Crossing the Tasman, 10^th July

This is our second full day at sea and we have now entered New Zealand waters, although we will not Zea land until tomorrow. We have been lucky with the weather, which moves from cloudy to sunny with an occasional brief shower and with smooth seas and a gentle swell. The third officer tells us we are behind schedule due to head winds and a current working against us. We visit the bridge morning and afternoon to get our bearings on the compass (East South East) and to check our position on the paper charts and computer screens. It is always a splendid view up there and the second and third officers like to chat and discuss life at sea. We haven’t visited when the Captain George Catalui is in on watch. Today we saw birds flying low off the port side but we were not able to identify them. Third officer has promised to call if he sees another ship or a whale.

We have had to devise a routine of sorts to manage the long stretches of time—walk around the deck, visit the bridge, sit on our deckchairs in the sun and out of the wind. We also read, do puzzles, play games, visit the gym, and listen to music. We also write a diary and this Blog but there is still more time in the day than we’ve probably experienced since childhood.