Having enjoyed the hospitality of the Indian Naval College the good ship Lord Nelson is now slowly, and we mean slowly, sailing back to Kochi. The wind has dropped but the sun is shining and the sea is calm and even the local fishermen appear to have retired for a siesta.

Yesterday afternoon’s highlight was the appearance of a local fishing boat which suddenly appeared off the starboard side. Were these our first encounter with the feared pirates we have heard so much about or were they just curious as to why a ship crewed by Indians, Japanese, Croatians, British and assorted others was meandering through their back yard? The sight of one of them wearing a Chelsea T shirt and a broad smile soon allayed our fears and Cookie Derek immediately started bartering fruit for some fresh cuttlefish. However when they started asking how big was the crew they were told there were another 50 heavily armed men below decks!

Aft Port has an Army flavour with two Riflemen as part of the team but our Watch Leader, Anne, has slipped easily into the role of Sergeant Major and as a result we have been drilled to perfection! Our last hours on board are being spent loading photos and our contact details onto the computer and exchanging personal details and wondering if the wind will pick up so that we can arrive at our destination looking our best with all sails flying.

Aft Watch: Anne, Jeremy, Bryan, Chikako, Sam, Ronak and Mike.