Diary 27 April 2006

Well, as we draw ever closer to Australia, a great sense of excitement is welling in the ship (even though we are still about 1000 nm away yet).  We are very busy with maintenance, people can be found working  all over the ship day and night. We have been having some fantastic sailing over the last few days.  Last night was great I was aloft with Larse and Stuart and we were tightening the shrouds, everything was moving around, and with the sails all floodlight it was just great - we never have lights on at night time so it was lovely to see her. We tried to imagine what it would be like for another vessel to see us an 'eighteen century sailing ship' in a blaze of lights out in the middle of the Indian Ocean, I think they would get quite a surprise.

Kimberley

Thursday 27/4/06

I was on look-out this morning. On the starboard side of the ship we had low thin grey cloud, on the Port side the light was coming through a huge whole in the clouds so I could see the blue.For the first time on the trip it felt like we were near Western Australia. I know we are at least a week away and many nautical miles but there is a particular blue to the South Western Australian sky and a feel to the air. To me it's like an electical current, there's a buzz in the South West corner of Oz.I told Racheal and Kimberly about it but they didn't feel or see it. Racheal spent the morning as Backis and Kimberly was sleeping as she is on the 1200-0400 watch. By the afternoon most of the sky was cloud covered and had lost the intensity.

Jenny