In the Doldrums...

Here's a picture from Deck 7 this evening. The sea is as calm now as it was swelling before. We look out of the window over what looks like a sea of molten silver with barely the slightest swells. It is beautiful.

I remember studying the Intertropical Convergence Zone in my Geography A'Level, and now we are witnessing the effects of this on the sea. We are actually sailing through the Doldrums! I'm just glad we aren't in a sail boat, relying on the wind.

Tommy.

a little bit further

We have ticked off day two and half of day three at sea. It is getting smoother, yesterday we had some rocky periods as they tried to find the best route to minimise the effect of swells on us. However, we had a good day for whale spotting, dolphin watching and Josh and his friend Xavier had a lovely show from some very cute little porpoises (which he was not fully appreciative of - in his enthusiasm to go with Xavier to find the nappy/diaper bin on deck 8- of all things!!). Hopefully it will stay nice and calm, we will loose that last bit of feeling nauseous and we can enjoy the rest of the sail. Tommy is doing better with teaching in his windowless room, the boys remain oblivious and haven't even woken at night when things were crashing about, if we could just catch up a bit of sleep now things would be looking even better. Thanks for praying :-)

"Each one of you will have a tale to tell"

So says Captain Tim at our meeting this morning, referring to the night that has just been. That made me smile, thinking of the nights activity. The entire contents of the cabin are on the floor (to be fair most of them we put there anticipating the movement but the last few bits of paper and plastic items went too, and now everything is scattered far and wide and no longer feels neat piles are necessary), there are towels stuffed in drawers to stop things rattling, the TV that was secured well enough for the last sail decided to jump this time (and still works thank you God), the crashes from the crew galley were enough to make me thankful I didn't have to leave my cabin for fear a saucepan would be flying towards me. Apparantly there is enough flour and milk around the galley for a pancake mix, sounds like a fun clear up job. This morning is calmer than the night, but we have had to change course to survive the swells and let people who have been up all night rest.

Are we there yet? No, only 9 days to go? Pray for us!!

Day One

I have been lying in bed trying to think up words to describe it all. Words that are the opposite of fun, exciting, quick, smooth...hope you get the idea. They were not kidding about the rocking about that was coming our way. The boys are completely oblivious except for the occasional helpful comment such as 'we are rocking' as one of them falls over, Tommy is 'bucket sick' (thank small children for that delightful mental picture) and I can't face being upright for fear of joining him. I think a good percentage of the crew are feeling the same way, but if there is anyone still standing pray they come and knock on the door of our cabin tomorrow wanting to play with a small child because 8 or more hours of Joshua wanting to play 'with someone' might be more than we can take!

Now for a lie down :-(

Demonstration in Santa Cruz

We watched a large number of people marching through the streets against council 'corruption' on Saturday. They were demonstrating against the councils Plan General de Ordencion (PGO), a planning by law which has put many city buildings out of planning permission and accusing them of lying, corruption and theft. A good chance to talk to the boys about something you don't see everyday and to be reminded of the need to pray for Togo, that the elections there would go well, be peaceful and that we won't encounter any protests of a less desirable kind after our arrival following the elections.

Here we go again

[Note to Blakes - see we haven't forgotten you :-) ]

The decision was made that we would sail today, we have been warned that the bigger rocking might start within the first few hours so a quick update before I fall off the chair. We started our voyage about 2pm after our drills, we waved to the trumpeter who has faithfully played as the Ship has come and gone each year, we watched the pilot jump back on his boat and off we went. All very normal now, so much that the boys weren't that bothered about it all (although that could have been related to being grumpy after waking up too early). Still it is exciting that we are on our way...

 

 Leaving to the sound of the trumpet - it is hard to describe the emotion of leaving

 

The lines being pulled in

 

Goodbye to our dock, and to Santa Cruz de Tenerife

PS have given up on the chair after see it go flying earlier so now writing standing up. And now going to lie down and watch the bookcase swaying to decide whether we need to lie it down yet!!

off to Togo

We are getting ready for sailing again, securing our cabin and waiting for more 'at sea' drills. We have been warned the sail will be like the last but in reverse due to the weather forecast being very similar so we can expext a few rocky days ahead before the sail becomes smooth. If we are quiet for a few days then keep us in your prayers that we will be safe and healthy as we sail.

We have enjoyed our last couple of days here, yesterday we took the boys to the park for the last time and for a McDonalds ice cream. We have enjoyed being somewhere where it is easy to cross roads, where pushchairs don't get stuck in the sand, where people don't stare/shout at you and where there are playgrounds where the boys can let off steam. But the maintenance time is finished, people in Togo are waiting for the big white ship to come. We are ready to go, back to Africa, back to where we have been asked to go for this next season, serving the One we love.