Your Stories

Sunday 5 February

I was woken at 7 am to prepare the two mess areas, set places, put out cereal, juices and bring down hot water flasks from the kitchen to lower mess for hot drinks.

Everything is in plastic containers for the security of the cornflakes - can you imagine just how messy the galley could be if caught out in a force six with cereals and fruit juice swilling about!

Ridges around the edges of the tables also help to keep your porridge and kippers in front of you rather than on your lap!

We all took turns at the different tasks on board

The Mess Cbrew then had breakfast with the ongoing 8am watch and then served breakfast to all the rest of the crew at 8am.

Breakfasts included, juice, cereal, cooked breakfast, toast, tea or coffee! Home from home!

You reckon you hate washing up at home... after everyone finished, we cleared the tables, stowed everything away safely in cupboards and did the washing up for the 40 crew! "For hands that do dishes, that feel..."

Sea sickness procedures...

All voyage crew met in the lower mess and the permanent crew briefed us on all aspects of ship life.

This included health and safety, emergency evacuation and muster stations, sea sickness procedures, basics of sail handling and the Captain informed us of proposed route and weather conditions.

We were then all issued with storm weather clothing, wellingtons, safety belt for wearing at all times on deck and safety harness to be worn when going aloft (up the rigging). We were to be prepared to go to sea after lunch, at 2pm.

Before that, emergency drills were practiced, including getting those in wheel chairs up to the main deck, without the use of the wheelchair lifts, which would be out of action in an emergency.

You make spome life-long friends on board

We all gathered at muster stations with life jackets on. 

hen came the first "hands aloft" climb, where crew ascended the masts (up to the first platform, about 50 ft above the deck and only part way up the 130 ft high masts) and went out on the yard arms - they are the cross beams on the upright masts.

Safety harnesses were used when climbing under and onto the platforms, as well as walking out on the foot lines of the yard arms.

All these activities were to ensure everyone was able to do the required activities to run the ship, before leaving port - it would be a catastrophe if we had gone to sea to find we all had vertigo in thick socks!

The permanent crew included the Captain, Mate, 2nd Mate, Bosun, Chief Engineer, 2nd Engineer, Medical Purser and most importantly the Cook.

There were also four Bosun's Mates aboard for the voyage, (these were not permanent crew, but volunteers with experience).

To the high seas...

After a hot lunch, (I was still on mess duty!) it was all hands on deck to prepare to leave port.

Some voyage crew were sent ashore to do land work releasing mooring lines, the rest were needed initially to lift the gangway onto the ship and stow it in sections on the roof of the chart room.

Everyone was deployed pulling on lines to lift the gangway, our first hauling duties.

After releasing the mooring lines, pulling them in and coiling them, those who had gone onto the dock side to release the mooring lines, were brought back to the ship on the inflatable tender, they then climbed up a rope ladder up the side of the ship and onto the deck. With the tender winched aboard and stowed, we motored out of port.

Our first sail was to be around 170 nautical miles, taking us from Gran Canaria past Tenerife and to the island of La Palma, the most easterly island of the Canaries.

The weather was fair, with a light wind of about 10 knots and a slight swell - just right to get used to sea-legs.

Once clear of the harbour, we were called to sail stations and pulled on ropes, as instructed, to set out some of the sails.

With sails out, the ship became more stable and rolled less, although some of the voyage crew were a little green and off their food by now!! I had finished my mess man duties after lunch.

That's me folks... and a friend!

Pink gin time...

We had the First Dog Watch, 4pm – 6pm and as I was now released from mess duties, I was on watch!! This involved duties on the “bridge”, which was the open bridge and steering control. We did half hour rotations of steering, port and starboard lookouts, as well as other general safety and security tasks.

Every hour the log had to be written, this meant entering details of the ships course, speed, weather conditions and other observations.

I could not read the compass or see the digital compass in the sun light, so had an audible (speaking) compass to assist me when on the wheel, helming the ship (whilst this was a help to me, I am sure it was an irritation to others!).

Everyone was now adjusting to being at sea, coping with a rolling, pitching ship and carrying out duties when instructed.

A few of the voyage crew were missing from our evening meal, our first meal at sea!! By the time we finished dinner, it was dark and a good reason to stay below deck and explore what drinks were available in the bar.

This was a self service bar, where you served your own drink, paid for it, washed glasses when finished and made sure they were safely stowed before leaving the bar.

I went to bed around 9pm as I was to be wakened at 3.45 am to go on the Morning Watch from 4 till 8 am - joy!

Monday 6 February

Yes, it is only Monday and I have just been woken at 3.45am to be on deck to take on watch duties. And although we were in warmer waters than the North Sea, I slipped into warm trousers, shirt, fleece, wind proof jacket, hat, cloves and safety belt - I crept out of the berth area and up onto deck.

I stopped at the main cabin door as I could not see anything on deck, as the ship was in total darkness and it was rolling about a little too.

This is a time for a good head for heights

After a couple of minutes Kathy, from my watch, also arrived on deck and I could see she was wearing light coloured trousers, so followed her across the deck, up stairs and through the chart room and then up the stairs onto the bridge where we took over from the off going watch.

We were passing about 4 miles offshore from Tenerife, in a clear sky, though the moon was blocked out by clouds. But there were many bright stars in the clear sky. The lights of coastal towns and villages on Tenerife were clearly visible from the ship - a magical site.

If they only knew...

It was an incredible feeling to be helming this 490 tonnes of ship on a calm starry early morning.

It seemed ghost-like with the square rig sails out aloft, the only sounds being that of the wind in the sails and the waves on the sea.

Here I was helming this ship in the Atlantic, with one look out on each side of the bridge, the rest of the crew catching what sleep they could, possibly oblivious to the fact that the man on the helm was registered blind!! What an experience for me.

During our watch, we also put up more sail and reset sails, again quite a task for four novice crew working on deck before sunrise!

At 8am we were relieved by the oncoming watch and went below for breakfast. Not everyone was up to eating breakfast as they had not adjusted to constantly moving decks, walls and anything not secured!

We continued sailing towards La Palma, being buzzed by dolphins, which were obviously enjoying racing the ship. We were progressing at around 5 – 6 knots, under sail and without engines.

During the day we had further safety drills, changes to sails, lunch and "Smokoes" which are effectively refreshment breaks when juice and hot flasks of are secured on deck for drinks (juice, tea, coffee, hot chocolate).

These drinks were complemented by cake, biscuits etc, all made on board by the one cook, who also made the three hot meals each day!! He was king on board.

It wasn't all work and no play, well... sleep

The galley was about 8ft by 6ft, with a wash and preparation area about the same size - and from that tiny space came the mighty meals that kept us going.

By evening time we were approaching Santa Cruz harbour on La Palma and I was back on watch.

This was now the "Last Dog Watch" from 6pm till 8pm. On coming into harbour we left one of our watch on the helm, following the Captain's orders and the rest of us joined the other crew in taking sails down, preparing mooring lines and getting some crew ashore in the inflatable to secure lines.

After a lot of hard work we were secured on the quay and moved the gangway into place and after finishing our watch we all freshened up and went below for the mess dinner.

Following dinner, groups went ashore and everyone returned to ship to get a good nights sleep. The next day we were to have a land based tour of the island, with lunch in a restaurant.