Blog 6 HMSTV Adventure reporting form the Southern Ocean
No ice and no penguins so far but lots of albatross here down at 51 Lat where variation is 30 degrees East (difference between magnetic course and true course).
RACE & SAILING SITUATION REPORT
Thursday 18th brought us constant winds and we were able to pole out the yankee (front sail), changing up from the No 2 (mid size) to No 1(largest) Yankee at midday. Occasionally switching to a broad reach (wind from the side of the boat) to gain boat speed on the on the wind shifts and maintain our course to our next waypoint (fixed target position) figure at 51 degrees South 105 degrees West. This is when we will be permitted to head further south to start our decent to the Horn. The descent will be performed through a series of downward steps which have been preset by the Exercise Transglobe Sailing Instructions. The steps are simply lat and long positions from which we can descend. There are three steps roughly 400-500 miles apart. The first one is currently just over 1000 miles away and we should be there on about the 24th February and from thereon we are allowed to go as far south as 54 degrees. Whether we choose to or not depends mainly on the weather but obviously the further south we go the shorter the route to the Horn will be as you are able to take advantage of the curvature of the earth.
Over the last six days we have done over 200 miles a day with the highest being 234 miles, averaging 10 knots. Disco now sit behind us by 20 miles after coming down to the same latitude to avoid lighter winds to the north and it appears that keeping south has paid off for us, at least for the moment!:) This is the biggest lead we have had over them so far on this 2700 miles journey. ..but it’s still very close.
Friday 19TH
Today Disco sits 25 miles behind us, although we have both had our share of things to repair. For us the second batten (semi flexible strip giving the main sail its wing like shape) lost a screw from the luff box, forcing the batten to make another appearance out the front of the sail. It was put back in the slider with the aid of Blue watch with mother (Red) assisting. Mind you, this is this is forth repair we have done to the battens/luff boxes and apart from getting annoyed at having to depower the main for repairs, we’re getting pretty slick at it! Meanwhile Disco had a spinnaker wrap (big kite sail tangled around the rigging) plus a batten problem - all of which helped maintain the status quo.
Saturday 20th
Two weeks at sea and we are all still holding up or just about. A few aching muscles and wrists from repeated helming has meant a slight and temporary change to watch manning to help ease the load and give some a rest. White Watch are currently at the controls up top as the sun is starting to set over a single reefed main and No2 Yankee. On goes the tri colour and the compass light. The spray and swell is rising and the wind has just picked up to 25 knots so boat speed is on the climb, White Watch have worked their magic again. This falls in line with the met forecast as we are expecting a good blow of 40 knots tonight – with the prospect of more sail changes. Tonight is chilli con carne night with bread and butter pudding (Frankie stars again!) and so Red Watch are hard at it this Saturday evening to prepare the restaurant for its 14 punters. Normally it’s a table of 7 for two sittings with portions monitored carefully by the Stazi (the Pusser). Besides being on standby for sail changes and other sailing evolutions, the other duties of Mother Watch include cleaning the heads, showers, empty the bilges and bins and cut the non bio plastic waste up into 10L bottles. Every cloud has a silver lining however and, subject to sail change help being required during the night, the Mother Watch will normally get the first “all night in” (in their bunks) that they’ve had for two nights. Currently the generator is on and with the drying heaters still not working, the door to the foulies wet locker room is opened and closed quickly to give some chance to dry of the sodden foul weather kit that hangs within.
This last day or so, crew have started to talk about what will be the first thing they will do when they get home, the four top things they are looking forward to most seem to be a big comfy bed and seeing loved ones, followed by a cold beer and a pee standing up! (stand fast Nikki, Lou, and Laura ) We currently have just over 2000 miles to go to the rounding of the magical
WATCH REPORTS & INDIVIDUAL SHOUT OUTS….
Mates
Nikki.. Carmen Rendell how the devil are you my sweet, how has
White Watch.
Dave – Hey Stinker, last time we spoke we were just setting off up the path toward the sound of drums, on the way up we couldn’t see the top because of the swirling mist but the strange sounds of steady drum beats continued to get louder. Just as we began to think we would never reach the summit the path flattened and the mist cleared, to our surprise we found ourselves in the middle of a village, all around were huts with grass roofs and great statues of what must have been the gods of the people who lived here. Upon further investigation it became clear that the village was deserted, all the huts were empty, the camp fires were long since out and the sound of drum beats was being created by a wind powered contraption! It seemed as though our quest to meet new tribes would not happen here today. Just as we thought of leaving this deserted and lonely place Tim spotted another path leading out of the back of the village, at its entrance were crossed spears decorated with bone ornaments and a pair of painted skulls, was this a warning not to follow the path? Whatever the message we pressed on, after a short walk we came to an abrupt halt. Facing us was a giant set of wooden doors, the biggest I have ever seen, they towered up above our heads and blocked the entrance to a small valley, beyond the gates appeared to be dense jungle and rising up from the green canopy was the gently smoking tip of a volcano. All three of us looked at one another, and without hesitation began to unlock the great gates.....bit more next time son, love from way down here, miss you, enjoy half term, Daddy xxx
All, hope you’re all ok, everything really good here, wind strong and driving us eastward toward the cape, over half way now and leading by 25 miles. Love you all, thinking about you and home a lot xx. Speak soon GG, travel safely xx.
Tim – Having an extraordinary time; now at a point further from any other human that it is possible to be on the planet! Really getting quite chilly – I’ll have to start using my thermals soon. Hope all’s well at home and half term is enjoyable. Lots of love to Claire, Ed and Louis.
John RCIRO, Hello again from a very remote part of the world. The seas are very impressive as they grow bigger and bigger before we surf down them rustling up some pretty impressive speeds. No we are not having fun and yes we are taking this seriously.. ish. I hope you are all enjoying
Red Watch
Red Watch are having a couple of health problems but persevering on….. Poor Laura had a stomach ache; which the 3 boys aren’t totally convinced that her medical condition isn’t due to secretly snaffling all the chocolate……
Strong man Frankie’s muscles are too big for his own good and caused him pain due to their ongoing expansion – if they continue he’ll end up looking like Popeye (if he didn’t already look like Brutus! Red Watch has thus been temporarily reduced to 2 (Simon & Clive) but have had guest appearances from Lou (Blue Watch). Red Watch managed the 3000 miles marker this morning (with Guest Lou) at 0330 hours along with 44.7 miles in 4 hours, narrowly taking the prize away from Blue Watch (44.3miles).
As many of you know, out here fresh water is in short supply and limited to what we have in the tanks, so we tend to wash our plates in salt water. When fresh water used for cooking and occasional showering runs out the cry ‘we are out of fresh water’ turns to tanks being swapped or making more water but this comes at a cost of running the generator for the water maker which is in essence diesel that could be used for engine hours if for some reason we are unable to sail or the wind dies. Currently we have a depth of 4571 metres of water under the keel and in the middle of the southern ocean so luckily salt water is not in short supply. This did not stop Clive shouting out whilst at the sink the other day that ‘we are out of sea water’ – to hoots of laughter from all others in the galley!
Frankie has been taking oh so many photos and excellent video clips which are downloaded on the yacht laptop for us to browse over in our spare time of recent events and this will certainly be helpful for all of us to share with all of you on our return home.
Simon has found some similarities with home as he tells the girls (who are in their 20s/30s) to: eat their crusts, finish their main course before they have sweet, not to use “like” every other word and that the time for breakfast is 0730 and that no there’s nothing left to eat at 1030hrs!
The beard growing competition is in full force but Simon is being accused of “campness” due to his goatee beard. Only the photos of his wife convince the men that they’re safe……
Simon: More surfing mountainous seas on a 67ft sailing, surfboard today – this time under lovely blue skies. Continues to be both challenging and rewarding. Glad to be (finally) closer to
Caroline, I hope all went well with Treelands and that it wasn’t too difficult for you all. Send my love to Guy, Henry & Annie.
Linda – miss you more than the prospect of walking on dry, stationary ground! Thanks for understanding my need to do this exercise. I love you. X
Elizabeth and Estelle – I think about you all the time and constantly wonder what you’re up to. I can’t wait to see you both again and make up for the time we’re missing out on now. Sweet dreams my little girls. Big Kiss. Pappa XX
Laura: Hi to everyone, all going well here temperature starting to drop so all my warm weather kit is keeping me toasty. Had a minor stomach bug as mentioned above but back to full fighting force now and getting back on deck is a relief. Am missing you all a lot and looking forward to a nice warm bed which is bigger than a post’it note! Sending love and hugs from the Southern Ocean xxxx Tom- I hope
Clive: Hello to everyone, we are currently at 50 degree south by 123 degree west (basically, in the middle of the ocean) it’s getting colder each night and we have broken out the thermal underwear, very sexy. We have approximately 2000 miles until we reach the Horn. The Cape Horn is a very big achievement apparently the same in walking terms would be climbing up Mt. Everest J Missing you all loads and looking forward to getting feet back on dry ground. Lots of love Clive x x
Kyle and
Frankie: Hi to all out there, officially in “no-mans-land!” at least 2000 miles from any civilisation!!! Unless that is the space station flies overhead!!!! Personally I’ve been put out of action with some trouble with the nerves in my hands ( constant pins & needles in fingers) been off for 4 days and got a little better so hopefully I’ll be back on the deck in no time. We have just clocked less than 2000 miles to go to the “Horn” and then another 1500 to
Blue Watch.
Blue Watch – or the Westoes (all from the West Country) continue to push the limits and trim to win at every opportunity. With Red Watch having two men down, we have donated Lou to boost their numbers but are already looking forward to her return and her squeals of joy when we hit a new high speed or hear that we have pulled further away from Disco during our watch. Lou continues to sleep through anything (including Andy and Paul’s snoring) and in typical northern fashion to save money, has perfected the art of keeping her feet dry without buying expensive Sealskinz socks – a freezer bag sandwiched between two pairs of pussers socks! Steve, our second WAFU member, continues to rule the watch with his inimitable flexible rod of steel and has really taken to the art of cooking in the galley…ish. Normally calm in crisis, his resolve was tested in the early hours of this morning when, having been dragged from a good sleep to climb into wet foulies and take up the middle watch, he trudged up the companionway ladder ..only to catch his life jacket toggle in doing so. In the ensuing explosion of an inflating life jacket the air was filled with venting CO2 (which set the fire alarms off), Steve’s expletives and a cacophony of hysterical laughter from the rest of us! Emerging back through the hatch head first, looking like a sunflower with a grumpy beaten face surrounded by yellow asking for help only made the laughter louder! For those out there interested in Paul’s progress with his oceanography book, we are pleased to report that the first chapter is complete! As we sit here in the galley having just finished the forenoon watch he is sitting trance-like with eyes closed listening to his iPod having just started tonight’s bread-run off. He has already got into the “round the Horn” mode and is currently the only one in our watching putting the earrings in on a regular basis. (I’m sure that he will be able to explain this when he gets home). Andy meanwhile, in tinkering mode having dismantled and rebuilt most of the luff boxes on the mainsail caused a stir when he noticed a semi-tone change in the frequency made by the steering gear whilst on the wheel and caused a clear lower deck whilst all the mechanism was checked – not the most accessible at sea in a force 6 with heavy swells! (all was fine ). He continues to misplace his glasses from time to time and has now perfected the art of the micro monocle as a back-up.
Steve( our illustrious watch leader)- As you can see from above we are all still smiling and having a fantastic time. Pretty bruised now though! Hi Kaz, hope all is well back home, wish you could be out here to experience this, it is extreme sailing to say the least! And fantastic. Hi Harry I am having a great time, I will be back home in a few weeks now, as soon as I get to Montevideo I will give you and mum a call. Can’t wait to speak to you both. I hope all is going well at school, remember keep trying and don’t give up. To all family and friends following, we are still in the lead and all working hard to ensure it stays that way, let’s hope we can keep it up. Take care, until the next time ta ta for now.
Andy (the snoring doc) ..thanks for that intro Lou! All well here as you can see. Counting the miles down to theHorn.. only 1800 or so do! Enjoy Dublin darling. Lots of love to everyone. Looking forward to being able to walk on the moors i.e. further than 67 feet! A xxx
Paul (big Bird) – Counting down to the horn, arms aching but body and feathers just about keeping together. Sleeping bag worth every penny. Trying to decide which ear to put the ear-ring in. Miss you all & Ermington. Keep well. Paul xxx.
Lou – Hi everyone at home, it feels crazy to be 2000 miles from any land and watch probably anything except the R.A.F boat, not seen a single ship since we left on this crazy journey. The waves are getting bigger now with the swell nearing 40ft. Less than 2000 miles to
