Around the Horn in a square-rigger, 1929: I’ll never complain about NorthLink again…

This is a link to one of the most famous pieces of maritime film ever: Irving Johnson’s incredible amateur footage of his 1929 voyage ‘the wrong way’ around Cape Horn, from Hamburg to Chile, aboard the biggest sailing ship afloat at the time, the nitrate carrier barque Peking. No motors of any kind, everything done by hand. And some of the scariest storm footage ever shot. Fantastic commentary, too, from Johnson himself. It’s 36 minutes long. Shot using a big hand-cranked film camera, too. Unbelievable.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1184583933122407708&hl=en

Amazingly, the Peking is still afloat, albeit as a visitor attraction at the South Street Seaport in New York.

Johnson was an astonishing character, who lived until he was 85.

Discover more from Tom Morton's Beatcroft

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

2 responses to “Around the Horn in a square-rigger, 1929: I’ll never complain about NorthLink again…”

  1. norrie maclean Avatar
    norrie maclean

    That was truly incredible, I was once in South Street Seaport and wish I had known about this beforehand and I would have paid more attention.Do you think there is some contractural thing that they have to say the sponsors name? It is pretty annoying though. Am I right in thinking that BBC World is more or less a commercial station?

  2. Catherine Avatar
    Catherine

    Aw gawd, I can’t work out how to reply on Twitter, but that “golf sponsored by Rolex” stuff on the BBC has been going on for years (for those of us that live abroad and have to watch BBC World). It annoyed me when I first saw it and it annoys me even now, BUT the worst is the “Holiday Snaps” a three minute holiday programme that I swear the Beeb have had on a loop for eight years at least. Can’t you have a word Tom with those in management?

Leave a comment