Here I am on a 3-month cruise.  This time around Africa and the Far East and Far East and home via the Middle East and the Med.  On a much smaller ship than I’ve been on before.  About two thirds the size and it is older as well.

We boarded yesterday, so last night was the first night. You’ve got to love the Western Approaches.

The readings from the bbc weather buoy we passed in the early hours of this morning reads:

CHANNEL WMO No.= 62103 Lat/Long = 49° 55′ N / 02° 54′ W (that’s the name and location of the buoy, not important!)

09:00:00 Sunday, 2006-12-03 W, 38 58 6.1

Allow me to translate:

Time & date
09:00:00 Sunday, 2006-12-03

Wind direction, speed (knots) Max gust (knots)

W, 38 58

So the wind is coming from the west, and we are travelling southwest, so it is hitting us sort of diagonally/ side on. 38 knots is about 55 miles an hour and the gust speed is in the region of 87 miles an hour.

The average wave height is 6.1m.

Innit amazing what you can find online?!

The Captain is using words like “hurricane force” and if there are trees down in nice, sheltered London (blocking trains apparently!) imagine what it is like out here with no shelter or protection.

Suffice to say no one slept much last night. What with the creaking and the up and down and the side to side and my wardrobe door swinging open and banging and the lifeboat outside my window giving the occasional bang, twas not the most restful night i’ve ever had.

My postings for this cruise will be shorter than previously, as they have changed the charging system so that I can’t type in Word for free and then cut and paste, i have to type while the money is ticking. Boo!

I didn’t win the Lottery last night. I only got one number. Boo to that too. But rah for the cricket and Mr Hoggard in particular. Yay! for him. Clever boy.

Here endeth the first message