Today has been the first day at sea after an action-packed week in Scheveningen for the Liberty Tall Ships Regatta! The new voyage crew  arrived yesterday evening and have since been trained in the essentials of seamanship and life at sea. Ship familiarisations took place this  morning with look-out and helming (steering) lessons, then line-handling instructions before lunch on deck in the glorious sunshine. The wind and  the waves of the North Sea are giving the EUROPA a gentle yet slightly pitching motion through the water on a course of 355 degrees and a slight heel to port. The sun continued to shine throughout the afternoon and the voyage crew  watch system began, taking the traditional form of a “4-on-8-off” schedule. With approximately 400 nautical miles to run before our next port of call (Aalborg) we are keeping our fingers crossed for continued good weather and fairer winds… which are currently north-easterly so we’re hoping for a shift to get more sails up! But in true EUROPA style, we never go anywhere without at least 5 sails set at once. As today gradually steeps into night, the evening sun embellishes the crests of the waves in shimmering silver and gold – enough to entice any landlubber to explore the beautiful oceans. That’s all for now – stay tuned for more updates!