Page 14 - LBV 2024

Ex Caribbean Express
When I first applied on Defence Gateway, it seemed like a pipedream. And indeed it wasn’t until I met the rest of the crew on the BA flight to Antigua that any of it seemed real whatsoever. Upon arriving at the harbour, the skipper informed
us that we were to have four days ‘acclimatisation’ in Antigua, whilst the onboard freezer was repaired. This free time, combined with the island’s ivory- white beaches, powerful rum punches, and 30°C weather, lured me into thinking the unthinkable: that this was an all- expenses-paid Caribbean holiday.
Everyone will be glad to know that these illusions deserted me as soon as we started sailing, when after four days of violent seasickness and sweating away in a galley that climbed as high as 40°C, I was seriously questioning how I had ended up here, and dreading the two week Atlantic crossing to come.
However once I managed to keep
my meals down, things dramatically improved. I embraced the routine of life at sea, where every day of the crossing was split into four-hour shifts, spent either above decks sailing the yacht,
or below pumping bilges, cooking communal meals, and pitching in with all manner of DIY botch jobs. Unexpectedly, I was particularly grateful for the chance to completely disconnect from the rest of the world, with no wifi or phone service throughout the crossing. This provided the perfect environment to learn a
great deal about sailing from some truly veteran sailors whom I am grateful to have been mentored by. But also to
learn about the incredible variety of the Armed Forces, as I was able to speak frankly and openly with everyone from fast jet pilots and submariners, to Lt Cols as well as CSgts who had deployed to Afghanistan as 18-year-old privates. The chance to forge strong friendships across the voyage with such a range of service people, was another unexpected benefit for which I am extremely grateful.
As well as meeting an amazing
group of people, I also saw some amazing sights; sperm whales jumping out of the water less than 100 metres away, dolphins diving over the bow, bioluminescent plankton lighting up
the ocean like a casino with their glow, alongside countless shooting stars, sunrises, and other astral phenomena. All the while, I continued to learn more and continually expand my comfort zone. I was fortunate to have a skipper and mates who recognised that I wanted
to be thrown in the deep end, and so
14 THE LIGHT BLUE VOLUNTEER