Tag: travel

Week 9.

Week 9.

We have left Horta too soon.

Arriving under sails in Horta, Azores

It is always the feeling we have when we leave Horta actually. Even though it was three nights in harbour, it felt like only 1,5 days.

In the mighty Peter Sport Café
Peter Sport café by night

Always so busy when you come in, when people leave, when you clean all the cabins, get provisions and get your new guests for the next leg. And of course in the mean time there are things you can only do ashore when you have network. And its meeting the new mate and checking things with him and bang the day is gone.

A quiet beach in Horta

Time has litterally flown away and you have that strange feeling you have lost so much time doing of everyting.

Posted at Sea

It was good though. Good to have some time alone, good to go running and swimming a couple of times, good to eat delicious ice cream and send post cards :). The usual me.

The view from my run
A church in Horta
A happy chief officer: happy to stroll her legs, wear clean clothes and take time for herself

This sailing week started really nicely with sailing off the dock without the engines and catching up with the winds. We had some good sailing and only a day motoring with no wind at all, since we have been going from low to low flirting with showers and gusts over 35 knots, and averaging 7,5 knts … towards The channel! This isnt bad at all so far.

Departure time, leaving Horta

I have been sharing my watch again with the mate. I though I would be ok wit it. But after a couple of days I had like a melt down. Every thing I did seemed to not be ok. One of those challenging days where you think that everyone hates you and doesn’t care, and for no reason I ended up in my bubble. That was tough.

Off we go again! Till next time!

When two month of swedish watch and little rest hits you straight in the face, you just want to be left alone. And that is what happened hahah! I decided to go and to inventories in the drystores and found myself with a closed hatch! To be honest it wasn’t so bad. Besides, to motivate the crew to count all he items, mars bars were hidden and I had just found one…. so. Just what I needed. Chocolate for comfort. 😉

Bark Europa moored in the harbour of Horta

After that, Klaas, mighty Captain Klaas, gave me his watch and Neptune challenged me with all the heavy weather decisions in my watch! I litterally loved it. 🙂

Week 8.

Week 8.

Oh wow! Time flies! More than 5800 nM later, 48 days since Cape Town and only 3 page left in the Log book before we should arive in Horta -Azores-!

Can I smell land?

This will be such a change to be alongside a quay again and stepping off the vessel!
Although I do not mind long sailing legs, my body does need quite some new challenges to fit in my pair of trousers… 48 days of comfy shorts, extremly good meals ~not regretting!~ the memory of my last run on the beach in Ascension…

Never get bored of sunsets

Two days only in Horta: I will make time to run, give calls, update social media, do my taxes, go to the supermarket, sleep…. on my short time off before goong back ontrack for the next to weeks at sea till Rouen.

Hopefully the mate doing the schedule will be kind to us! Oh wait it’s me! And… there is so much to do in so little time for the ship! Some things cannot be compressed in time sadly: checking in and out of voyage crew, deep cabin clean, provisionning, garbage and bunkering, familiarizing new crew, handovers… once again this will be a busy week!

Dolphins are always nice

I am glad I have already been to Horta a few times and will be able to go straight to my target places without any time fustration, to enjoy as much as possible this piece of paradise! I am very much looking forward to hear from the people I Love!

Week 7.

Week 7.

Before you say anything, I got a safetyline in my face! My lip got a crust but i look better now no need for surgery haha 😉

A happy chief officer

You can really feel it has been 7 weeks we left Cape Town. The permanent crew rocks and roll and if wake ups start getting harder with swedish watch it is also because we stay up longer in the evening to enjoy the sunset.

Evening sunsets, waiting for the magical green flash

As we have been sailing more north west, ship’s time remained on UTC as the sun’s local time kept on pushing its sunset later and later. Quite a few very special green flashes have been spotted, the hope of seeing another one -even better- or just enjoying the amazing view has kept us up enjoying eachother’s company.. Gezellig like we say in dutch!

The voyage crew has had more challenges as for most its the first time so long at sea cut from home family and friends. Boredom and different expectations made them realize getting more involved in ships’ life and accepting others as they are had quite some good advantages! Suddenly these few weeks show clearly those who are waiting just a bit too long to realize the chance they had to be on such a tall ship and should have maybe read a few less books in their cabins….

Europa sailing close hold

I find myself better and better in being very politically correct as people have chosen me to empty their fustrations to. This made me realize I must have gained quite so “listening” or “trust” skill somehow.

Deborah, our guide onboard keeps on repeating to me I have great leader skills and that when I say something it is clear and wise; that is why people come to me; do not ask me where that comes from…. because I have no idea and before being able to see the bright side, I thought more “why do they come to me?! I do not want to be involved in other peoples drama!…” they are doing better though: more deck work and sail handling… I must have said something good! 😉

Another important fact to me: This week I have taken over Klaas’s watch! Finally! Getting adjusted again to finding another balance. Wouldn’t swop my place right now! I could just find the time to finish a few deck projects during the day before being on top of out next port of call’s administration. This job is great!

The rainbow after the rain