1st Term ~ Week 2. ⚓🚢

1st Term ~ Week 2. ⚓🚢

Week 2! Already!
Oh god! These days really fly by so fast that I do not get the time to post anything… ok ok, I probably do not take the time either. 😇
We discharged in Klaipeda and Riga and that went pretty fast: harbour in, alongside, discharge 2000t, harbour out, sail 20 hours, habour in, alongside, discharge the rest of the soja bean meal 1000t, harbour out. This is what usually happens. And it keeps you nicely busy 🙂

Early summer morning sunrise at sea

I am glad I think I came quickly back into ship routine, getting used to the marad jobs (maintenance program) and anticipating the routes and voyage plannings as far as I can.. which means pretty much a couple of days only before arriving into the harbour – if we are lucky. 😉 And as you know I really do not like to be caught up and stressed last minute… Most probably because I was well trained the past years with « whatever I can do at sea I do at sea » not to have more time for unforeseen jobs in the harbour but mainly to enjoy as much as possible « time in the harbour »…

Sunsets at sea are always beautiful

Well, I can tell you right now that « time in the harbour » on a sailing vessel in the Caribbean and on a general cargo vessel in the Baltic is not exactly the same…. Unfortunately, corona times do not make it easier when you would want to stretch your legs for an hour walk ashore…. anyways you gotta make yourself a reason: there is never time enough for it.
This is why sails or no sails, I would still rather do as much as possible at sea than in harbour to enjoy the view or the only crew moments when we are all together.
And trust me the swim calls are still worth it! The freakin’ cold water (3degrees Celsius in the bay of Bothnia! -yes yes we did go for a swim in Sundsvall. Sweden 🇸🇪 ! 🥶) makes you feel alive and kicking and I love that! 🙂
It is nice to be back on board and there has not been a day yet in which I didn’t have fun✌🏻Everything can become a party 🎉 if you make it such!

Nothing better than a cold water swim!

Our Lupine seeds turn out to be growing by the day. Sometimes I have the feeling I see the leaves growing when staring at them 🌱 it is turning out into a Lupine Forrest! 🙂 and should probably be soon thinking of changing the pot to a bigger one for all 50 seeds….

Our lupine seeds forest is growing slowly

The highlight of our arrival in Sundsvall… we didn’t need a pilot or linesmen so he captain decided to train us in mooring the vessel alongside, between to other vessels!! It was super cool! So there we were; the engineer, trainee, one of the AB’s who also wanted and myself bringin the vessel alongside and back out for the next on! It was a great moment! And no… I didn’t crash as expected 😜Captain Harry also left me in the bridge and took my place for the actual mooring. That was a great experience and made me so happy! 🤩 an awesome way of ending this second week onboard! Thank you!!

First time mooring the vessel
Future captain Sophie


I hope you are doing well on land, take care and see you next week!!
Sopietje 💚💙✌🏻⚓️🚢

1st Term ~ Week 1. ⚓🚢

1st Term ~ Week 1. ⚓🚢

Week 1 back onboard Ruyter!

And there I am, back onboard the Ruyter again for my first official term with Wagenborg!

It feels strange but really nice at the same time! Everything went so fast yet so slow due to our little virus friend not so friend…🦠

Traveling during covid-19 times and full lockdown…

Passed all my exams in February, passed them all, received my diploma in March and was scheduled to be onboard mid-April, but finally, all crew changes got postponed till 1st of May. I was lucky enough to spend a lot of lockdown time with my parents and brother at home. There hasn’t been one dull day between sorting ♻️ , arranging, fixing 🛠 , creating 🧵 , working out 🏋️ , walking the dogs 🐕 and baking 🍰 . And I really miss their presence and I am looking forward to seeing them in two months, safe and healthy 💚💙.

My welcome committee

After a long travel day, I joined the vessel in Rotterdam and got a welcome committee waiting for me as I was arriving by a small boat. It was a few months and to be honest very difficult not to give a hug to this second family, and keep the so-called social distance. Smiles and happy faces. This is what I like. 😃 I missed them and they obviously missed me too. It is good to be back; and not as trainee anymore but a chief officer. Let the fun begin! 🥳

Practising my welding skill…

I just needed a new overall and new gloves to be ready to go: back on the job, still learning and progressing in my welding skills ✌🏻 and already trying to have a good start and scrapping off jobs from the list… this is how we like it right? Chop chop! 💪🏻 it is nice to come with full new and fresh energy and just getting things done ✅ ✅ ✅

A hold full of Lupine seeds
And…. A small experience to see if they will actually grow!

We discharged lupine seeds 🌸🌿…. imagine a cargo fuuuuulll of flower seeds… well ko need to tell me what to do with those that were collected from the sweeping…. 😉 giving a try to a onboard small garden behind the sink in the Bridge…. just to make sure the captain wouldn’t throw my homemade garden pot made from half a bottle onto the blue shelve, I included him…. he probably thinks it is now his garden…;) good. Hopefully, he will not forget to water them either…. he is dutch after all right? 😉 And I am terrible at growing plants! 🌱 😂
…. @ Paris – Gare de Lyon

Nice weather sailing
Heavier weather sailing… To get sea legs back…