Back in Home Waters

After two months we have finally come to the end of our deployment and will limp into the English Channel tonight. Things have been busy but that has not been a bad thing as time has gone quickly. As always with these types of exercise it was about as well organised as a piss up in a brewery but at least it is now over.

 

We only had three short port visits, not that I am complaining as with each port the pilotage got tighter and tighter, until we finally reached Valletta, which was really tight to get into with an interesting S bend going through the breakwater. Certainly not something I would want to do on a regular basis as it just doesn’t feel right steaming right towards a cliff. On the plus side though I got to have lunch with the earl and Countess of Wessex when they visited the ship.

 

Our passage back has been a bit lumpy over the past few days, thankfully the Bay hasn’t been as bad as predicted and therefore we have managed to keep our Friday arrival. Debbie and the little ones are coming down for the night which will be nice as I haven’t seen them since I joined in September. We sail Saturday but at least we will get Friday night together.