Being on a ship in port, or as I like to call it 'port sailing', is generally lovely and this is no exception. Århus is a very pleasant town and the weather is great, the sun is gently heating our deck and the wind is a light breeze.
All around there the crew is calmly doing their thing – painting, fixing, and cleaning just like it's supposed to be on ship. Well, since this is my first time on a ship like this I really don't know, but it does fit my preconceptions very nicely. The ship itself also seems quite content here at the Århus dock and has created some technical problems with the deck crane that has delayed our departure. The crane is very important since its job is to launch and retrieve most of our inflatable boats. It really needs to be 100 per cent functional - especially when there are actions going on, so we need to make sure it will do its job when called upon. If everything goes according to plan the crane will be good to go later today and we will be able to set sail tonight.
I'm starting to get myself settled in, I have only been onboard since last night and I still get disorientated from time to time when trying to navigate the bulkheads and doorways below deck. And, I must admit, I haven't yet gotten used to sleeping next to machinery that sounds like the compressor of an old refrigerator - the only difference being that it never turns off and is about 10 times louder. Luckily, my cabin mate Jorge assured me that the once we get out to sea that machine will not bother me any more since the sound from it will be completely drenched by the sound from the main engines.
Things that might disturb a spoiled city dweller aside, like most of the crew, I can’t wait to get out to sea where we get on with what we came here for – to expose the horribly destructive and wasteful fishing that is going on in the North Sea, and do something about it. We are here to defend our oceans.
Stay tuned for more.
