Day 2

To say day 2 was rough going would be an understatement! Following an early slip from Skudneshaven, we enjoyed a few hours of serenity as mainland Norway slowly disappeared from view off our stern; we were most certainly on our way now as the vast North Sea lay ahead and morale was high amongst the crew. This was about to change, as the conditions started to shift, and before we knew it, we were thrust into heavy winds and heavy seas for the next 24hrs. North/North Westerly winds of 25 – 30kts whipped up a sea state 6 with swells of 5/6m making life on board simply miserable for inexperienced and experienced sailors alike. Seasickness was rife throughout the crew, making routine tasks such as sail management and even visiting the heads a torrid affair. A decent meal was out of the question, with most surviving on biscuits and haribo!! Our bunk spaces became our safe havens and the only real respite we could get from the conditions, lying prone waiting for it all to pass. Nevertheless, we managed to continue to sail the boat and make 5-6kts through the water.

Mercifully, it eventually did pass. The winds, and subsequently the swells, calmed, and we were finally able to enjoy some time on deck and in the cabin below. It had been a ‘baptism of fire’ for me and Charlie, new to this concept of ocean transit on a small sail craft. Thankfully Tony, Kev and Cormac were there to drag us through it which we were eternally grateful for and we were starting to grasp the basics of sailing and managing the vessel. We were able to implement a staggered watch system through the night, each of us working 3hrs about with a new crew member coming on watch every 90 mins and this eased the pain significantly, allowing the day to pass quicker and giving us time to recover from the relentless conditions between watches.

All in all, we made it through unscathed, sea legs were established, and we were on our way. Questioning our decisions? Never. If it was easy, it wouldn’t be a military expedition! Looking forward to what lies ahead