01/11/12 - Tenacious

It’s currently 02:30 on a calm silver Irish sea. Tenacious motors sedately down the coast, Dundalk twinkles happily off the starboard bow. All but our watch and Olly, the second mate (bent over his charts face orange in the deckhouse light) are asleep.

Yesterday at 09:30 we set the upper topsail, topsail and course on the fore and main yards and the outer and inner jib. Soon we were making good way out of the loch and into the Irish sea proper. We headed more or less 180 degrees due south at a comfortable eight knots or so heeled over a few degrees, but nowt to cause alarm. A few signs of seasickness, but all recovered by dinner.

Due to unfavourable weather reports we struck sail, just before a grand supper of stroganoff and chocky mousse. The adverse weather, fortunately did not come and so we motor serenely on.

The voyage crew are eager to get their teeth into some more sailing. There’re quite a few, eager to climb again and the prevailing attitude to the threat of bad weather seems to be, "Bring it on!"

Morale remains good, everyone has bonded in a positive friendly way, the permanent crew are fantastic. Everyone loves the ship and the scram is first rate. No wonder we’re all chomping at the bit!

Woody (Forward Starboard Watch)