TNS458 14/03/2016

Forward Starboard Watch here (currently Steve, Stretch, Louise, Mike & Andy).
Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere appears to be as hot as Spring was in the
Northern – 31C in the shade today.
We’ve been at sea 7 days now & yesterday saw only a couple of Japanese
fishing vessels who are also a long way from home.
We are missing: big beds, internet, squash, crisps, bananas & real ale.
We are not missing the flies & the Boobies who joined us as Cocos Island.
The lack of birds means cleaning the decks is much easier as now all that
appears overnight are the scales of the Flying Fish (we are throwing the
fish back in so far….)
No doldrums here as we are sailing with both masts square rigged & making 5
knots on a bearing of 225.
The Captain has done his weekly inspection of the ship, shadowed by 1st Mate
Fliss with a clipboard. We await our new cleaning orders…
The Cadets have all swapped around their duty times for the next week. This
afternoon Gareth is shadowing Marianne & they are currently checking the
life saving appliances on the bridge. So our watch is fully aware of the
line throwing appliances, flares, helicopter strops, swimming fins &
lifejackets & that they are all in working order in case they are needed.