Mike's adventures on the high seas
Until the famous replica of Captain James Cook's HM Bark Endeavour visited Middlesbrough in 2003, Mike Bloomfield's experience of ships and sailing was limited to the occasional channel crossing and pleasure cruises along the Yorkshire coastline. Since then Mike's newfound knowledge and love of tall ships and sailing has taken him all over the British Isles, to the Canary Islands, and even as far afield as Australia.
Small beginnings
"It all started in 2003," says Mike, who works full-time for Stockton Borough Council. "The Endeavour was visiting the Tees, and Middlesbrough Council appealed for volunteers. They needed tour guides to show visitors around the ship, and shipkeepers to help keep watch overnight.
"I applied, initially planning to spend 2 or 3 nights working as a shipkeeper. I ended up staying for the full 3 weeks! Stepping on the Endeavour was like stepping back in time. It was marvellous."
Big adventures
Helping out in Middlesbrough was just the start for Mike. The coming months saw him travelling around the country visiting the Endeavour in different ports, including Whitehaven in Cumbria, Falmouth in Cornwall, and even Hartlepool, during the 2004 Maritime Festival. Armed with only a basic guide and the history he learned in primary school, Mike came to develop a keen knowledge of Captain Cook, his ships and his voyages. So much so that he soon volunteered as a tour guide, and got the chance to help out when the Endeavour was out at sea on day sails.
"The first time I climbed the mast of a tall ship was on the Endeavour," smiles Mike. "The captain sent for me, gave me a harness, and sent me up the rigging. One of my volunteer friends was already up there. We had to climb up and over the fighting top - a wide platform part way up the mast. It was quite an experience!"
It was during the Endeavour's visit to Whitehaven that her crew and volunteers received sad news: the captain had been given orders to bring the ship home to her native Australia.
With just weeks to go until the 2005 Tall Ships Races in Newcastle - where Mike was to volunteer as a liaison officer - Mike and several of his fellow volunteers made the 10,000 mile journey to Sydney to welcome the Endeavour home. They were made official guests of the Australian Minister of Art and Culture, and, along with a group of Australian volunteers, chartered a water taxi to escort the HM Bark Endeavour to her new berth in Sydney Harbour.
But what prompted Mike to volunteer his time for The Tall Ships Races 2010 in Hartlepool?
"The Newcastle Tall Ships event was absolutely fantastic. Everyone in Hartlepool is going to get an amazing surprise," says Mike. "It's a great opportunity for the people of the town in so many ways, not only the volunteering, but the boost to the economy and of course the event itself, which they will remember for years to come."
"I've travelled all over for tall ships, and I couldn't believe it when I heard Hartlepool had been chosen to host The Tall Ships Races 2010. It's such a big achievement for a small port. I hope that the town will be able to look back on the event with pride."
Since first volunteering on the Endeavour all those years ago in Middlesbrough, Mike has become actively involved in volunteering and in the Tall Ships Youth Trust, a national charity with a branch in the north east. The Trust provides bursaries to young people aged 18-25, to help them experience sailing on tall ships or ocean-going yachts. The Trust also organises a number of voyages for people aged between 14 and 75 years old.
"Sailing tall ships is about teambuilding. It's about challenging yourself, meeting and working with new people - and learning how to sail, of course! I'd encourage anyone to give it a go: you never know where it might lead."
Be part of it
For more information on volunteering for The Tall Ships Races 2010, or to learn more about the event, visit the Hartlepool Tall Ships Races website or email Sarah Willan, chief liaison officer at Hartlepool Borough Council.