Today the sea was really rough and we are all wobbling about. We set the sail to attack the wind around the Cornish cost and up towards the Irish sea.
We had the graveyard shift midnight to 0400 –definitely a four layer watch – wet and cold. First part of the watch we had the tide against us and although we were making five or six knots through the water the speed over the ground was a lot less so we slowly crept along and then away from the Cornish coast. Spent an hour trying to make sure we dodged a French trawler. But once the tide turned we were away and heading north and were somewhere of Madron on the Welsh coast by breakfast time.
This morning has been grey and rainy on and off but the ship is flying. We have a steady wind on the beam she is loving it – racing along with “a bone in her teeth” as the expression goes, white water creaming back from her bow and along her sides, the body of the ship lifting and surging through the green blue water and the sails straining into graceful curves. The Atlantic swells that are rolling in are making moving about the ship interesting – adds a whole new meaning to the phrase “rock and roll” as James and Jamie found out last night when having come off watch and gone to bed and off to sleep James fell out of bed with a tremendous thud. Jamie (his buddy) would have stayed asleep but James woke him up with his giggling. That will teach him to fasten his lee cloth! As we get over towards Ireland and Tusker Rock we should get a bit of shelter as we get in under the lee of the land and moving about the ship will get a little easier.
Forward starboard – Chris, Stu, Alma, James, Jamie, Geoff, Ciara and Rod.