Hauling up the anchor
Latitude; 17°57.1’S
Longitude; 122°10.2’E
Distance run in 2 hours; 1.8NM
Average speed; 0.9KN
The training continues into the afternoon with one watch learning the helming system (the brain and the brawn), another watch having their safety talk aloft and the final watch going aloft. As Captain Ross is giving his talk on helming techniques he realises that the ship is dragging anchor and rapidly heading very close to the beach. All the professional crew are called on deck and Mark the engineer starts the engine. We start to heave the anchor up as quickly as we possibly can and start to proceed away from the shore. When the anchor comes to the surface, all becomes clear as to why we have dragged. The anchor appears upside down and with the cable well and truly fouled around it. The ship had done a couple of 360° turns and the cable has subsequently lifted the anchor out of its grounding. We proceed further out this time before dropping the anchor.
fouled anchor
The training continues well into the evening and it is good to see the new crew smiling and looking at their hammocks as a challenge, as opposed to a danger. Tonight we are going to maintain a vigilant anchor watch, which will mean the crew will only be required to stand watch for an hour, before rotating with other crew members in their watch. The morning comes and the crew seem relatively well rested, with apparently only one heavy snorer which is good news for most, but not for one poor fellow who is sleeping right next to the gentleman, no names of course.
This morning we have the usual routine of crew briefings, but we are keen to get underway and so we are going to attempt to sail off the anchor and put the new crew to the test. It seems they were all paying attention yesterday and they do a fantastic job this morning bracing and setting sail, and we manage to get underway with no engine assistance. The next challenge is
to actually try and make way in the strong tidal currents and lights winds with the isolated shoals scattered widely around us.
All’s well
Setting sails as we leave the anchorage