From sea to shining sea

Well, after lots of engine testing, fire drills, and last minute preparations, we have finally begun our journey from Durban to Cape Town. We made it out of Durban without any problems and are now sailing in the Indian Ocean. At some point tomorrow, we will be passing the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and sailing the rest of the journey through the Atlantic.

   

  My roommate and I as we were leaving the port

 

So far, the sail has been very enjoyable! The first night out on the ocean, my roommate and I went out to the bow to eat dinner. It is always a scenic spot, especially in the evenings when the sun is setting. But, we were pleasantly surprised to have a great show from a bunch of dolphins! At first, there were three or four swimming in a pod, jumping gracefully through the water...then a few more joined in, then a few more. They just kept appearing! Several of the dolphins went right under the front of the bow, where they could ride along the waves with the ship! We all watched in amazement and awe of God's beautiful creation for about half an hour, as they just kept coming! Over the course of that time, we probably saw at least forty dolphins! It was absolutely amazing!

Here's a close-up of one of the dolphins

(Thanks Melissa for the photo)



Thankfully, I haven't gotten seasick so far, although a few others have not been so fortunate...the seas have been pretty calm for the most part and the ship has actually been going significantly faster than it has in the past now that we can run all four engines. Last night, I got to visit some friends who were working at the bridge and even got to steer the sihp for a little while! I always enjoy going up to the bridge and seeing all the fancy technology, along with the maps and charts. I definitely have a lot of respect for all the deckies and officers that work so hard while we're sailing!

We are all excited to have a short stop in Cape Town on Sunday. We will be refueling and finishing a couple of things with the ship before we set out for the longer part of our journey to Sierra Leone. Thankfully, they will be allowing the crew to go ashore and enjoy Cape Town for a day and a half, so we're all excited about having some time on land (especially in such a beautiful place like Cape Town) before we're off once again.