2012 Trip 5 - Pacific Swift

Trip 5 - Day 6. In Pretty Girl Cove, we were woken up by the sound of rain on deck. This rain and accompanying fog would continue throughout the day, which if anything added to the beauty of the coast: mountains moved in and out of sight, and wisps of cloud hung below thick forest. This moisture put a damper on on-deck activities, but was also a chance for some to catch up on a little rest belowdecks. After a tasty breakfast of gooey cinnamon buns, The Junior trainees had a final review session before their chartwork and terminology tests, while in the aft cabin Intermediates worked through the use of tide tables. For myself, rain delayed any on-deck projects but not the task of securing hydraulic lines deep beneath the galley sink. In the wet weather, lunch of potato and leek soup with fresh scones was just perfect. Shortly thereafter, anchor was raised under Cayla and Michelle´s direction and we left Pretty Girl Cove. We made our way south, through Shelter Inlet, Hayden Passage, and down Millar Channel to our destination: Ritchie Bay. There we were welcomed by our friends aboard Pacific Grace, and the two ships tied up together. The moment of reunion was exciting, both to hear about the experience of those on the other ship, and to see another beautiful boat. For myself, I was last on board the Grace Offshore, and it helped bring those wonderful memories to the surface. On the Swift we had a spicy dinner of chicken curry on rice, accompanied by a sweet salad with apple! After a brief Tuck & Tidy, all hands boarded Pacific Grace for the melodious Song game, with Skipper Dave´s team prevailing to the end. Mug-up was sung altogether, with a highlight of Skipper John´s lead on ´Save This House´. To close out the day, our trainees returned to the Swift for mint hot chocolate and fabulous Brig shortbread cookies. How truly blessed we are to take part in this together!
 
Fair Winds,
Graham Muirhead, Bosun´s Mate