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11/01/2022

Friendship - Tag 2 - Die erste Nacht um

Gestern um 11 Uhr UTC ging es endlich los: Wir legten in der Muelle Deportivo de Las Palmas ab, um unser großes Abenteuer anzutreten. Der Wind kam zur Zeit des Startes um 12.45 Uhr UTC noch aus Süd-West, also genau der falschen Richtung. Wir mussten zunächst bis zur Startlinie kreuzen und dort auch das ein oder andere Ausweichmanöver fahren. Es wurde ganz schön eng, denn alle wollten möglichst mit dem Startsignal über die Linie fahren. Der Kurs führte uns dann erstmal gen Osten. Falsche Richtung? Oh Ja, aber der Wind aus Süd-West lies uns keine andere Wahl. Am späten Abend konnten wir dann Richtung Süd abdrehen. Die kabbeligen Wellen und Böen von bis zu 27 Knoten haben den Törnbeginn für einige Crew-Mitglieder erschwert, sie hatten mit Seekrankheit zu kämpfen. Doch nach der ersten Nacht. read more...


Friendship - Tag 2 - Die erste Nacht um
Friendship - Tag 2 - Die erste Nacht um
11/01/2022

Oyster Belle - flying the asymmetric

You can take the boys out of Yorkshire but you can’t take the Yorkshire tea off of the boys!image1. read more...


Oyster Belle - flying the asymmetric
Oyster Belle - flying the asymmetric
11/01/2022

Oyster Belle - Log Day 2 - Ortwin

As we are heading down south in very little wind we thought we introduced ourselves over the next day. So this Ortwin, a seasoned lawyer from Austria full of eternal love for sea, the wind, and most of all beer! He has a vast collection of historic Citroen BX back at home which he didn’t want to repair for a couple of weeks and that’s why he joined us to cross the Atlantic. He is sending greetings to his mum back home and wants to let her know his room is being advertised on Airbnb and he is asking her to treat his guests well! ;)image1. read more...


Oyster Belle - Log Day 2 - Ortwin
Oyster Belle - Log Day 2 - Ortwin
11/01/2022

Friendship - Tag 3 - Mit dem Motor gen Süden

Nach einer Woche intensiver Vorbereitungen ging es dann am Sonntag endlich los. Nachdem wir die Startlinie überquert hatten, zwang uns der Wind aus Südwest zu einem Ostkurs, bevor wir dann am späten Abend einen Schlag Richtung Süden machen konnten. Die kabbelige See und Böen von bis zu 27 Knoten machten es uns nicht leicht und so hatte die Hälfte unserer Crew mit Seekrankheit zu kämpfen. Später nahm der Wind ab und drehte über Süd Richtung Ost. Nach einigen Stunden unter Motor konnten wir um Mitternacht die Genua ziehen und mit achterlichem Wind einen schönen Kurs Richtung Südwesten fahren. Nach der ersten Nacht auf See ging es allen Crew-Mitgliedern zum Glück wieder besser. Der Montag bescherte uns dann leichte Winde, sodass wir zunächst unter Gennacker weiterfahren konnten. Am. read more...


11/01/2022

Rhapsodie VI - Hello from the Rhapsodie Crew

P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;} Hello everyone, The first 24h hours of the ARC January have been fun, with strong waves at the start, little wind going South to leave Gran Canaria behind us and then some squalls with 40 kts winds around 01:00 UTC. Conditions are currently OK with 18kts E-SE winds and smaller waves. The whole crew is requesting more sun in the next ARC weather forecast please! All are doing well on board, saying hi to our families, friends and colleagues following us around the world. Rhapsodie VI out. read more...


10/01/2022

Maxim 46 - Day 2

What a start at Departure day! Finally we could set sail. Well, only out of the Marina with 2kn. We had to go into the wind and planned our strategy. After the sunset we had a busy night. What we all discussed to do prior departure had to be done. We had a squall but luckily only the rain over us. But wind picked up and we had our new record of 12.4kn SOG! Clear spots of squally weather on the radar so we were all prepared. After a calm start of the night wind picked up and at 3pm the Code 0 was not furled in correctly and created a bag, so had to take it all down. Almost blew away! With full force Rien and Agnes pulled that thing down. Something for daylight to get it right again. Now get some sleep. We all had to find our routine. During the day we had to untangle the downhall line.. read more...


10/01/2022

Oyster Belle - Log Day 1 - towards the Cape Verdes

As we settled down for our first night at sea after a delicious fish pie from Paul, we went straight downwind with the full mainsail up and the Genoa poled out. As the wind changed we jibed and since dawn are heading towards the Cape Verde islands on a broad reach with some 16kt of wind. The weather report is looking steady for the next days.. read more...


09/01/2022

Oyster Belle - Log Day 0 - start day

We crossed the start line at 13:00; initially sailing in a stiff SE breeze; at 15:00 we tacked SSW, shook the reefs out and expect the wind to go a little more Easterly this evening as we head South to the Cape Verdes.. read more...


08/01/2022

Friendship - Der letzte Abend

Der letzte Tag ist geschafft, wir haben unsere Vorbereitungen abgeschlossen. Die PCR-Tests haben uns grünes Licht gegeben. Wir alles haben ein negatives Ergebnis und dürfen zur ARC January 2022 starten. Morgen legen wir um 0930 ab, drehen noch ein paar Runden, um uns an unsere SY Friendship zu gewöhnen und dann geht es um 12.45 Uhr UTC über die Startlinie. Nach dem heutigen Skippers-Briefing haben wir uns dazu entschieden zunächst nach Süden, Richtung Kapverden, zu segeln. Im Norden entwickelt sich ein Tief mit einem Trog, dem wir möglichst weit ausweichen wollen. In circa 2-3 Tagen “biegen wir dann ab” und nehmen Kurs Richtung Westen auf St. Lucia. Hoffentlich weht ab dann der Passat, der uns entspannt und gemütlich von hinten schiebt. Während der gesamten Überfahrt rechnen wir mit. read more...


08/01/2022

Oyster Belle - Log Day -1 - final provisioning

All PCR tests came in as negative! New spinnaker sheets received! Final provisioning completed! We all listened in carefully to the briefing and should be set to start tomorrow at 13:00. We are expecting a few days of light winds as we will initially be heading SW towards Cape Verde.. read more...


07/01/2022

Oyster Belle - Log Day -2 - Provisioning, generator, rig check, fuel, …

We started the day with PCR tests (fingers crossed for the results); got the rig professionally checked and we’re happy that only two cotter pins needed securing. Richard, Paul, and Ortwin raided the supermarket for more supplies and came back in two taxis just in time to go to the fuel dock. We got the generator’s raw water impeller changed and hope that that pesky fault 58 won’t come back again. Final provisioning of fresh fruit and vegetables scheduled for tomorrow. That leaves us to final checks of the lazarette and rigging the spinnacker sheets tomorrow. image1. read more...


Oyster Belle - Log Day -2 - Provisioning, generator, rig check, fuel, …
Oyster Belle - Log Day -2 - Provisioning, generator, rig check, fuel, …
06/01/2022

Friendship - Vorbereitungen und Proviantierung

Herzlich willkommen auf dem ARC-Blog der SY FRIENDSHIP.Wir freuen uns, dass wir in wenigen Tagen endlich aufbrechen können. Aber wer ist eigentlich an Bord? Das sind Marion und Rainer Ebert, die Eigner des Bootes, Maren mit Captain Riesling und drei Frauen. Das Besondere ist: Alle drei Damen sind über 70. Aktuell sind die Tage durch unsere Vorbereitungen geprägt: Neben Checks von Motor, Elektrik und natürlich auch den Segeln, steht vor allem das Proviantieren auf dem Plan. Und das stellt uns vor keine geringe Aufgabe. Denn mal ehrlich: Wer von uns hat schon für 6 Personen für eine Dauer von rund 20 Tagen eingekauft - mit dem Wissen, dass unterwegs kein Supermarkt vorbei schwimmt? Das ist ja nicht alltäglich. Dank Marion haben wir einen tollen Essensplan, auf dessen Grundlage wir am. read more...


Friendship - Vorbereitungen und Proviantierung
Friendship - Vorbereitungen und Proviantierung
Friendship - Vorbereitungen und Proviantierung
Friendship - Vorbereitungen und Proviantierung
Friendship - Vorbereitungen und Proviantierung
Friendship - Vorbereitungen und Proviantierung
06/01/2022

Oyster Belle - Log Day -3 - SSB

Oyster Belle is getting ready for the big adventure. Ortwin did a sterling job brightening up all the metalwork. We reluctantly volunteered to support the SSB network as a net controller. Let’s hope our SSB actually works as we have just now discovered how to select channels on our vintage Furuno FS-1550. Looking forward to a busy day tomorrow and consolidating supplies.. read more...


06/01/2022

Amante - blog introduction

Amante is a hylas70, sort of an American twist on an Oyster… with lots more shiny stainless to polish.Owner’sare keen technical divers, looking for the chance to explore the planet respectfully. Our skipper, Simon is a former RYA instructor with many sea miles experience and the patience to match… Riccardo is our chef, blame hound and all round superhero. . read more...


Amante - blog introduction
Amante  - blog introduction
04/01/2022

Maxim 46 - Log Day 1 Introduction

Now the crew is complete it’s time we finally introduce ourselves! We are a Dutch sailing family who resides in Malta. We have run a successful catamaran charter company over the years and take guests to the most beautiful spots of the island. In 2020 we decided to sail to Greece during summer since we were not able to take guests for a long time. During this trip the amazing plans for this crossing came to life.  A new Lagoon 46 catamaran waited for us in La Rochelle in July this year and we sailed her down to Malta to shake the dust off and see what she was capable of. Loaded all our belongings on board and with 5000 test miles we are now ready in Las Palmas to cross the Atlantic.  Our crew is Dutch and Maltese/American and we are all friends from. read more...


Maxim 46 - Log Day 1 Introduction
Maxim 46 - Log Day 1 Introduction
03/01/2022

Trumpeter - ARC blog

Trumpeter bound for Caribbean, America and then the PacificHello! We’re Chris and Mandy Carlisle on our boat Trumpeter. Newly retired, the ARC represents 15 years of dreaming and 6 months of planning, having moved aboard our Contest 44CS in June 2021.As experienced divers we're really looking forward to getting inside some wrecks and helping reduce the scale of the lionfish invasion in the Carribbean. We'll always be looking for buddies, and have the gear to dive independently. UnfortunatelyTrumpeter doesn't have the room for a compressor. Shake down sail to the Mediterranean We sailed from the UK in July 2021 to the Balearics for our shake down cruising season.On our way we had a chance meeting with Claire and Ollie on their Jeaneau 40 DS, then cruised in company to the Balearics. read more...


Trumpeter - Mandy, Chris, Ollie and Claire
Trumpeter - Mandy, Chris, Ollie and Claire
Trumpeter - Chris and Mandy
Trumpeter - Chris and Mandy
16/12/2021

Kithara - Logbuch Tag 17 bis 20

Die Atlantik-Überquerung - Logbuch 17. Tag Mittwoch, 08.12.2021Die vergangene Nacht war wieder sehr nass und ungemütlich, aber zum Glück gab es diesmal nicht zuviel Wind. Langsam wünschen wir uns endlich in Santa Lucia anzukommen um endlich mal wieder eine Nacht ohne geschaukel durch zu schlafen. Aber jetzt ist es zumindest absehbar. Auch unser Navi zeigt uns jetzt an, wie lange wir noch brauchen werden, wenn wir in diesem Tempo weiter segeln. Er kann maximal 99 Stunden anzeigen, das wären 4 Tage. Laut Wettervorhersage sollen die Wellen, aber leider auch der Wind abnehmen, je mehr wir nach Westen kommen. Im Moment merken wir nur, daß der Wind nachlässt. Tagsüber hatten wir kaum mehr als 10-16kn Wind. Aber die Wellen sind nicht wirklich angenehmer geworden, nur dass man nicht mehr so. read more...


16/12/2021

Kithara - Rückblick auf die Vorbereitungen zum Start in Las Palmas

Rückblick:Vorbereitungen auf den Start in Las PalmasObwohl unsere Kithara von Teneriffa nach Almerimar und zurück auf den über 2.500 sm super gesegelt ist, gibt es immer wieder etwas zu ergänzen oder zu optimieren. Das Problem ist nur, man macht eine Sache neu, oder besser und währenddessen geht mind. eine weitere Sache wieder kaputt. Zumindest ist das bei uns so... Wir mussten auf jeden Fall das Furlex-Seil reparieren, welches uns auf der Überfahrt nach Las Palmas kaputt gegangen ist. Ebenso mussten wir uns einen Ersatz für unser angerissenes altes Vorsegel überlegen, da sich eine Reparatur aufgrund des Alters nicht mehr lohnt. Der Segelmacher Sunny hatte 2 gebrauchte Vorsegel im Angebot. Ein großes, mit ca. 120 qm Segelfläche und ein kleines mit ca. 70 qm Segelfläche. Unser kaputtes. read more...


16/12/2021

Kithara - Arrival

11.12.2021 - Arrival Yeah, we made it!!! It took us 3.064 nm, 20 days and 6 hours to do the Atlantic Crossing from Las Palmas to Saint Lucia in the Caribbean. During the first 3 days we didn't have lots of Wind. But lots of dolphins joined us instead. Especially when Jenny played the guitar they came and as she stopped they disappeared and came back when she startet to play again. The water was so calm and quiet that we could hear the dolphins breath. It was so amazing to watch these beautiful animals. 120 nm before the Cap Verdes we turned West to sail with the trade winds and it kicked in and so the swell did. The next 1,5 weeks we had waves up to 5 m and it made sailing fast but a little uncomfortable, especially in the nights, when the Squalls reached us. The last week of the. read more...


12/12/2021

Skyelark 2 - Skyelark 2 Arrival

Skyelark arrived in St Lucia, overnight on the 7th after 16 and a half days at sea. At the start of the crossing we were hunting for the trades, making slow progress and burning some diesel. Within a couple of days we found them, whispers at first and then good solid breeze -  perfect conditions for us and we made excellent progress bagging several days over 200nm, trail blazing and keeping ahead of many in our class (not that it’s a race of course). We enjoyed fast and lively conditions, not too many squalls. The crew were great and the boat was sailed well. The chefs of the day kept us well fed with competition fierce to impress, no quarter was given to the often challenging conditions. Towards the end of the day, a deck shower and happy hours on deck were eagerly anticipated. read more...


12/12/2021

Minga - Día 21, cumbre

Un año sabático para recorrer Europa, cruzar el Atlántico y navegar el Caribe. Desde un principio este viaje incluía en sus planes una buena dosis de aventura: cruzar el océano a vela, tal como lo hizo Colón. La idea dehacer esa cumbre (como le decíamos en Santiago) era la búsqueda de la aventura, lanzarse hacia lo desconocido y valertelas por ti mismo. Y qué aventura ha sido. Soltamos amarras el 21 de noviembre en Las Palmas de Gran Canarias y nos lanzamos hacia la inmensidad del océano con rumbo hacia el oeste. Nos lanzamos hacia la incertidumbre, la preocupación y a veces incluso el miedo, porque no hay preparación ni estudio que te enseñe tanto como una buena tormenta. Te las tienes que arreglar solo, nadie te puede ayudar. No se podría hablar de que uno lucha contra los elementos,. read more...


11/12/2021

Emily Morgan - Day 19 - The finish line

December 9th Noon position (St. Lucia time) Marina, Rodney Bay, St Lucia. Day’s run: 90 nautical milesFresh fish for dinner is what you’d expect on a sea-going boat and the crew had great expectations of fish feasts but we actually had very little luck fishing during the Atlantic crossing. We listened to daily reports on the SSB radio of enormous fish caught and bans on fishing being imposed by other captains due to crew’s fishing success. ‘There are two different sports, one is fishing and the other is catching.’’ Bones had intoned, attempting to alleviate the crew’s disappointment. Preparations for fishing should be a third sport. No ready-made fish trace was up to Bones’s standard. Specific lures had to be hand crafted. The box of fishing tackle bits had been produced early in the. read more...


Emily Morgan - Day 19 - The finish line
Emily Morgan - Day 19 - The finish line
11/12/2021

Minga - Día 20, que suerte la mía

Según nuestros pronósticos, deberíamos pisar Santa Lucía este lunes 13 de diciembre, con los primeros rayos de luz. En una coincidencia histórica, y casi cósmica, llegaríamos el mismo día en que lo hizo Cristóbal Colón en 1502, día de la Santa Lucía y razón del nombre de esta isla.En cualquier minuto, quien sea el más observador (o ansioso quizás) de la tripulación, podrá llevarse el anhelado premio "Martín Alonso Pinzón", galardón para el primero en gritar "tierra a la vista".Que suerte la mía de contar con un amigo como el Juanpi, cariñoso y atento, que siempre con una sonrisa, nos prepara las mejores delicias. De tener a la Jose, quien nos entrega reflexiones llenas de sentido y con quién puedo conversar horas de horas, sin que se nos acabe el tema y menos la copucha.De tener de. read more...


Sarah Mercedes - We made it!
Sarah Mercedes  - We made it!
11/12/2021

Sarah Mercedes - From Graham

Our epic first journey in Sarah Mercedes is complete. It is hard to believe that it was less than three months ago that we left a positively autumnal Finland and now we are here in the warm Caribbean sunshine, nine stops in seven countries and 6500 miles later.It has been the most fantastic experience. Challenging and enjoyable in equal measure. Needless to say it has been the people who have made the trip so memorable. A special thanks goes to Martin and Sam who did an excellent job on the trip from Finland to the Canaries making sure that both the boat and crew were ready for the transatlantic journey that was to follow. Our friends at Nautor have also been very supportive in sorting out the teething problems that come with any new boat.As for the crew that sailed across the Atlantic,. read more...


11/12/2021

Sarah Mercedes - From Trusted Pete

Heard from the foredeck:Common phrases from the (war) front: You've just gone off watch but....All hands on deck!!!Can it be fixed?Try pulling the blue rope the other way.. What if you "just" pull harder on the blue rope.. Ocean racing attracts a certain kind of person. Six people being confined in less than 50ft of permanently moving, often violently moving, wet living and cooking quarters, with no more than 6 hours absolute maximum sleep in the equivalent comfort of sleeping in a tumble dryer drum. Not many people would see that as a hobby or an even remotely enjoyable past-time to choose.So you step on an ARC boat knowing you're already amongst kindred spirits. What a team! No matter how bad things got, how little sleep, how mentally drained, our humour saved the day in many dark. read more...


11/12/2021

Sarah Mercedes - From The Haff

Madness.The idea of putting oneself into a (relatively) tiny vessel and embarking on a journey across an expanse of water that has separated continents for millennia might seem like an act of unnecessary recklessness.Yet it is there.And like mountains that need to be climbed or depths that need to be dived, through this we must also forge a path.Just because.The experience did not disappoint.Despite the potential for clashes of personality when cramming people, most of whom are unknown to each other, into a space smaller than a Bocce court, the crew worked in synchronicity (most of the time) to get the job done. Not just done, but exceedingly well done.Thanks to the man behind the curtain (the all knowing and all powerful wizard of clouds) our course blazed a path that few dared. read more...


11/12/2021

Sarah Mercedes - From Stephen

We will forever cherish the memories and immortal moments of SM ARC21. We quickly became a team melded by an unbreakable sense of humour - for which the tough conditions and breakages were no match. Our competence ratcheted with every mile for a slick mast saving response to a catastrophic rig failure at the last. This and a podium finish gave us much to be proud of. But the real prize came in richer currencies: comerarderie adventure, friendship and fun.My thanks to Graham, Sarah, Sam, The Haff, Trusty Pete and Rob for a treasure trove of memories which include but far exceed - spaghetti night/is that a squirrel/roll up the jib…. read more...


11/12/2021

Sarah Mercedes - Day 21

4 days after arrival, and the final blog is finally constructed. Limping across the finish line gave an unparalleled feling of relief. To round off the whole journey, I have collected some quite poetic pieces from the rest of the crew to give more than just one perspective of our epic adventure.. read more...


11/12/2021

Sarah Mercedes - Day 17

An update on the final dayWe have, with under 60 miles left, experienced rig failure. A spreader has come loose. We are not retiring, we will still finish (e.t.a 10:30 pm GMT) under engine. Once again, our thunderbird type reaction to crises has prevented what could've been a nightmare event so close to Saint Lucia. A final blog will follow tonight.. read more...


11/12/2021

Sarah Mercedes - Day 16

We approach the business end of the rally. Blue magic just 15 miles behind now and closing fast. We fear we are powerless to their superior speed at better wind angles. The crew of Sarah Mercedes are no quitters though, so the morning brought some repair work to the lesser damaged of the kites. Patches on, sock pulled back up and back in the bag ready for a sunrise hoist tomorrow. The kite has done it's fair share of halyard hopping, tomorrow's partner : the staysail halyard. Third choice halyard means jury is out as to wether the kite will fly for hours, minutes or seconds. After 8 days on port tack, we have finally jibed. A rather strange feeling, as if our world has been turned upside down. Whilst we are doing everything possible to win, arriving second would leave none of the crew. read more...


11/12/2021

Sarah Mercedes - Day 15

The kite was once more the protagonist of today's activities. A hoist at dawn, despite knots and twists in the rope, was achieved and the light kite flew magnificently for the morning. With us using the kite supposedly beyond its limit (averaging 18 knots of wind speed), the crew were handed a difficult task of staying within a 4 degrees wind angle. And the crew performed. A morning of : skipping over waves, the kite man bellowing instructions to the winch man every few seconds, and the helmsman with squinted eyes and lines across his forehead from intense focus in the scorching heat. Graham really enjoyed the feeling of 'our 15 ton boat being picked up and launched forward'. Our fun did have to end, as the code 0 rope couldn't cope with the weight of the kite. The kite met the water for. read more...


11/12/2021

Sarah Mercedes - Day14

Today had a little lighter winds than previous days. With it hovering around 15 knots, we were able to use our light spinnaker (the one that isn't in a thousand pieces). Everyone was up at dawn ready for the hoist. For the whole morning we sailed fast and deep with the kite, so fast and deep we stretched our lead to Blue Magic by 3 miles. It perhaps was going so well we got a bit cocky, as at 2:30 a squall approached. We thought we could ride it out. This was a misjudgement. A socking of the kite under pressure was required. Although we did get the kite down unscathed ( a quite miraculous achievement considering the strain the kite must've been under) we did encounter further tests. The bucket end of the sock, upon arrival to the deck, split in two. This required Pete to hug the sock as. read more...


11/12/2021

Sarah Mercedes - Day 13

Winds continue at a comfortable 15-20 knots. The wind direction has been fluctuating between 70-110 with squalls becoming less frequent and harsh. The morning didn't start off on a flyer, as at 8am the power shut down. Some panic set in, with cupboards flying open for circuits, fuses and wires to be studied. The problem, we found, lay on the surface. No problem with the electrics, just a lying display that deceivingly showed 96 percent charge when in fact we had 5. Adrenaline away, stomachs eased and back to sleep for some of the crew. When not resting, the crew are now back to helming around the clock. This time however, not out of necessity, but comfort and speed. The day crew : master chef Heff, trusty Pete and myself. The night crew : sea veteran Rob, Steven "the windex" Fulford, and. read more...


11/12/2021

Sarah Mercedes - Day 12

Winds remain at around 15-20 knots with a moderate sea state. There is the occasional big swell that comes across the boat and smacks the stern sending the bow swinging up towards the wind. Other than that, we stay pointing at 150 degrees plus the wind direction sailing as deep and fast as possible. The changes over the past few days, rather than the conditions, have been the flying fish. Moving away from fridge artillery, we now have fish. And a truck load of them. I seem to be a personal target of theirs, getting hit thrice in the space of 5 minutes. Our lead has stayed roughly the same since yesterday, 65 miles. Graham thinks they are the favourites as he suspects there is better wind south of us where they are. They probably also still have a spinnaker, something we hope to. read more...


11/12/2021

Sarah Mercedes - Day 11

A busy day of kite activities. First hoist happened at around 10 am, and for an hour we sailed at the limit of the heavy kites capacity. An oncoming squall spoiled our fun however as after only an hour we had to put the kite away. Come the afternoon, we once more felt it light enough for the heavy kite and so up she went. We were once again trucking along quite fast until pop went the halyard shackle. The kite disappointingly plummeted to the water. What wasn't disappointing, was the crews' reaction. Everyone on deck within seconds. Kite on the boat within half a minute. A thunderbirds type performance. Unfortunately, this does mean we are without a heavy kite as the rips are large and plentiful. This poses significant danger to our lead in our cruising division (don't be mislead by. read more...


11/12/2021

Sarah Mercedes - Day 10

The wind continues to drop. In fact, It dropped to the extent that we could once again try the kite. It flew well for a while, however come late afternoon, the wind had fallen so significantly that we were moving at only 4 knots. With a squall approaching circa 5:30, we dropped the kite for the night. Apart from improving our hoist and drops of the kite, today was also a day of learning. We learnt that the rudder tends to be less noisy when you don't wrap the spinnaker sheet around it. We have also learnt that Pete B is quite the arts and craftsman. He has single handedly neutralised the threat of the fridge, a quite superb netting device that stops the avalanche of food upon opening. He also managed to repair the navigation table that had broken under the cushion where our skipper. read more...


11/12/2021

Sarah Mercedes - Day 9

Conditions have improved considerably. We are no longer being flung out of our bunks face first into walls as we sleep. Dinner last night however, was quite the experience. Problem 1 : the tomato sauce. Firstly, it took us 4 open floorboards until we found the tins. Secondly, despite the numerous engineering degrees on board, it took us 20 or so minutes to open the damn things. Problem 2 : The mince. With the boat being as unstable as Venezuela's inflation rate, the mince went flying across the galley and splattered into the bathroom door. Another 20 minutes was then taken cleaning that up. Problem 3 : the pasta. After a week at sea and us experiencing the harshest conditions yet, the gas found it the appropriate time to turn off. With the pasta only having boiled for a minute and a. read more...