Life onboard quickly fell into a predictable routine. There certainly wasn't a whole lot to do, but despite this, time passed quickly and we were never bored. Each day was centred around meals in the officers' mess with our 4 fellow passengers, where the steward treated us all like royalty. We filled the rest of the day with reading, sorting through the mountain of photos we've taken, using the tiny gym and taking in the views on deck. One of the highlights was spending time on the bridge, especially when Dennis, the friendly third mate, would tell us about the workings of the ship and his adventures at sea. It was all a welcome change of pace from being on the road and being constantly on the move.
From time to time, an event would break the routine. Sightings of other ships, whales or flying fish were the subject of much discussion, and close passes of tropical islands and coral reefs were hotly anticipated. The highlight of the social calendar was certainly the 'BBQ party' which took place every three weeks for the entire ship's company. After we'd eaten bratwurst in the howling winds on deck, most of the officers retired and the Filipino crew hit the cramped steel dancefloor. They were a talkative, jovial and incredibly friendly bunch, and we enjoyed their company just as much as they enjoyed having new faces onboard.
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