This is the end of the third day of our weeklong sailing trip (Portsmouth to London) on the "Tenacious". It has been an amazing journey so far. The first night we stayed in Portsmouth Harbour and got to know each other, learned a bit about sailing, and began to form a routine.
Day two we left port at 09:30 and sailed all night, arriving in Boulougne, France in late afternoon. I am part of Peter's watch, a team of 10 people who come from all over the UK and other countries. Today, our day began with a wake up call at 03:30. Our watch began at 04:00 and ended at 08:00, during which each team member took a turn at the helm(steering). The weather has been good but a bit more wind would be helpful. We are all part of a working crew, and we are having a great time getting to know each other. Several people went up the mast today, and this was very exciting to watch. When we pulled into port today, dozens of school children greeted our arrival with waves and shouts of excitement. What a welcome! The gangway was lowered and many exited the ship and went into this quaint seaside town. A large group of us headed over to dinner at a local restaurant and we had a great time eating some of the local French delicacies such as snails and mussels. At the end of our day today, our dinner group was reminded of why many of us are here - to celebrate diversity. No matter where we came from, what our beginnings were, or what our physical limitations may be, we are all here to enjoy the beauty that is sailing for a week. Some are here to challenge themselves to try something that we may have been afraid of, others are here for the love of sailing. No matter what reasons brought us here, we are all experiencing the gift of living our lives to the fullest, even if only for a week.
Laura S, Roswell,GA USA
Aft Starboard Watch