During this voyage every Monday a fire drill is done. Last Monday we had a fictional fire in the galley, which is an area where fire fighting is done a bit different then elsewhere onboard. Due to the presence of liquid greases on the fry top or the deep fryer one cannot just aim a fire hose to the fire. The splashing grease would only worsen the misery. That is why extinguishing foam was developed. The foam covers grease or oil fires, isolating the seat of the fire from the supply of oxygen, which is a condition for continuance of the fire.

Generally speaking this drill went well, but making the connection of the foam applicator needed a little more instruction and exercise, we concluded. This came in handy since we had some foam liquid about that had passed its expiry date (the fact that this substance could expire alone ).

This created the opportunity to thoroughly demonstrate this extinguishing agent. It was planned for today. It did not intervene with the maintenance schedule, the weather was fine and those among us with a creative fantasy deemed Saturday as the suitable day for a foam party.

Roderick was doing an odd job aloft and during dinner he told us that he had a fine view on the sea. “ seeing those dolphins swimming aloft is beautiful” he said. The chief engineer had an entirely different opinion on that: “ Captain, do you hear that? We are sinking!”

Richard Slootweg

Captain Clipper Stad Amsterdam