There are a few advantages to becoming a deck hand. I already mentioned the overalls. There's also the opportunity to work up a big appetite. We're lucky enough to have Charles, arguably the world's best onboard chef, cooking for us. The man is amazing! The ship hasn't received ingredients for 5 weeks, but somehow the lettuce is mysteriously fresh. No-one can figure out how he does it..

Another advantage is the excuse to shower every day. Being on a ship, you need to be acutely aware of how much you're consuming and producing. Water supply is limited, and we have to be very careful to ensure that we use as little as possible. Before I started deck work, I was doing my bit by experimenting with a once every 2 days shower regime, much to the dismay of my cabin mate. Now I finish my day accompanied by a thick layer of grime that must be washed off.

Then of course, there's the fun of using power tools. We remove rusty patches on the deck with nail guns. I feel like a dentist at work on a very large tooth (though I hope never to meet a dentist that sweats this much). We remove the plaque to expose the healthy metal below. For the next step we have to don all the safety gear (see photo). It's hard to communicate with two layers of eye protection, mask and ear muffs. It didn't take me long to realise that by the time the noise of the machinery is added, you can sing at the top of your lungs while you work and no-one can hear a thing.

We sand with electric wire brush, then we anti-rust and paint. And there it is. Two square metres of shiny, rust-free paradise, gleaming green in the evening sun. In my heart I know that the rust will be back to fight another day, but for now victory is ours.

p.s. A word to the wise - if you're going to be wearing a dust mask, avoid the raw onion at lunch.