Before the Mast
The three-masted barque
Gorch Fock is the pride of the West German Navy. She's nearly 300ft long and carries almost half an acre of sail. Life aboard this beautiful vessel is much like it was in the days of sail although the Gorch Fock is comparatively new - she was built in 1958. For her cadets it's no holiday, as her officers and permanent crew teach them the ways of the sea while Gorch Fock sails the oceans of the world. Narrator Tom Salmon Film editor PETER SIMPSON Photography TIM JOHNSON
Film sound MURRAY CLARKE Producer BRIAN HAWKINS BBC Bristol