Finally under way

20th March, Hamburg
I left London 9 days ago, and so far the ship has moved from Antwerp to Hamburg. On our current course it is impossible to hit Cape Town, unless there is a particularly fortunate and rapid shift of tectonic plates. Indeed it seems as thought the ship's progress can be measured on a geological timescale. But today is different. Today I woke at 6am with diesel fumes in my nostrils. Not a particularly pleasant way to start the day, but it meant that the refuelling barge was underneath my window, filling the tanks with the 2000 tons of fuel we will need for the voyage. And now, FINALLY, we are heading towards Cape Town.