We woke up to the ear shattering drops of rain pounding above our heads. As Team 2 (custard cream crew) prepared breakfast, Team 1 readied the deck battling the harsh winds and heavy rain. As we departed from Falmouth, we were met with god’s arsenal of waves, crashing and marching at the ship, with the air force as the wind they were an unstoppable army. Beat by the courageous crew. We worked nonstop until the rough sea state of Falmouth shattered like glass and was left far behind. We were greeted with a pure diamond sea and a mirrored sky. Although, the worst of our journey was yet to arrive, as the temperature decreased, as one companion passed the mop bucket like pass the parcel to the next friend, the sea sickness was spread like the plague. We were forced to show our resilience in more ways than one. As the wind ferociously beat down on us, we showed our teamwork by putting the main sail up, testing our strength and abilities. When the night dawned, we said goodbye to our empty beds and said hello to our new night shifts. We had dreaded the night shifts that were to come the whole day but when they came, we entertained ourselves in ways we wouldn’t have imagined without this TallShips experience, enjoying our companions’ company. As the sun rose above the undisturbed horizon, we welcomed a new chapter in our journey.

Happy Birthday Bedwyr! Team 1 started the day with a harmonious melody of happy birthday. We prayed for the end of our night shifts as our tired eyes traced the land awaiting our victorious arrival. We had a swift breakfast like we wouldn’t eat again and forced every bite down as we knew we would need every joule of energy in our bodies. Each leg was forced up the vertical stairs to prove our strength and leadership. As we felt the warm embrace of our home ground, Wales. The determination of the early morning was rewarded with the gateway to what seemed like heaven, the end of our eventful voyage, Swansea Marina. As we prepared to dock we hit a roadblock that tested our patience, we had to recover the same fender twice. Our spirits were lifted as we saw employees at Swansea marina greet us with open arms and a helpful hand. We docked eventually and packed away the sails and Team 1 scrubbed the deck to the bone. Our long-awaited showers poured sapphire-like liquid with a welcoming warm blanket of water comforting all our bruises and scars. We walked briskly to Frescos and replenished our taste buds with a waffle and ice-cold sparkling drinks. When we returned to our new home (the challenger 4) we cooked dinner and sorted our bags for our departure. We ate the dinner with great satisfaction, pride and the sadness of our leave we finished the night with a challenging and testing quiz. Thank you, TallShips crew, for being so kind and welcoming.