I woke up early on Tuesday morning to the gentle rocking of the boat, snuggled in my sleeping bag with the bright light of the morning sky shining through the small windows in me and Katy's cabin. Having never slept on a boat before; well apart from a short sleep on the ferry from Holyhead to Dublin on my way home from finishing IMRT radiotherapy, I slept surprisingly well. I guess it was from where I was baby being rocked back and forth in my mum or dad's arms, made the rocking feel natural and not like I was on an amusement park ride.
After rummaging through my 'wardrobe' of clothes tightly packed in my suitcase, Katy and I went to the shower and toilet facilities on port to get washed and dressed. This time there was no rain and crab on the dock with claws scattered across the wooden planks, but the feeling of the crisp sea air blowing in our bed head hair, and the sound of the seagulls as they glided above us in search of their breakfast.
We had breakfast on board our boat, then we gathered in the cockpit to be shown how to put on and use our lifejackets incase we went over board, and were each given our waterproof overalls and coat. We loved our matching waterproof overalls and coat, as we felt like true sailers/fishermen. Finally we were shown the key parts of the boat and then it was time to set sail for the first time.
We chartered the route we would be sailing to Port Bannatyne, just like you would before setting off on a car journey. I couldn't believe how beautiful the surroundings were, the blue sky above us, the green grassy mountains pulling away from the boat, and the sea beneath our feet. It made me think about how vast the ocean is and what it would be like to sail around the world, just like Ellen MacAruthur did. The weather was mixed throughout our journey, at times the sky was grey and the clouds full of water as is poured down on us, but it was also clear with the suns rays beaming down on Port Bannatyne. Thankfully we were prepared and had our waterproofs and sunglasses too.
As we sailed towards Port Bannatyne I spotted something grey peeping out of the water. I shouted to the Skipper Simon and volunteers who told me it was a porpoise. Then more porpoises began surfacing the water, it was incredible. I had never seen a porpoise before and I wasn't sure what they were.
For a quiet coastal village with only one post office and two pubs, Katy and I couldn't get over how frequent the bus kept going around the island. In comparison to where Katy lives, buses are practically extinct and where I live the bus only comes around twice a day to a non designated bus stop.
After we docked at Port Bannatyne Marina with the other three Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust boats, we played games on land and ate the most delicious jam filled, sugar coated doughnuts. Later that evening Ian, Caroline, Dani, Jordan, Alex, Katy and I went for a walk to see more of the beautiful island. On our walk we came across the ruins of what was once a church. The roof of the grey stoned church had fallen into itself and was submerged with greenery growing within the building, which gave an eerie feeling as if the ground was swallowing it up.
Danielle X
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