Sunrise at the Ocean - The English Channel

Today was a very normal but unusual day at the same time. We are right now very close to Rotterdam but we will arrive to the harbour tomorrow. Because of that, we are right now lying at anchor which is the first time we do that through the whole voyage. Besides that, this was a qite normal day at sea.

From Cherbourg to Sweden we are going to have watch at 4-8 which I at this moment think is a pretty good time. It feels like you just take a pause in the sleep when you go to the 04:00-08:00 watch. It also feels like you don’t get to see the other watch groupes since you do something all the time. In 4.00pm to 8.00pm you have watch and after that you go to sleep very early since you will get woken up at 3.30am to have watch to 8.00am. Precicely after that it is breakfast time and then everyone go to sleep again beacuse we are usually so tired then. At 12.00 it is time for lunch and then we have a lesson in four hours until we have watch again. The only time you can hang out with the others at this watch time is in the afternoon to look at a movie or something. However, I don’t think is so bad. I kind of like it since we get to see the beautiful sunrise over the ocean.

This day started as it uses to. I was in the working team today and we didn’t have so much to do. We sat on half deck in a cirkle and played games. It’s hard for others to understand but try to imagine being the middle of the ocean with your friends when nobody else is awake. Laughing and talking when the sky is slowly lightning up and in the horizon you can see the new harbour that will bring great memories. You can feel the smell of new baked pizza buns that you know is waiting on you and you don’t have a problem in the world. That is one of the moments you know life is good and you could stay there forever.

Two hours later we where scrubbing the deck as usual. Time where flying and it was time for line-up. We went in for beakfast and to go to sleep again. Later on we had watch again but this time I had to jump in as one in the kitchen crew. We served dinner to the crew and cleaned the kitchen. I thought it was very fun and we had a good time there. Too bad that meant that I couldn’t see when we layed the anchor but I heard when it sank down quite well. Since the sea was very calm, I couldn’t feel the diffrence from with anchor or without.

Anyways, this was a great day and I still feel like the happiest person alive!

Annie Svenninghed, Midskepps, NAB2427