04/09/12 - Tenacious

Hello from hot and sunny The Netherlands!! We have been warmly greeted by smiles, waves lots of bicycles and the odd windmill. We are still on the lookout for clogs, tulips and Edam cheese. Last night motoring through the busy shipping channel in the North Sea kept us fully occupied while on first watch.

I spent the watch in a wheelchair as part of the Leadership at Sea Scheme. It gave me a real insight into how the ship has been adapted to help combat the difficulty of moving around aboard for those less abled.

The ramps which go over the raised threshold take a bit of getting used to but as the sea was very calm I was able to manoeuvre with practice.

Lots of cups of tea and biscuits helped through the night, a definite must for a night time watch - not that we are not fed well. The food is very good aboard and the galley does really well at catering for different peoples dietary needs.

After assisting with mooring stations through the locks and harbour stations to moor alongside in the centre of Middelburg we are now off to explore!