Last night the ship was moored in a small bay on the east coast of Jura and the crew camped wild again. The spot seemed idyllic, at least until the midges came out in force. That wasn’t the only biological hazard – some of the crew have also been attacked by ticks. As a result, Susanne the nurse has set up a compulsory tick inspection point. Crew members aren’t allowed to board the ship without a thorough examination!
Fresh supplies are needed on a regular basis
Perhaps in an effort to escape the bloodsucking insects, the ship made an uncharacteristically early start this morning. There was another good following wind today and the ship was making up to 10 knots. Their progress was so good that after picking up supplies, we on the support ship spent much of the day chasing them to catch up.
One of the interesting aspects of the voyage is how the ship is organised. The longship is divided into 6 sections known as rooms: fore-ship, tack, mid-ship, drag, aft and lifting. Each room has its own responsibilities and tasks. But the room system is about more than that – it’s also a social structure. Within each room crewmembers have to look out for each other. They get to know each other much better than anyone else on the ship, and that builds the trust that is essential for living and working in such close quarters. 'It becomes like your family when sailing' says Louise. 'These are the people you’re close to when sleeping, eating and resting and you get to know them the best.'
Moored by the Lagavulin distillery
In the early afternoon we pulled into our resting place for the day in Lagavulin Bay on Islay. The bay is famous for its distillery and the crew have set up camp just round the bay from there. With a stunning view across the sea, the ruins of a castle and a distillery next door it has to qualify as a near perfect camping spot. It is, however, lacking in washing facilities though, and Triona is disappointed that she’ll have to go another few days without a shower.
The plan is to stay here for a few days and do test sailing – gathering important data on the ship. From here you can look across and see Northern Ireland on the horizon, a reminder that Dublin isn’t that far away now.
