Voyage Between Two Worlds

Hauling in the arm thick mooring lines, we watched as the water below boiled into a froth as over 3000KW of power growled under our feet. Slowly the dock slipped by. Waving good bye to Santa Cruz as the clear, trumpeted notes of Amazing Grace floated across the water. The Africa Mercy was heading out. For the past two months it had undergone maintenance work and certification inspections in the Canary Islands. It was now finally on it’s way to bring Hope and Healing to the people of Guinea.

Hauling in the arm thick mooring lines, we make ready for departure

Water Water Everywhere
The vastness of the oceans is hard to describe. Churning the deep blue waters into a turquoise froth, our ship pushed its way southward. Day after day seeing the distant horizon, the slight curvature of the earth, the ever changing moods of the ocean, the vast plethora of stars in the sky. You can’t help but feel small.

The vastness of the ocean puts you in your place

Standing on the bow, watching the depths slip by with rays of sunlight penetrating deep. The occasional flying fish breaks the surface skimming along the tops of the waves, vibrating its wings. A silvery blue green blur before it dives below the water again. If you are lucky you will see something else. Perhaps a turtle bobbing by, the blow of a whale in the distance, or the shadowy figure of a hammer head cruising below. My favourite are dolphins. Seemingly for no reason other than pure enjoyment a pod will  make a bee line for the ship. Jumping high out the water, spinning in the air, or surfing the bow wave. They put on a great show before hey head on their way.

On the look out for wildlife and enjoying the sunset on the bow

Standing Watch
Some people cooked, some people cleaned, I stood around and watched the ocean. I was put in one of the teams who keep a 24 hour watch on the bridge of the ship during the voyage. Following the instructions of the officer on watch, I helped to keep a look out for obstructions in the water & approaching vessels. In addition to this I was able to steer the ship. It is actually surprisingly difficult to keep the ship straight on it’s bearing. You constantly have to adjust the rudder as the wind and waves push you off course. Night watch is a completely different ball game to the watch during the day. The bridge is in almost complete darkness so that our eyes adjust to the dark. Bearing in mind the rise of piracy over the last few years and the regular attacks which happen off the west coast of Africa, we keep a close eye on the radar and any ship which acts irregularly.

Steering the ship in the bridge during my watch

Guinea Arrival
The morning of our arrival started off rainy and misty. As we slowly approached, we caught glimpses of forested islands between swirling cloud banks. I could imagine being an old world explorer. The thrill of discovering new worlds and more of Gods creation twisting in my stomach. The captain navigated into the narrow channel churning up the shallow sandy bottom as we cautiously glided towards our new port. Coming into berth, our home for the next 10 months we waved our greetings as we were welcomed by fog horns, cheers and the clear notes of a military brass band.

On arrival in Conakry, we were greeted by a military brass band