St. Helena - A remote island in the Atlantic | DW Documentary

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• AU

  @auditingthefrauditing9977 · 4 years ago

  People on these remote islands seem to be very happy and content with their lives.  I really envy that.

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• WI

  @williamfulgham2010 · 6 years ago

  R I P Captain Young, Bridge captain in this video who died unexpectedly about 3 years ago of a heart attack.

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• KI

  @kimodeutschmann5237 · 5 years ago

  I sailed there over 30 times from Cape Town as a yacht delivery captain and knew many of the locals.Such a wonderful life experience.I loved the local food especially the famous fish cakes and every time I  moved on I would take a batch with me.Sad to think the ship will no longer operate.

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• IR

  @irenejohnston6802 · 3 years ago

  The Portuguese first discovered it. 1502-04. Found it uninhabited, with abundance of trees and fresh water.  They imported livestock,  etc built a chapel.  But no permanent settlement.   Dutch East India Co. Made a claim  in 1633 but didn't settle the Island. The English East India Co was granted a  Charter in 1657.     My 3xs Great Grandfather signed on the ship CERES in 1812  for the East India Militia.  He sailed with his wife  Arriving in 1813.    He died in 1820 is buried  on the Island.   His daughter,  was a baby when he died.  She  returned to England and  married my Gt, Gt, Grandfather.  I'm nearly 83.  Liverpool

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• FU

  @fuzzle9392 · 6 years ago

  The RMS St. Helena. &nbsp;I feel something watching this documentary, mixed in with a certain degree of sadness. The last ever ship built in Aberdeen Scotland, after a long history of shipbuilding there. There is a fair portion of my soul, blood and sweat imbued into the very fabric of that ship. We were aware that this boat was most likely the end shipbuilding in Aberdeen. Hall Russell&apos;s (the yard had been privatised and had been renamed, but was still HR at its heart) was the last yard there to succumb to the fashion of de-industrialisation of major heavy industries in the UK and beyond, something that needn&apos;t have, nor should have happened.<br><br>The ship was supposed to have been launched by Sarah Ferguson but for whatever reasons her husband, Prince Andrew launched it instead. I remember looking down at the top of his head. On Launch day, the folks that you see going down the slipway on a ship are not there for a &quot;jolly&quot; but have to go below into the darkness as soon as it hits the water, armed with torches and a large spanner to check all spaces, tanks etc below the water line for leaks and if necessary take the appropriate actions to stop any flooding should anything be discovered. Everything was checked prelaunch, but..........there is always a but......it would not the first time a new ship has been found taking on water. It was all clear.<br><br>Anyway. It was good to see the ship still working and in good order even though it is now no longer serving in this role. I have good, if somewhat nostalgic, memories attached to being heavily involved in fabricating the steelwork of this ship, there were not so many of us left by the time this was being built.

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• VA

  @vankuipland · 6 years ago (edited)

  At the age of 10 ( 1958 &nbsp;) on our way from Cape Town to Southampton the boat stopped and anchored at St Helena . My 2 older brothers and me went ashore with a smaller boat.<br>We climbed the 699 steps and visited Napoleons residents ( prison ) and stood in the room he died.<br>Before the stop at St Helena the boat made a stop at “Ascension Island” and after St Helena the Canary islands “ las Palmas .<br>Great memories !

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• UM

  @umedavk2011 · 7 years ago

  That was most interesting and enjoyable. I knew nothing about St. Helena except that Napolean got exiled there. Thanks for the education.

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• GA

  @garystefan3995 · 5 years ago

  My grandmother is from St Helena. She left 70 years ago, still has her accent

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• UH

  @UHURU-001 · 2 years ago (edited)

  I sailed to St Helena with my whole family (6 of us) from Cape Town in early 1982, aboard the Long John Silver, a 50-foot aluminium schooner we built ourselves. That was our first ocean crossing voyage. First day out was foggy and calm, motoring through the offshore fishing fleets (most Russian and Chinese), second day we ran into a rapidly strengthening gale from the south that turned into a hoolie of a storm that lasted more than a week. The seas were mountainous, some taller than our masts, and navigating by traditional methods (sextant with sun, moon and star charts) was difficult with densely overcast skies and extreme rolling motion with only fleeting glimpses of a lumpy horizon! &nbsp;Eight days out we were in the vicinity but could not locate the island, and would not have been able to make landfall in those conditions. We headed for Walvis Bay, and made landfall there after another 5 days. After 2 weeks at WB resting and making minor repairs, including a memorable visit into the Namib Desert, we were ready to set sail again. This time we had beautiful steady tradewinds and had no difficulty navigating. At dawn on the seventh day about 100 miles to go, as expected, we sighted the peaks of the island showing above the horizon. What a spectacular sight it was sailing in round those great cliffs at the north end of the island, and a relief and excitement to finally set anchor in fifty feet of crystal clear water in James Bay. <br>Went ashore next morning to clear the port authority and started making acquaintances with the welcoming and friendly islanders. Such lovely people made lovely memories, exploring the spectacular island, learning some of its history and current circumstances… Memories of St Helena- jumping from the boat to the dock off the top of those south Atlantic swells… the fishing for tuna and all sorts of other fish, impossible to starve in such a place!… the quaint historic settlement of Jamestown, nestled in its steep valley, the 699 steps of Jacob’s ladder, the old charabang tour of the island… great barren lava cliffs teeming with sea birds, the green interior, tree ferns, coffee and flax… Longwood House, the ancient tortoises at the governor’s residence… a special night out at the Jamestown disco, the incongruity of watching Saturday Night Fever at the drive-in cinema at the old fort atop Ladder Hill… blissful days falling in love in paradise… We stayed 6 weeks, exploring all around the island. I wished it could have been longer, but we had to move on. We set sail for Archipelago di Fernando de Noronha (Brazil) with a seventh crew member, my St Helenian girlfriend, Gail. Wonderful memories of youthful days to be sure, my life was richer for knowing her, and that’s another story.

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• LI

  @lim8581 · 2 years ago

  The anticipation and isolation of Saint Helena Island come alive in this documentary. The resilience of its residents, many descended from exiles like Napoleon, is inspiring. Thanks to the documentary for revealing the unique world at the end of the Atlantic.

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• GE

  @georgemartin4963 · 8 years ago

  St. Helena is now accessible by air.

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• MO

  @mohitarorasocool · 7 years ago

  &quot;We do not want McDonald&apos;s on every other corner.&quot; You said it, sir.

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