SU 28
MAR Poole 1300 Arrive, unpack, wonder why
we're here 1400 Greetings and training
begins including the "Up and Over"! 2030 Watches begin, shore leave
too M 29
MAR Depart
Poole 1100 Practice 3 Watch Close
Tacking Drill 1400 Depart Poole straight into
Force 6 gusting F8 winds and many people feed the fishes.
The survivors set a few sails TU 30
MAR At Sea
North of France Overnight Motor across the Channel's
shipping lanes and dodge the ends of fishermen's lobster
pots 1030 Try to practice close
tacking again but winds are too light 1100 Switch engines on
again! W
31 MAR At Sea
heading to Vlissingen ("Flushing") 0300 Had to tack quickly to avoid
very large and very close supertanker 0600 Take on pilot to navigate
Westerschelde, a channel to the mouth of the River Schelde
itself. The sea is calm and the sun comes out 1200 Drop anchor off
Vlissingen 1400 Backstay competition - the
first inter-watch showdown TH 1
APR Vlissingen
- Antwerp 0730 Second pilot arrives and we
weigh anchor 0900 For Nick's briefing Sarah
dresses up as a third year nurse for an April
Fool! 1700 Eventually reach our berth
in Willemdok in Antwerp after a lock and three bridges.
We're parked right by the red light district! 1900 Shore leave F 2
APR Antwerp 0900 Rowing competition, followed
by shore leave. It's sunny and warm 1700 We've all returned for the
tug of war 1800 Dinner and a last chance for
shore leave SA 3
APR Depart
Antwerp 0400 Take on pilot and leave the
dock 1300 Pilot leaves us free to go
into the misty North Sea. We start sounding the
foghorn 2130 The sea is very calm. Sight
a strange light through the dense fog that turns out not to
be a ship we've missed but the moon rising! SU 4
APR Arrive
Great Yarmouth 0130 Drop anchor at sea outside
Yarmouth - they won't let us in because of the fog. We start
sounding the bell instead of the foghorn which makes
everyone on the half deck insane! 0720 Cook gives us all a Kinder
Egg for Easter! 1400 Take on pilot ("will he be
English?!") and man the yards as we head up the River Yare
to our berth one and a half miles up the river 1500 Shore leave 1900 The Egg Drop! 2000 Afterwards the Bosun praises
us for bringing in the ship to port looking very clean and
polished. Shore leave! M 5
APR Depart
Great Yarmouth 1000 The Watch Leaders organise
an Easter egg treasure hunt. You have to follow clues around
the ship but the catch is the whole watch is chained
together by their harnesses! 1230 Depart Great Yarmouth. Nick
the Mate takes over from the Captain for a while 1400 Sails are set and we tack a
few times during the afternoon TU 6
APR At Sea
around the Thames Estuary 1600 Hand the sails and stow them
as we start the engines once more 1645 Drop anchor near Deal to
wait for the tide to turn 2100 Off again against the wind
and everyone's stomach feels how rough it's
become! W 7
APR At Sea
off Beachy Head and Brighton 0900 No one's very enthusiastic
or very well as we set sails again 1300 Start the first of the
afternoon's three watch tacks 1700 Drop anchor off Shoreham.
Hand the sails and stow them nicely for the inter watch
competition 1915 The Tacky Souvenir
competition is won by an obscene corkscrew from Belgium!
Sod's Opera features poems, songs, chants, sketches,
singalongs, Ashley's smooth guitar playing and the real "Day
In The Life" of a trainee! TH 8
APR Arrive
Shoreham Harbour 0200 Anchor up and under pilot we
slip into Shoreham Harbour during the half hour window when
the tide is high enough to make it possible 0900 Extended Happy Hour for the
Captain's Inspection. The ship looks amazingly
clean! 1100 Shore leave 1530 Back to help load up the
stores for the next voyage 1900 Shore leave for a final
celebration... F 9
APR The
End! 0530 Woken for breakfast and a
final Happy Hour 0800 Start signing off 0900 Slowly leave for
home
(Good Friday)
(Easter Sunday)
Mizzen Watch entrust their egg to Fredrico the cigar
smoking, Belgian pilot, Richard Branson's round the world
balloon attempt inspires Main Watch and Fore Watch pick up
on Nick, the Chief Officer's deepest desires!
(Bank Holiday)