It's the end of another day and we are now anchored offshore for the night somewhere off the coast of the UK (Deal). This morning, we had the honour of watching fellow crew members make assisted climbs to a platform high in the sky. Some climbed using their own strength, others needed some help, and still others were physically unable to climb so they had to trust others completely as they were hoisted up. Regardless of the level of assistance, a climb into the sky is what it is. It takes complete concentration and courage.
Because of low tide, we were at port until the afternoon, and this allowed us to get off the ship again and explore Boulogne a bit more. Some of us headed up the hill in search of the cathedral that went along with the beautiful dome that we could see as we approached shore. Others did some shopping, and still others grabbed a sandwich, a pastry or a coffee. Once we got back on board, we set off once more. As we were getting our paperwork together, and pulling up the fenders, a crowd of Boulogne locals gathered to say goodbye. One of our French speaking crew members encouraged the French people on shore to do the "wave" as our send off. And they went along, and
we got a good laugh watching them do the wave over and over. After we did
some work positioning the sails, we were treated to a beautiful view of Calais. Then it was "happy hour", where we basically clean the ship from top to bottom. All this activity helps us work up a healthy appetite, which is great, because the cook is always coming up with something that tastes great and is filling.
Laura
Aft Starboard Watch