Schubert dip

Another boat and another fire drill, this time we were given the full kit for the drill

Bob the builder

The three passengers (we picked up Melanie in Kingston, she is from Germany)

3rd Mate Dragan was responsible for us during the drill and posed for our pictures

The second part of our emergency drill was to watch a video of what to do if you end up in the survival raft......tip out any Vodka that's been sneaked in to the raft apparently, but the captain Eduard (who is younger than me) did confirm that this would never happen in reality

On board entertainment, table tennis....

....Yoga - Melanie had been on a Yoga retreat and taught us the moves in the officers salon. One or two days were a little bit choppy for yoga. 

.....making fish decorations for Neptune

...make up lessons.  Mirko the cadet was going to be baptised along with us and another cadet and was told he did not look silly enough so Ralph drew him a moustache.

We couldn't believe the barbecue set up.  Tables and chairs had been brought out on deck, but seemed glued in place. The captain raided the medical supplies for his Neptune outfit, I would be surprised if there is any cotton wool left!

Dragan's role was a little unnerving as 'Doctor Love' - especially for Ralph who signed up for the full crew/cadet style baptism.

Mirko ready for baptising

Doctor "Love" inspected us so he could recommend treatment - this involved drinking a horrific cocktail of Romanian home made plum cognac, red wine, Jack Daniels, beer and of course Vodka yum!

The chief engineer then anointed us with diesel, but Mirko and the other crew members got extra from the captain.

Ralph's baptism with sea water

Fi downs her Jack Daniels only cocktail.  It was agreed that the girls would have a toned down version of the baptism, Melanie doesn't drink alcohol and neither of us want to get soaked, I managed a whiskey then Dragan got carried away and chucked a bucket of water over me and Melanie got caught out too.  

All worth it for the certificate and new names, I was "sword fish" Fiona was "blue whale" 

We drank and did karaoke until midnight, which turned out to be a bit of a mistake.  We were advised that the Captains home made Romanian plum cognac is so pure and wholesome that it gives no hangover......not so!

It took us two days to recover from the barbeque - we blamed the home made Romaina spirits, we were very ill indeed.

us with the captain in our Hansa shipping shirts

This may be Leonardo Dicaprio.  Our last day on board, we caught our first sight of England that morning then spent the day dodging traffic in the English Channel, it was flat calm ad sunny so we spent time sitting at the front where its eerily quiet as all the engine noise it at the back by the propeller.

Connect four anyone

Twins?