Is it Christmas Eve tomorrow?

It is Thursday 11th and tomorrow it's happening! What we never thought would happen. T/S Gunilla puts the course south toward warmer and better times.

We all are overwhelmed and glad that it is finally time to go. It almost feels like the day before Christmas Eve. But before that there is a lot to do on board.

The day started at seven o’clock with a set- up in regular morning assembling, but today with an hour’s extra sleep, which was much needed after all long working days earlier this week. There were quick commands this morning and our first mission was to learn how to secure all the things that were lying on the boat. It was a little tricky at the beginning, but training gives skill and after a while it becomes easier. There was a lot to learn and it took almost the whole forenoon. After that we had a well deserved lunch and the chefs served us soup with incredibly good bread.

After lunch we got the opportunity to go to the grocery store and continue to bunk up our candy storage (haha). I knew that I had enough and decided to climb on the rig instead and enjoy the sunshine we had today. It was so lovely and after I came down, it only took five minutes before I got up again for a while. After everyone came back from their cases we started to finish everything before departure. Me and some others from my guard helped the carpenters with the planks that would be to table in the collection room. However, the planks would not be used directly so we secured them on deck with pressing, but it was easier said than done. We had to do it several times and ran back and forth to find a good fuse. We had great cooperation and patience. In the middle of all the mess injured Klara herself and got all planks over her leg and unfortunately it was so bad that she had to put bandages around her foot. I don’t think you understand how heavy these planks are. But she was a real fighter and continued to help.

When all the details were done and we ate dinner I took a little time to call my family one last time before departure. It was very peaceful to stand on the deck and check out over the sea and talk to my family while they ate dinner. They pouched me and I just got more excited to start sailing. As all other days we will get up early tomorrow so soon I will sleep my beauty sleep, which will be nice after this long day. We’ll see if we get easy to fall asleep considering the big day tomorrow.

Ida, SA2023