Öckerö gymnasium

The wind is gone!

Days of continues fast sailing, but now the wind is gone. Disappointing but still expected. We made some minor refurbishing onboard under our watch as well as reparations. Towards the end of the watch we sighted a whale which was fantastic. 

Today has been a calm day on the ocean. Nearly to clam, annoyingly calm. Yesterday we were sailing at 10 knots straight towards the English canal. Just as we´ve been doing since we left the Azores. Most of the trainees onboard were starting to joyfully chatter about eventually arriving to port earlier... However, everything good must have an end. Today we have therefore been going for machine. Until around eight in the evening when most of the sails were set and we started to sail again.

Under our day watch, 12-4 o’clock, some painted the spots we have been removing rust form the last days. A friend and I changed the schackel pin for the jib brace on port and starboard side. We also checked it for damage and greased all the moving parts. Otherwise the watch went on, nothing unusual. Until suddenly the lookout screamed “VAL!!!”. Everyone stopped and ran up on poopdeck to get a better view of the whale. I climbed up the mizzen mast to make sure I don’t miss it. I scanned the ocean with high anticipation for some minutes until I saw it. It is my second whale I have seen on this voyage. First sighting was two days after we left the Azores. That whale was a cachalot, but this one was very different. Pale skin instead of the characteristic dark blue grey color of a cachalot. It was smaller and more agile. None onboard has been able to define which species of whale it was. However, it first swam a short distance until it shortly disappeared. Then it forcefully broke the still water like a harpoon and smashed back in to the water. It was a real thrill seeing such a big aquatic animal jump like that. Something you will only see once in you lifetime.

Anton, Port

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Öckerö seglande gymnasieskola
Björnhuvudsvägen 45
475 31 Öckerö

Telefon: 031-97 62 00
e-post: kommun@ockero.se