Datum: 09.02.2022
Author: Clara M.
Position: Bald da (Bahamas)
Geographische Position: 25° 41’9 N 079° 46‘7 W
Etmal: 189 (9804)

Main A at it’s finest

Today was our last entire day at sea before we reach the Bahamas. I realized the day was going to be different, the time I was woken up by Max and Yarina. Why? Because they were wearing their Musto Oil skins and I hadn‘t seen those on them since before Tenerife.

Dressed as warm as I hadn‘t for a long long time, I wandered up on deck waiting for the staff meeting to finish. It was quite bouncy, but we were all still having fun and were kind of excited. During my watch we were allowed on the bowsprit twice and during that procedure we were dipped and completely soaked multiple times. The highlight of our watch was when we could see Miami in the distance. We could even make out it‘s skyline.

I think at about lunch time it started to get worse and the first people started falling for seasickness.
School was rather interesting, we tried keeping all our stuff together, but some items still went flying all across the messroom. Group B learnt how to do Monkey‘s fists in Seamanship, those are the balls attached to our heaving lines, so they can be thrown further.

Sailing at it’s finest

Group A had a little more interesting Seamanship in the afternoon, at this point it was really bouncy. I hate to say it but we started getting North Sea Vibes.

It was cold and wet and everyone was wearing their Musto Gear, also the Pelican was crashing up and down on the waves. Chris then made the decision we should set three square sails and sail the last bit to the Bahamas. That meant we had to put the sails in their gear and go aloft and on the bowsprit. Despite the bad weather almost twenty volunteers gathered on the well deck quite quick, ready in their harnesses.

I went on the Topsail with Lilli, Knut and Victor and honestly – it was fun and we got to see some dolphins, but at the same time very scary. It was okay going up, but the shrouds were very slippery and it is hard to hold on when the ship is bashing up and down. Connor Senior had told us earlier that every seventh wave is a big one, so we‘d wait until that wave was over and then continue climbing.

On the yards things got easier, but going back down turned out to be challenging again. Thankfully Marc and Maxim were there to help us all the time! <3

Others had to go on the bowsprit and were completely soaked. Hanna said she stepped on a dolphin, that‘s something I didn‘t think was possible.

After we‘d set all the sails we turned into the wind and were able to sail under full sail, reaching up to seven knots.

Our captain was very excited after this successful manoeuvre, which took one and a half hours. After that, it was finally time for first sitting dinner.

This was also the first time for a long period of time we had our dinner in the messroom (except for Lukas, Knut and Victor, but they‘re crazy anyway).

We had to get used to the problem of our sauce running from our plates. And we had salt, pepper and cuttlery flying everywhere. Somehow we tried holding onto our plates and eating and trying to not get hit by anything.

It‘s weird because now everyone‘s sitting in the messroom playing board games or getting some rest in their cabins.
I also find it rather funny because just two weeks ago we were all complaining about the heat and sweating and now everyone‘s moaning about the cold and wet.

It‘s probably not as cold as it is at home right now but for us it‘s freezing. We have to sleep with our blankets and long trousers again, imagine that!

No, seriously now, we can all feel we are on our way home now and we‘re leaving the Caribbean heading back towards the Atlantic.