Day 26 – A Relaxed Day (Relatively)

Hello to family, friends and anyone else following our exploits Welcome to day 26 of World Voyage 02/15 (day 83 since leaving Sydney)  Since departing Mindelo we have been once again battling the elements…N/NE winds of up to 25 knots and seas of up to 3 metres.  We are steadily making our way to the north taking the prevailing conditions fine on our starboard bow.  While Young Endeavour handles these conditions with ease, her crew do not always fare so well.  Quite a few people slept poorly over night and thus it was without hesitation that I approved Sailmaster Dion\’s request to run a “Sunday Sea” routine. This basically means everyone has a day off (other than when required on watch) to catch up on sleep, journal entries, read, play the odd game of cards…or just chill out.  Noting the motion of the ocean, moving around the ship can at times be interesting…the ability not to spill your brew or drop your food at meals becomes an art form and the old adage “one hand for the ship, one hand for yourself” rings true.  Despite the rather uncomfortable conditions, spirits remain high as we battle our way towards the Canary Islands.  The weather forecast from our American friends in Norfolk, Virginia, has conditions remaining much the same for the next few days, which may lead to some weary heads by the time we reach Tenerife…the joys of life at sea!  Not a great deal more to tell other that to say that everyone is safe and happy…if a bit tired and wet.  I\’ll hand over to the lovely TIlda for input from the crew\’s perspective.  Until tomorrow  Captain Kenny     Ahoy to all back home!  Today we all settled back into life aboard the ship, although our day was thankfully made easier due to a Sunday Sea respite being given to the crew, as many of us were still tired from our time and explorations of Mindelo. Thankfully, everyone seems to have maintained their sea legs whilst ashore so the incidences of sea sickness have been as limited as we could hope for. The sea swell is larger than on our way into Cape Verde so some issues with sleeping soundly, particularly in the twelve berth, have developed, but everyone is travelling fairly well, even if a few people have taken to napping in the café.  Our watch groups have been mixed up, the three new watches being Port, Starboard and Midships, and we are settling in to our new groups and old watch routines. Dolphins have passed us by a few times today, raising crew spirits and adding excitement for those of us that haven’t spent the majority of the day sleeping. The watch leaders are also being rotated through each of the new watches so we are able to spend a more even amount of time with everyone aboard.  The weather is cooling down now much more quickly, with everyone pulling thermals and sleeping bags out of the backs of their lockers. Wet weather gear is also appearing to stop the chilly wind and the occasional spray that covers those on the bridge. We’ve been able to set a few sails which has been helpful for us trying to achieve our necessary speed, as that has been more of a struggle than anticipated due to some problems with the port engine overheating and needing to be turned off a few times today, which makes steering the ship more difficult in the increased swell. Lindsey and Shaun have worked their magic and the port engine is now back on line and running smoothly.  Overall we are glad to all be back together after our explorations of Mindelo, and we are settling back into our day to day activities. We have caught up on rest today and look forward to the rest of this leg of the journey.Tilda  P.S Hello again to Mum, Dad, Steffi and everyone else back home reading along. Glad to hear how well you’re all doing and what you’ve all been up to. Much love xx Tilda   “