Saturday 25th of February
There are about 7 sea days between Borneo and Cairns Australia but these days I suppose will never be repeated for us
We are sailing the Moluccas’ Straits passing Indonesian Islands great and small. Some are small Athol’s and others volcanic. Two of note are Sumatra and Java.
How can I describe these days? Well it’s hot! 38 degrees and with a warm breeze. The sea is very calm and the colour is also difficult to describe; it’s a very deep blue deeper than I have ever seen before and as you look out to the horizon where the sky meets the sea there is a gradual contrast as the sky takes over with its lighter blue with white clouds interspersed and the Sun glinting off the dazzling white paint of the Ship. So calming and beautiful. Such are these days that we are missing the very interesting lectures and concerts, and we haven’t been to Cabaret for quite a few nights now. (Although I did meet the trumpet player in a corridor and tried to engage in conversation with him but his English is not good. He is Filipino but his eyes understood and lit up when the words “trumpet and trombone were mentioned”)!
Yesterday all of us who are going the whole way round were treated to a special lunch with the captain and his senior officers. Very nice indeed!
Today however was very special because we crossed the Equator!!!! Never ever done that before!
As you all may know this becomes the kingdom of King Neptune and all ships crossing have to have time with him for the ships Masters and crew to come before him and confess their wrongs. This has to be done on all ships and it is a tradition that has been in existence for time immemorial.
It was no different for Black watch and the ceremony was duly performed in the presence of Neptune and his Mermaid hand maidens.
The Captain and all his officers were called before him and all their bad seamanship confessed. The punishment is that they have to kiss lip to lips with a fish; in this instance it was a massive great Tuna fish not long caught by the look of it!!!
In the original tradition the youngest member of the crew is normally tarred and feathered and then thrown overboard. Our young deck cadets did not suffer this but they did get plunged into the pool after “Sturgeon the Surgeon” had his playful operating time with them removing all sorts of weird objects from their “internals”! In fact all of the senior officers landed up in the pool fully dressed \t the end of the ceremony. Very funny and very nice to be able to take part in the centuries old tradition.
Well another 3 days and we will be in Cairns Australia; half way round the world!
Fd
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