8th – 14th of November 2021

We left last weekend Birdport for Gent with steel slabs in our cargo hold. Back in the English Channel with very nice sailing conditions. We were planning to enter the Belgium water in the middle of the night – on my watch- and proceed the next early morning through the channels to Gent. I finally enjoyed the French side of the channel between Dover and Calais. The most narrow part is where you can see both sides of the channel in good condition. It was funny to hear French-speaking all over the radio again. All the little fishermen and the French coast guard as well. People always ask me why I do not speak French to the coast guard. I do not know why. I always do it in English…. Probably because I am afraid to not know the terms in French as I have always been speaking English aboard vessels…. But I do sometimes wonder if they think I could be French because I can pronounce their calling name correctly… you know… those difficult French names such as « Ouessant » or « Jobourg »…. 😉 not blaming anyone here!

We had a delay in the pilot boarding time so when I came on watch at midnight I had to reduce and drift around for a few hours before picking the pilot up. We would have him onboard from Wandelaar till Flushing and then Captain H. would take over with his PEC ( Pilot Exemption certificate) in the Dutch waters. We ended up also waiting just in front of the locks in Terneuzen and finally made it around lunchtime to our Berth. We were told we were first going to discharge at 2200 at night, but it got also postponed till the next night.

At this point you know, we just take it as it comes. There is nothing we can do about it so we just take a good rest at night and do a lot of maintenance jobs in the afternoon. We were going to be busy as we were expecting a big store delivery in the afternoon. It had been a while since we had not been in the Netherlands or Belgium so our stores were quite empty. Finally, It took us two hours to get everything in and not all sorted but at least in the freezers for the frozen department and fridge for the cool items. The rest would follow later. Fresh produce ohhh!! Fruits, vegetables, milk… it was all flowing lovely! I mean not that we had not had stores earlier but big ones like this one not in a while. In Liepaja captain B. Went shopping with a few ABs, it was good enough for a couple of weeks. A good top-up. We also had deck stores and all the little things we ordered to improve the working onboard.

For me two highlights: on for the ship: brand new side/ angle tarpaulins for the side of the bulkheads in the aft, to prevent cargo to fall behind: string double magnets, wider; hopefully it would help. And new winter working boots from Jallatte. Yes, of course, made in France! You know you know…. They are with wool inside so hopefully, my feet will be nice and warm in the ice-cold weather later this year. I will not wear them directly, wait till it is really cold because I do not want to damage them… even if they are working boots. You know me. Keep things tidy without stays and defects as long as possible.

Tuesday night we discharged the slabs from 22:00 till 06:00. It was also easy as we did not have to worry about the weather. Captain H. brought the ship back north through the channel and the locks in Terneuzen and we arrived in Vlissingen (Flushing) around noon, ready to load our next cargo: wood pulp. After the steel slabs, it was not necessary to wash down the hold. Only a good sweep was sufficient so that was a big gain of time otherwise we should have waited till the hold was dry, and with this weather, it could take 12 to 24 hours with the air dryer on.

In Vlissingen, they dropped us paper rolls that we had to display on the tank top. It was fun. Also making sure some parts were taped otherwise it would just blow away and it would be a lot of work done for nothing! This paper was a bit thick so it was better. Sometimes it is so thin that it rips apart just by breathing around it.

Mid-afternoon we loaded the first part at the terminal where we were. Loaded 750 tons in 3 hours and shifted to another terminal where we would load the rest of the cargo. Another vessel was still busy there but depending on what time they would complete they would start with us the same night, or the next morning early.

This wood pulp was coming partly from Uruguay and Brazil. I was wondering what the difference was with the woodpile from our Scandinavian countries and while Poland should import it from the other side of the world when they had it just on the other side of the Baltic Sea… sometimes I wonder how the world is turning. Then we complain about environmental impact. Crazy. Haha Anyways…

They loaded one hour and the next morning I was ready with my hatches open to load the rest. It was a big crane that would shift 16 wood pulp units at the time so that was also going quite fast.

The weather was with us too, co after completion we directly started with putting airbags and lashing the last tier and we were on our way out. I like it when it is fast and easy like that. It makes everything so easy and simple. Unfortunately, it is not always the case. So we learn how to enjoy the good loadings right?

We were heading to Szczecin with the wood pulp. A good 3 days sailing via the Kiel Channel that of course happened by night, but for once almost matched perfectly with our watches. Except for the captain that had to wake up for the locks. He would have to do the same upon arrival in Poland in the middle of the night. The pilot would board at 23:00 and the channel is also approximately 4 hours. We will see how that will go. For now, we enjoy a nice Sunday at sea; tonight will be busy again; therefore Cookie’s chocolate cake is well deserved!

Take care my friends and see you next week in Poland for the next sailing adventures!

25th – 31st of October 2021

So there we are At sea for a couple of hours heading towards the Kiel Channel where we will be changing captain in the locks and proceeding toward Portbury in England. Although I am the one making the voyage planning, I am always forgetting the amount of time it takes to sail to the Kiel Channel…. It is always 1,5 to 2 days. Almost always. Or at least the range from Kiel to the Eastern European countries such as Latvia and Lithuania. Somehow I seem to think that it take more than 2 days, but it is not that far. When we go to Germany or Poland it is even faster. But of course, as soon as we go to Finland then it takes a day extra.

This time we only needed 2 small days to arrive at the Locks in Holtenau. We were going to bunker fuel just after the locks at the waiting berth/bunker berth. Nothing very important happened during these two days. It was the usual sailing with strong headwinds. Before captain B. Left I told him he should probably be called Captain Headwinds from now… because we had so many strong winds with him which made us always slow down or divert course… haha. We laughed of course. The significance of a headwinds captain onboard a Tall Ship would be different. It would not be the lucky captain because it probably meant the not-so-nice sailing because probably motor sailing against the winds or no sails at all… Of course here, it does not really matter because you do not divert your course, maybe a few degrees to make it more comfortable… but it does slow you down, and sometimes it makes it difficult to reach the double-digit… and well we lose a few hours maybe but that is the way it is. It is no use having the vessel hot every single wave and stop almost at all of them. In the baltic, the waves can pick up very fast and they are short and nasty compared to the Atlantic Ocean.

We arrived in the middle of the night in the locks. I had said goodbye to captain B. in advance because I would probably be called for the second part of the channel and needed to sleep. So just in case, I wanted to make sure I had thanked him for the past month together. And indeed, I didn’t hear the ship sailing in the locks but somehow woke up for another noise a little later, as we were almost finished bunkering. I checked through my porthole and saw that we were still alongside so I climbed to the bridge to say hello and welcome the new captain on board. It was nice to see a happy friendly familiar face again. It had been probably 4-5 months I had not sailed with him so I was, of course, looking forward to some cold swimming craziness and nuclear noodles. We had a nice chat and went to bed again as I had to wake up a few hours later again. And on the channel, you never know if you will have a pilot that will steer all the way or if you will have one that will expect you to steer all the way. In the second case, It takes a little more concentration so you better be fit and fully awake! 😉 We are always hoping for the pilot to steer of course… but if he doesn’t want to then it is also not a problem and we have to do it.

Once out of the Kiel Channel, we sailed out in the German bight where we would still have few strong winds but less than on the Baltic side. Somehow it felt way easier. It was funny to be on this side of Europe. I had the feeling that it had been a while, and indeed…. For the past month, we had had only short baltic sails. This was the first longer sail in a while. And also via the channel! It had been months I had not sailed there. I think my previous term we went to Northern Ireland via the north of the UK and the Sound; so no English Channel. It is nice to change course and voyage once in a while. Also, I had never been in the area of Bristol yet. I like new sights and new harbours, it always gives something to look forward to and to be curious about.

Well all the way, the strong winds did not stop. We had westerly winds; so yes, as you guessed… in the nose and at one point I was not going so fast in my watch with wind and current against. Probably only 6 knots…. The worst thing about not going so fast in heavy weather is that you end up staying longer in it instead of moving on! Well, finally we made it to the Falmouth area and managed to top round the corner and finally were sailing downwind. Better for the ship, better for the rolling and better for the sleep. We would embark the pilot later in the morning and it would be perfect timing with a few hours before arriving in Portbury, close to Bristol.

You guessed, right? It did not happen this way. It would have been too easy. Like if this whole voyage was cursed from the moment we departed Klaipeda in ballast….. everything took way too long and the weather god had not been with us once. At the pilot station we had to drift for a few hours extra because of the heavy weather; but then there was a problem with the pilot boat and we had to drop anchor for a few nights. Luckily we found a good spot and the anchor was holding too. 

Finally, we made it to Portbury at the end of the week. On Sunday evening of course. It gave us time to catch up on some sleep and do some inside jobs. For my part, making sure the administration was in order, preparing for the next voyages and also the end of the month administration: preparing the resting hours sheets of the crew and getting them signed by both the captain and the crew member. But then we would finally be able to discharge on Monday morning and move on to a better, hopefully, luckier voyage as well. Haha

It was a good week despite the weather. It was also holiday time for landlubbers. Indeed Halloween time. When you are at sea you forget about all the things happening ashore. You follow the news of course, what you read on the net, but you do not get the vibe of the moment. It is the way it is of course, but I always try to find an excuse to decorate the ship or bake a cake for a birthday, Christmas or this time for Halloween. Last year, we were in Delfzijl and I managed to get in a shop one or two packs of decoration. I had nicely placed them during my night watch in the crew mess and I had baked a carrot cake and designed a ghost on the frosting with some nuts.

This year I decided to decorate the bridge with the rats, bats, spider web and skeleton I had kept. I like it. I think it is fun. Unlike last year, I did not bake anything and I did not have any orange and black – theme of the moment- candy to share. Nevertheless it gave the feeling we were also participating from far the shore festivities. So we had Oscar the skeleton on the bridge for a few days…. In France, skeletons are called Oscar. Do not ask me why. Probably because a bone is an « os », and Oscar starts with -os. Who knows.

I am looking forward to a little more action next week. Hopefully, the weather will be with us from now. It would be nice for a change! Till then sweet dreams and see you next week! 

Xxx

Sopietje