LN911, 6-16/1/17

The voyage started on a blustery day in Las Palmas, with all voyage crew making it to the ship successfully and getting settled in. Introductions were made and a briefing for what we were letting ourselves in for was given. Dinner was served promptly afterwards and people inevitably migrated to the bar.

On the Saturday morning we woke up to similar windy conditions, but were told that we’d be underway by 5pm. The Captain warned us that we were in for and ‘interesting’ passage through the Atlantic. Further briefings were had and then harnesses were fitted and we were given the option of climbing the rigging. Many members of the crew gave this a go and some ventured out onto the yard arms. An exhilarating experience for all!

We departed at about 5pm and made our way out of the dock and through the sea of trawlers and cruise ships. As we emerged from the dock the seas got quickly rougher, and this was a sign of what was to come for the next day or so…

Winds were high and blustery and there was a bit of a swell, which resulted in the ship rocking and rolling. Some of us suffered from quite bad sea sickness due to this, leaving the medical officer with her hands full and the number of hands on deck depleted.

Sunday was quite uneventful, apart from the windy conditions making for good sailing. We sailed due north in order to take advantage of the projected wind conditions as we got closer to Madeira. Some recoveries from sea sickness were made, but some of the crew still had to find their sea legs. We made good progress towards Funchal, with the seas calming and speeds of 8 knots being maintained. No wildlife sightings of note – despite John’s promise of a fiver for spotting a whale.

Ben and John.