I am astounded that my training has been a success. After struggling through the surface meteorology course in Scotland and beginning to wish that l have never started the boss asked me to progress further and take the 'upper air' course at an old RAF base at Hemsby in Norfolk! With no mathematical ability, l found these courses a real challenge and found out later that nobody had bothered to read my C.V. properly; if they had, they would have discovered that l didn't even have an 'O' Level in Maths and for me that would have been curtains! Afterwards, sick of the sight of a pilot balloon slide rule l returned home to carry out another seemingly impossible task - trying to explain to my parents what l have got myself caught up in! The summer of 1971 passes in a haze of preparation and before l know it my trunk is packed.
The journey begins in Southampton, where the ship, the RRS (Royal Research Ship) John Biscoe (seen here at Husvik, South Georgia) sets sail for Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.
The first leg of the journey takes us across the Atlantic Ocean, where the ship soon encounters the infamous Bay of Biscay, known for its rough seas and unpredictable weather: the voyage across the Bay proves to be very rough. Many team members are affected by seasickness and the ship rocks and rolls for days. Luckily l do not suffer, but the stench of sea sickness prevents me from taking to my bunk and l pass the days on the deck or in the lounge eating on my own. Despite the challenges, the ship's experienced crew navigates through the rough waters, passing the beautiful islands of Madeira, known for its lush vegetation and picturesque landscapes, and the Cape Verde Islands, a group of islands known for their diverse cultures and beautiful beaches. The ship eventually reaches the 'doldrums' at the Equator.
Interestingly many on board found the voyage boring but l found it an unforgettable experience, as the weather improved we were all expected to turn to and carry out jobs around the ship which varied from steering the ship (see picture)
under the watchful eye of an officer, to 'holy stoning' the deck.