14:37.5N 017:17.6W Off Dakar
Barryyelland
Wed 14 Dec 2011 14:30
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The reccession is really biting!! When we
were in Antwerp and Flushing the ports were very quiet, so quiet that I
counted more dredgers in the River Schelde than ships..... Lots of container
vessels slow steaming.
So now after discharging our cargo in Nouakchott
and Dakar we find ourselves being a bit of a casualty! We are waiting for orders
at anchor outside Dakar. There are possibilities but nothing definite at the
moment. No good speculating.
At least the fishing is good here and we hope to
exchange some old mooring rope for prawns. The usual problem is again fresh
water so we have introduced water discipline from yesterday as we have no idea
how long we shall be here.
Managed to clean and repair all the hatches
although there is still a bit of an onion smell we haven't been able to
ventilate past couple of days as it's been thick sand haze. The ship is slowly
turning brown/orange! The temperature is bearable, even pleasant so not so bad
for the boys working on deck or in the engine room.
Nouakchott was a busy port but I guess typical
African?? It cost us dearly with the authorities taking 46 cartons cigarettes
and 8 cases soft drinks, not to mention the several hundred litres of gas oil
(diesel) for their cars!! Dakar authorities took the remaining cigarettes and
soft drinks (thank you guys :-) and I had to buy some back so the crew had
some!!! Naturally more expensive than we paid in Europe!! As they wanted more in
Dakar and there was nothing left some authorities decided to check our provision
stores and naturally they took whatever they wanted, frozen chickens, coffee,
cheese, all sorts.
Stroll on somewhere
different.
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