Thursday sees bright skies and sunshine although the crew is still somewhat decimated with seasickness! Donal, our erstwhile watchleader is doing his best, co-opting BMs (Adam and Melinda) into helping to steer as our watch now numbers 3! Mind you we need all the help we can get as last night the lookouts failed to notice a rather large ferry storming up from behind until it was close enough for us to wave at the passengers on deck. You’ll be pleased to know that Kevin, as officer of the watch, was somewhat more awake and had kept track of it on the radar!
The scientists continue the sampling with Chris showing his submariner heritage with shouts of “Dive, Dive, Dive” as the sampling rope descends and “breaking the surface” as it returns. David (bosun) is obliged to wear a lifejacket as he opens the main deck platform which does lend itself to temptation of practicing man overboard at sea.
Captain John is getting us to practice as many methods as possible of ‘heaving to’ such that we will have perfected the art by the time that we have finished all our manoeuvres. As yet though, we haven’t repeated our brilliant pirouette which was the hallmark of last year’s science trip. Also, the scientists, whilst fascinating, do not have quite the same turn of phrase as that time, avoiding such terms as phytoplankton poo although the fore deckhouse head has once again been requisitioned by several million stowaways who this year are being treated to a diet of acetylene rather than increased CO2.
There are interesting wind acceleration zones around the islands (and that’s not ‘cos Graham has been serving beans) such that we have seen winds in excess of 50 knots, which even the captain described as exhilarating!