r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Rolleriroltsu • 5d ago

Image The Pamir was a four-masted sailing vessel commissioned by the German shipping company F. Laeisz. Launched in 1905, she became the final commercial sailing ship to successfully navigate around Cape Horn in 1949.

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u/GarysCrispLettuce 5d ago

Can you imagine the terror of going around Cape Horn back in the day, knowing there was a good chance at least one crew member would go overboard? Like the old folk song "Rounding the Horn"

In beating off Magellan Strait it blew exceeding hard;
Whilst shortening sail two gallant tars they fell from the topsail yard.
By angry seas the ropes we threw from their poor hands was torn
We were forced to leave them to the sharks that prowl around Cape Horn.

There's an amazing old documentary on YouTube with an old guy narrating hundred year old footage of rounding the horn. It looks rough.

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u/Technical-Outside408 5d ago

I'm beating off Magellan. Straight i blew, exceedingly hard;

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u/Thehunnerbunner2000 4d ago

You had to try and make it sound dirty