailed on the ships operated by the Spirit of Adventure Trust.
The trust, which was set up in 1972, aims to empower young New Zealanders to reach their full potential by getting them out on the open ocean for several days of teamwork and leadership-based learning.
Eva Schmaus, Mira’s mum, remembers her time on board fondly – memories she was able to share with her daughter during a recent open day on the trust’s Spirit of New Zealand ship.
‘‘I remember my friend and I climbing out onto the netting by the bowsprit and lying down. There was just the sea underneath you, rushing by so fast, it was amazing. So I wanted to bring my daughter on so she could see how cool it is as well.’’
If Mira decides to follow in her mum’s footsteps in a few years, Schmaus says she will be the fourth-generation female from her family to do so. ‘‘My granny [Denise Powell] went on it when she was 76 in the late 1980s
. . . there was a photo in The Press of her halfway up the rigging because she was a bit of an adventuress. My mum [Frances Hutcheon] went on in the early 90s – that was a post-divorce adventure – and then I went on as a teenager for school.
‘‘We like to be adventurous if we can. There’s a lot to do in the world and being on the boat is just one part of that.’’
As if the intergenerational connection wasn’t enough, Mira’s dad James Dodwell also sailed on the Spirit of New Zealand, as both a voyager and a crew volunteer.
During the day sail from Wellington with Schmaus and Mira, Dodwell recalled fond memories of his time on the ship.
‘‘There’s a lot you learn . . . you start out and you have no idea what the front of the boat is called or how you are going to survive 10 days without showering but by the end of it, you’re yelling sail orders to people who are your best friends.
‘‘I remember sleeping on the deck with a whole bunch of people on our last night . . . it was a beautiful clear night where we could see every star in the sky and we just chatted to the early hours.’’