Leg 2 team in Arran

Sea Dragon In a Lock on Caledonian Canal

Deploying the Manta Trawl in Loch Ness

Hi everyone
I've had to escape to a pub to update you - in Inverness.  We've just spent two days traveling the Caledonian canal from Fort William to Inverness, lovely and still, beautiful views, we did lots of science sampling for micro and nano plastics - found some big plastic and micro plastic - nano plastic is too small to see so those samples will be sent away to be investigated.

It was pretty rough again from Arran to Fort William, so many casualties as round Lands End, but enough, including me.  Again I was better up on deck at the helm riding the swells.  We saw some porpoises and stunning views of the western islands, Mull, Islay etc, names I have heard of but never been.

I've been doing loads of talking and handing out my business cards along the canal - just opened my emails and found a photo of Sea Dragon on Loch Ness sent by another boater who passed us - but my laptop is failing to download it.

I was on cook duty today so was below deck cooking up a storm - red rice salad and kale salad with tahini dressing for lunch, and Dutch mash with carrots, onion and kale + beans in an Italian sauce + stir fried lettuce + quinoa with pesto for dinner.  Yes lots of kale, cos it doesn't keep long, and cooked lettuce because the fridge froze the lettuce.  My cook partners on both legs haven't enjoyed cooking, so we've had a great partnership, I cook, and they wash up - not my favourite task.  We have a 5 day rota, cooking, toilets (called the Heads), engineer (checking mechanical stuff), navigation (hourly log), deck check (for safety) and science.

I'm learning a lot about sailing, names of ropes and what they do etc - and there are a lot on this boat. I love it.