Our web report was built using song titles – see how many you can spot!
At midnight we started our 4 hour watch. A sky full of stars was mirrored like smoke in the water – we could see orions belt and many of the constellations. With the wind in our sails and rustling through our hair, we took turns in steering the boat towards France, keeping the sails filled. We performed a warriors dance to keep warm, as the others watched for debris lurking in the water. Every hour we filled out the log book to record information vital to the safety of the ship. With 6 nationalities in our watch, the accent barrier could have been a problem, but we all shared one vision and I smiled like I meant it. Rahim steered the ship using audio compass – poor eyesight was no excuse in our watch. Happiness under the boardwalk helped the four cold hours fly by on the wings of love. After, returning to our beds, to grab 4 hours sleep, we woke up for a delicious hot breakfast. Happy,happy “talk” followed while we scrubbed the decks and cleaned the heads. We then had chance to relax and catch up on some sleep. But not for long, as the captain just called to say that all hands were required on deck to set the sails and hold the line as we sailed away to Dieppe. Rahim and Paul nimbly climbed the mast like eagles that soared on the wing. David kept his feet sensibly on the ground. We had to tack to turn back toward Dieppe as the shadow of the day moved over the white cliffs. We helmed the ship into the busy port little by little, entering the port by tequila sunrise, lighting the sea with great balls of fire. We cruised through the quaint little town of Dieppe, as we prepared to moor up another tall ship, the Stavos s Niarchos, was already there. As we arrived, there was an air of a peaceful easy feeling on our ship. We were under pressure but as brothers in arms we pulled through. Our patriotic Michael popped into a local bar for some cigarettes and alcohol and a friendly chat with the locals. On the way home, Michael raced his wheelchair like a bat out of hell – cornering on two wheels most of the way. We were now living after midnight, almost stone cold crazy. We were dancing in the moonlight, shining through the black night. Our new watch started a few minutes later at 4am. It is times like these that we realised we are all made of stars. And so to bed, for tomorrow, like yesterday, we may be tired but our heart shall go on.... (how many did you get?)