The first landfall – Plymouth

On Tuesday, October 20th, we had to change our plans at short notice due to an approaching storm and spontaneously went to Plymouth in England. Our captain Quinten said he had never seen such a strong storm in the English Channel. The wind reached speeds of up to 120 km/h at times.

We docked in Plymouth around 2:30 PM. However, before we could explore the city, we first had to tidy up the ship and secure it for the storm. I helped Rika and Kathi stow the mainsail and tie it down. Once the crew deemed the ship ready, we were allowed to go ashore in groups of at least three. Frida, Hanna, Isabella, Lea, Emma, Julius, and I walked a lot through the city, went shopping, and drank hot chocolate. In the evening, I went fishing with Justus, Teo, and Moritz; we cast a few lines, and Justus explained what to pay attention to, but unfortunately, we didn't catch anything. Since we hadn't brought any fish ourselves, we had to pay for our Fish & Chips dinner. Since we didn't have to keep watch in the harbor, we were able to spend the evening together in the day room for the first time.

Wednesday, October 21st.

The next day, we all went to the National Marine Aquarium together. We first looked at the animals and exhibits about the aquarium's projects, and later we had an interesting conversation with a staff member, where we critically questioned how useful aquariums are. The staff member explained a lot to us and emphasized how animal-friendly the animals are kept. I found this conversation very cool because otherwise, you would never find out how things operate behind the scenes.

After the aquarium, we split into two groups; one group went jogging with Freiya, and the other group went for a walk with Mattes and Daniel. First, we strolled along the sea as a group, and then we were again allowed to explore Plymouth independently in smaller groups. Before dinner, Annika gave us a brief communication input about understanding and respecting each other on board. After dinner, we went for ice cream, and while betting with Rika and Hanna, I won two ice creams (we bet on which was the right way back to the ship).

Thursday, October 22nd.

On Thursday, the weather was just as one would imagine English weather to be all day. We spent the whole day on sail theory. First, Mathieu explained the engine room to us and showed us how to use devices like the water maker or the generator. After lunch, Marie explained all 66 ropes used for operating the sails and showed us where they are tied off. Finally, Arend taught us the most important knots needed on a ship. In the evening, we played two rounds of poker, and of course, I won one.

Friday, October 23rd.

This morning, we went to the museum