The key issue prior to boarding is the adequacy of whatever clothing you've arrived wearing, and the last thing that's on offer prior to embarkation are gloves and a beanie for those who don't have their own. We didn't, and took up the one size fits all offer.
The only comment that needs to be made here is that while they keep your hands warm, thick gloves definitely get in the way when you're operating a pocket sized camera, what with the size of the buttons and all.
Having grabbed the gloves and beanie you stroll down to the pontoon to board whichever subset of the three vessels you sighted in the bay when you arrived, and while you might have reservations about the matter, it doesn't appear to make too much difference where you sit. With four seats across you're either on the outside or the middle, though the starboard side is going to deliver the best views on the downward run.
They'll also suggest sitting at the back if your stomach isn't motion-happy, but on this particular occasion, it was a case of ignoring the first three rows of seats, and buckling yourself in if you were in the fourth. One presumes the number of boats operating has something to do with the conditions out there, but it's hard to be sure.
What is sure, however, is that the ponchos that get distributed once you.re on board will keep you around 95% dry under most conditions, so dress for warmth, take advantage of the beanies and gloves, and you've probably got an uncle named Robert.
One thing I did note during the Embarkation process was an absence of the usual safety warnings you get on an aircraft apart from a fairly cursory demonstration of the way you put on a life jacket. Hardly surprising, really. You've probably seen the airline version often enough to tune out.
And, in any case, one suspects the order to abandon ship will only be given in the most extreme circumstances since I reckon you'd be dealing with hypothermia within a minute or two of landing in the water. If you've got nervous travellers that's the last issue you want to be raising.
There was a lighter hearted take on the safety warning when we got underway, with the female crew member, who was obviously looking for laughs pointing the 360 degree exit arrangements and the lack of lights leading to the egress.
In any case, having dealt with the preliminaries, we were off, and the following couple of hours were one of the great experiences of a reasonably interesting lifetime. What follows is Hughesy's attempt to capture the essence of that experience.