But working on the ships is something that other people get to do isn't it? People who are amazing, courageously zoom around in speed boats and never get seasick! But here I am, a volunteer on the Arctic Sunrise preparing to set sail for the Antarctic.

I've worked for Greenpeace on and off paid and as a volunteer for nearly five years now and this is the first time I've even seen a Greenpeace ship in real life let alone stepped aboard one with my backpack full of winter gear ready to work on the very campaign that inspired me in the first place. I only found out I was coming three weeks ago and still can't believe I'm really here.

Everywhere I look people are buzzing around doing something or other with immense energy and purpose. From the techies who seem to be reinstalling the entire onboard computer system and the engineers constant tweaking of helicopters to everyone stopping what they were doing and helping out with the press launch; wherever you look the place is alive with activity.

And then there's me!

To date my main activities have been trying to locate my laptop in the labyrinth that is the ships and attempting not to get in the way while I try to descend almost vertical stairs holding a cup of coffee only to find myself lost in a warren of windowless corridors below deck with no idea which way I'm facing.

I've also started to notice a few of the finer points of life on the Greenpeace ships. The stuff nobody tells you because they are details so small as to go almost unnoticed. That is until we're 300 miles out to sea with no hope of another shop for three months. One thing is that everyone has a sarong hanging outside their cabin which on closer inspection enables the occupant to keep the door open while maintaining a little privacy, a commodity I imagine becomes ever more valuable as time passes.

A few other finer details I'm working on at the moment include; What exactly is a smoko? Is a persons leg length directly proportional to their ability to glide between ships? Which way am I facing when below deck? What are those police-car-like flashing red lights in the lounge and why are they flashing? If the ships are bobbing about this much while in port what exactly have I let myself in for?

Does anyone know where I can buy a sarong?