Departure and helicopter

28 February 2025

Departure and helicopter

We have spent the past week at the quay in Stanley getting ready for departure. Once at sea, many small tasks take a lot of effort so we try to think of everything. During this leg from Stanley to Cape Town, we will (weather permitting) make stops in remote places like South Georgia and Tristan da Cunha. So we have to be self-sufficient throughout the trip. With every nook and corner of the ship full of supplies, we left this morning.

Shortly after leaving port, we got a call from the Coast Guard. They want to do a helicopter exercise with us. Around lunchtime, the large Coast Guard helicopter approached us and hovered over the aft deck for 10 minutes. Then we heard over the radio that the ship was rolling too much and that the helicopter pilot did not want to risk lowering anyone on deck. They were happy with the exercise anyway and we were able to hoist the sails again on our way to Grytviken on South Georgia!