Whale Of A Time

Terrible title, but I couldn’t resist.

 

Last Sunday (yes, it’s been a long time since I managed to update blog last) I happened to be on the Bridge, just as four whales were swimming in couples just off the starboard bow.  After spending so much time surrounded by cold steel it was a welcome sighting, and very much made my day.  I was looking straight at them through the binoculars – any closer and I would have had to put them down.  They swam with us for about five minutes, before rounding the bow and heading off south (we were heading almost due West).

 

Latest development has been getting skype sorted on the laptop, and I’ve managed to speak with Ally and Dad so far.  My plans to speak to Emily got scuppered by an earlier exit from Spain than predicted though, which was frustrating.   

 

This has been a tiring week, as I’ve done all the manoeuvring with the Chief.  One involved waking up at 3:30am for getting into the port of Bayonne, France, and then leaving it late night the same day.  I didn’t get to bed until after midnight that day, but luckily when we finished the first manoeuvring at about 5:15am I could sleep up until 10am to top up. 

 

Then, on Friday morning it was get up at 5:40am for manoeuvring.  Once we’d arrived in La Coruna, we bunkered twenty five tonnes of MGO straight away, so no rest for the wicked as we had to prepare the bunker station etc.  I ate breakfast finally at 9am, then worked the whole day and we left again at 5:30pm.  So, my day finally ended at about 7pm. 

 

The weekend hasn’t been too bad, as we dropped anchor yesterday at about 5pm (Saturday 23^rd).  However, the original plan was to go into Bayonne port for the weekend and get loaded up with steel on Monday, but I think there was no berth for us.  So, we’ve been rolling around at anchor for the weekend. 

 

Winds today (with rain) of Force 8 – which is classified as “Gale”.  When I was up on the bridge we had about 33-34 knots gusting to over 40 knots, on the port bow.  The most I saw was 44 knots.  So, as a result of this lovely weather, we’ve been rolling around constantly.  The rolling is felt most on the Bridge due to the height.  My cabin’s a floor below, so reasonably wild.  This force 8 though isn’t that extreme though, and I’m sure we’ll  experience something larger before I leave in December.

 

I’ve attached a few recent photos.  I’ve been using silhouettes a bit with these ones.  We had a spectacular sunset when we were in Bayonne on Wednesday.  I took quite a few photos incorporating the ship and/or the cranes and steel works equipment.  I think the mix of machinery and the natural sunset are photographically very interesting.  Ray, prepared to be bored.  Light sensitivity isn’t great as I don’t have the Nikon with me, so forgive the quality.  I’ve had to reduce them in size a lot.  I have high res versions if anyone wants. 

 

One more thing.  The 20^th October marked the half way point for my sea phase.