The second day found us in the middle of the English Channel, bleary eyed but looking forward to getting on with the voyage. The FS watch who were first on deck in the morning got up into the upper mess for an early full English breakfast with plenty of coffee to keep us from wanting to head straight back to our bunks.
While we took the helm, the permanent crew called for Hands Aloft, the signal for everyone to grab their climbing harness and head up the ratlines and up and over the futtocks before stepping out onto the foot ropes along the yards to loosen of the gaskets. We then set the main topsail and the fore topsail. With this manoeuvre successfully undertaken and everyone safely back on down on deck, the jib and the main staysail were also unfurled, and the ship set course for evening’s destination, Cherbourg.
Sailing into port under wind power Nelly got a big audience for its 5:30pm arrival, including some curious French coast guards and lots of local fisherman. With the ship safely docked, the crew got on to the most important job of the day, finding somewhere ashore to get a good meal.