Wednesday 25th of May 12:00 Ships-time (UTC)
Anchored in Clarence bay, Ascension Isl 07-55,1S : 014-24,9W

Today is a fair day with some clouds but no rain so far.
The SE trade winds are back again and the Green Mountain is out of the clouds.
Another part of the crew and most of the voyage crew is discovering the secrets of Ascension, with a rental car, walking, hitchhiking and climbing to all directions.

Yesterday afternoon we had some visitors from the Dutch company Neptune on board.
They are part of the maritime section of the "Restoring the Runway" operation on the Island.
About 5 years ago the civil flight inspectors decided that the runway of this airport was not good enough anymore for the flights from the UK to Ascension and  the refueling for the flight to the Falklands and vice versa.

So this lifeline to Ascension stopped working and the Falkland planes made a refuel stop at the Cape Verde islands.

Delayed through Covid and other problems the works of restoring the runway is still in progress but the officials on the Island believe that the flights can restart through Ascension airport next year this time.
Now they are making a gravel bed before the final layer of asphalt is being added on top.
The problem to get the gravel from the bulk carrier on the island is the lack of an harbour and the swell that is always around on this Island and also the landing pier.

So many days they cant get the gravel from Nova Scotia on the special built conveyor belts on the pier because of the swell.
Yesterday was no exception but today they are able to get at least two barges of gravel ashore again.
The crew on the tugs and mulitcat are already since January on the roads of the Island so it was nice for them to see and speak with some new faces.

Departure tomorrow Ascension day (Hemelvaartsdag) after coffee.
Sailing to the LINE in a NW-erly direction and around 800 Miles to where we meet Neptune.

Alles Wel
Klaas