Our last day in Tanger

After an eventful week in Morocco, it was finally time to head toward our last port -
Málaga.

Like any other day on T/S Gunilla, everyone was woken up early in the morning by the ”Rondman.” Breakfast consisted of homemade porridge and bread with various toppings, eagerly eaten by us hungry students. Once the traditional eight bells rang and the flags were raised, my
watch-team went on guard. Since we were expecting a visit from the American School of Tangier,the work on the boat was mostly about cleaning and preparing. We pulled in a few lines to adjustthe sails, emptied the boat of dirt and made sure everything was in place.

Our busy schedule continued to roll, from early morning until late afternoon. Around two o’clock, a large group of students arrived, excited to meet us again. The students were incredibly friendly and
got to try some Swedish ”fika”, such as cinnamon buns and chocolate balls. After everyone had eaten, we gave them a tour of Gunilla, and they admired her charm and beauty, despite her age.

At six o’clock, our short journey began. Fortunately, the weather was calm as we moved farther from land, and within minutes, the vast open sea stretched before us. Seasickness has thankfully never been a concern for my sailing group, so we were lucky to avoid feeling sick. Tired from the day, we took a moment to rest in our cabins before our next shift.

The day flew by quickly, and when the clock turned eight o’clock, we started our four hours of watch. We assembled on deck in our positions, ready for work. However, due to poor winds, we could not set any sails, which slightly disrupted our sailing plans. Therefore, we mostly sat on deck, played games and enjoyed our last time at sea. We even did some necessary midnight yoga under the magical moonlight and bright stars.

Halfway through our watch, the beloved ”Natt-fika” was served in the boat’s smaller dining room called ”Lilla Mässen”. Our wonderful ”backisar”, which are the students who assist in the kitchen
alongside the chefs onboard, had done a great job. They served warm porridge as well as cinnamon, sugar and raisins. Afterward, we returned to the deck to finish our work.

And as darkness slowly fell over the sea and our shift came to an end, the third watch team took over the guard for the next couple of hours. Everyone in Portside, including me, desperately headed below deck, looking forward to sleep before the next day’s duties. In addition, leaving Tanger almost marked the end of our trip. Many of us had looked fforward to this experience and felt a bit sad to leave. But now, with Málaga just on the horizon, we can’t help but feel excited to be one step closer to home.
Elvira Magnusson