Adrenaline was pumping and professionalism was on display when the entire crew was roused from their bunks and rushed on deck as a shout of "fire in the forward cabin" swept through the ship.

Seventeen-year-old Cameron Joseph was the first to notice smoke at 6 a.m. and sounded the alarm. Within 90 seconds the entire crew had assembled on deck, fire hoses had been prepared and ventilation to the forward cabin cut off. Not bad considering two thirds of the ship were asleep at the time.

Luckily for the crew and Spirit of Bermuda there was no fire, a ventilation motor had fused creating a lot of smoke but no flames. Captain Simon Colley said: "The crew was excellent. Everyone fell into their duties with such a calm competence that someone asked if it was yet another drill.

"It was important for trainee crew to see that we are able to rely on ourselves in an emergency."

And it seemed Neptune was pleased with the crew's actions too after several days of light winds it picked up as soon as the engineers reported everything was fine in the forward cabin.

About time too, people was starting to get a little loopy as the ship crawled along at an average of four knots for several days. And patience started to wear as people contemplated the possibility of another 12 days at sea if the winds continued to be light. But now that the wind has picked up and the Spirit is surging through the water at 11 knots people are in racing mode again.

The Spirit has also enjoyed some additional Mahi-Mahi sushi as Watch Leader Lawson Williams caught another two on Wednesday.

* The Royal Gazette's reporter Ruth O'Kelly-Lynch is aboard the Spirit as a watch leader and will continue to file regular reports from the ship.