Onboard the Regina Maris →
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDe03t7eZe8
Aruba and Curacao
Anyway, the bell rung that evening, during the washing up. Sam sat there, tired, dripping with sweat, a face full of soot :“Guys, the watermaker is broken.”
This meant no more showering, washing up with sea water, basically only using water to drink. If we’d been in the middle of the Atlantic, Sam could have made it, but the risk of it really breaking was too much for such a short period of time. All we needed was a tiny part, which could hopefully be shipped to Aruba.
Rastafari and a Boiling Lake
Hello from the other side.
We survived.
The morning after arrival I just lay in my bed, listening to the sounds of the cook buying fruit from some Dominican man. Breakfast was refreshing that day. In the morning light the bay was properly visible, the first of so much paradise to come. Palm trees waving back and forth in the wind, soft waves lapping at the feet you dangle from the edge of the ship, the sun shining with the promise of heat.
Taking Over
Sunday evening, just before dinner. Something unintelligble sounded through the speakers, after which the bell was rung. We had slightly more than 300 miles to go, and it was time.
Read More2300 Miles of Open Sea
In the beginning it didn’t feel as if we were out on the open ocean; we tend to sail out of sight of land. Everything was pretty normal, aside from the Christmas lighting in the wheelhouse on Sam’s birthday. You should have seen his face. A weird, almost flat wind made it possible for us to swim that evening, and watch a movie outside until it picked up again.
Wild Dances and Pick-up Drives
We took six days to reach São Vicente, Cabo Verde. The first thing we did there? Hang a fender from a line and use it to swing into the water. I won a bet, that I could throw Alexander in the water, and got a bar of chocolate. Next up was cleaning the ship and free time.
Resting Place of a Devil
I learned its name later: El Teide. Up, and down again, over 2 days. The day before meant slipping on the stairs and getting a deep cut in your heel before hiking for six hours. Oh yeah, why not. Daily business. The following morning brought backpacks and a tour bus. The latter – the former would be interesting – drove us up and out of the city, higher and higher, through changing vegetation.
Read MoreA Volcanic Island
I woke up to very loud Spanish music. It was still dark and that made me confused. Why had they put that music on? Fine, if they want to be woken up at the sight of the first lighthouse, but let me sleep please.
Then I heard something about first land being visible.
Seasickness, Dolphins and Fluorescent Algae
The first three days seemed to be an eternity. And they weren’t even three full days.
Most of us got seasick, those who didn’t took over kitchen duty and basically did everything.
The Big Day
We arrived in Ijmuiden at 16.00. For the record, we were supposed to leave from there at 15.00. The idea was that we would get an hour to say goodbye, but now it was only half of one. Until the coffee machine decided to break. Isn´t life wonderful?
Read MoreThe first few days
Last Saturday, the 15th of October, I boarded the Regina Maris.
Read MoreDrumroll...
Tuesday evening it came, the long awaited email, both dreaded and wanted. I only needed to glance at the title to know...
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