Date: 26. November 2022
Author: Kaya
Position: Atlantic Ocean / Las Palmas, Gran Canaria
Nautic Position: 28°08’.798 N; 015°25’.181 W
Etmal: 2446 nm

Yesterday evening the general mood was lightened up when our captain announced we would go to Gran Canaria. But still, I think, we were all a bit surprised when we actually departed this morning. After the last few days, we were prepared for another “Dartmouth situation” and therefore a bit confused that the boat was moving when we were woken up.

Except of course the Forewatch, which had to help during mooring operations. So, they waved a “Goodbye” to our friends from the Regina Maris and started their watch.

Gran Canaria here we come

Not only the fact that we are sailing (or actually motoring) to Gran Canaria but also that the new fridge is working, and the swell is almost non-existent make us very happy. That we won´t have school today has definitely nothing to do with it :).

Only those most prone to seasickness needed a bit of assistance from our bucket-friends. The others spent their morning doing different things. Such as school stuff, reading, listening to music, enjoying the warm weather, or keeping those company, who were on watch.

Only a Clean Ship Is a Good Ship

During the mandatory voyage crew meeting the captain announced two things. The good news: We will stay in Las Palmas until Monday noon and therefore have time to explore the island. The bad news (with good side effects): We will have some clean ship at 13:00 so we don ́t have to do it tomorrow.

After an exceptional lunch (vegetable sticks with fresh dip and baked potatoes) we were all mustering on the welldeck for the Watchleaders to tell us what to do. My watch had the pleasure to clean the deck with a giant, firefighting hose. The outcome of that were many wet socks, a lot of fun (especially for those who stayed dry) and a clean deck.

A Ball on the Atlantic

Maybe there was something in the water because in the afternoon there was only one topic which needed to be discussed:

The Mid-Atlantic Ball. For those of you, who don ́t know what the hell I am talking about: The Atlantic ball is, as the name indicates, a ball which is celebrated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

This event is planned and organized by our Watchleaders and of course the teachers. In Tenerife, some of us helped them storing snacks and beverages and, who could have guessed, some decorations.

So, if you think about the fact that we are on a ship with 30 teenagers you will conclude that there are very, very important questions requiring clearance:

Who is going with whom? Who had asked whom? Will someone go alone?

These talks took the whole afternoon and even overshadow our arrival in Las Palmas.

Docking Without a RIB?

Around four 16:00 in the afternoon we arrived in Las Palmas. The mooring lines and the fenders were already prepared and thanks to a lot of practice everyone knew what to do. But it wouldn’t be us if everything went according to plan. May I present today ́s cause of trouble: Our beloved RIB.

At the moment it ́s not properly inflated and therefore we had to ask our old companions from the Tenacious (the tall ship we met in Dartmouth) for help. Luckily, they followed our call and assisted us during docking. Approximately one hour later, our captain was happy and we were ashore. By the way: Our RIB is repaired and fixed now again:=).

Where is the Beach?

After dinner and a little drama about the harbor watches (no one wants to do 20:00-22:00) we had free shore leave. A lot of us (including my group) decided to visit the beach nearby. Unfortunately, finding the beach was a lot more complicated than it seemed in the beginning.

It was almost a little adventure walking around the strange harbor area, watching the giant cruise ships and asking citizens for the right direction. When we finally arrived at the beach the sun had already set. These circumstances of course didn’t manage to keep us from swimming in the dark but very calm ocean. When we returned to the ship some of us went sleeping, others enjoyed the evening and some had watch.

But something we have in common is that we’re looking forward to our day at the beach tomorrow. Moreover, I think that we all appreciate the change of scenery and are happy to have the possibility to relax a little before the Atlantic crossing.

Greetings:

Kaya: Greetings to my Oma Linda. I miss you.

Lennox: Greetings to my grandparents, my parents and my sister.