PORTSMOUTH, England — Sea Trek 2001 will drop one of its four ships planned for crossing the Atlantic because there aren't enough passengers.
Three tall ships, the Dutch ship Europa and the Norwegian ships Christian Radich and Statsraad Lhmkuhl, are scheduled to make the Atlantic crossing. A fourth ship, the Norwegian Sorlandet, won't make the journey.
"We had hoped to take all four ships, including the Sorlandet. It's been a tough decision," Sea Trek founder William Sadleir said. "It's a numbers problem. Sea Trek participants will not be just passengers but trainees required to make up the three watches of four hours twice a day and fulfill crewing duties. If four ships leave, there will only be 35 participants per ship, not enough trainees to crew a ship like the Sorlandet day after day on that long crossing."
The three ships with 140 passengers left Portsmouth, England, Monday morning bound for Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. They are scheduled to arrive at Las Palmas Sept. 6 and will sail across the Atlantic to Bermuda and then New York, scheduled to arrive Oct. 4. Some additional 45 to 50 passengers are booked to board the ships at Hamilton, Bermuda.
Sea Trek 2001 is a private venture retracing the 19th century migration of converts of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Sadleir said there is still room on the ships if someone wants to join the ships at the Canary Islands by Sept. 7 and make the Atlantic crossing. The cost would be about $3,000 per person.
Sadleir also reported that Sea Trek's nonprofit foundation still seeks additional sponsors because of the financial commitment involved in organizing the massive Sea Trek event.
"Finances are in good shape, but originally we were not going to make Greenock (Scotland) an event stop, but the people there begged us to come, so we did. Then in the Scandinavian cities the (LDS Church) members asked us to help make this a missionary event, so we gave away something like half the tickets for the Oratorio performances. We've paid for halls, lecturers, extra travel cost, further P.A. systems, these family history computer facilities, and we've been very generous with the study grants.
"There are always extra expenses to something like this. Thank goodness for the American Express card that has no limit!" Sadleir said.
Sponsors can purchase specially commissioned Sea Trek bronze sculptures, a quarter size of the 8- foot statutes presented to the Sea Trek ports. There are 50 limited edition statues available, at a starting price of $15,000 each for the first 10, and thereafter the price increases to $20,000 and $25,000 as the numbers remaining diminish. Sponsors will also have the opportunity to have their name, or their ancestor's name, on a plaque in each of the Sea Trek cities.
For information, contact Sea Trek 2001, 3594 N. University Ave., Suite 250, Provo, UT 84604, 1-801- 932-7990. More information about Sea Trek 2001 can be found on the Web at www.seatrek2001.com.
David M.W. Pickup is a barrister from Burnley, Lancashire, England, sailing on Sea Trek from Gothenburg, Sweden, to Portsmouth, England.