Hi, Gemma here. I am crew on board for the current leg of Cape Town, South Africa to Salvador, Brazil.
I met the lovely ‘Charm-ies’ a year ago now. Our first meeting being when they let our family boat, Aurora B, come into a very windy Santa Marta marina in Colombia before them. My two kids (Eva then 10 and Henry then 7) were ecstatic as they had noticed kids on board Charm. “Yeay, more World ARC kids to come play” they yelled. We then spent the next 6 months slowly getting to know the Charm crew, our paths not crossing too often due to Charm’s speed and our lack of it. However this did not stop the kids making new friendships. It was, however, not until their generosity with skills and time in Fiji, when Aurora B’s engine failed us, that we really got to spend some great family time together. With fun days out exploring islands etc. During one of those times we were discussing what was coming up for the Charm crew with regards to the second half of the journey back to the Caribbean. Lara mentioned that for the longer Ocean passages they had no extra crew to come and help them as of yet and were on the look out, were we or was I interested? To be totally honest, in August last year, I did not feel ready to finish my time on the boat when we reached Australia so I floated the idea of maybe coming and helping out on an Ocean passage with them. This commitment came with some challenges.... As our family had to establish ‘reality’ again. Ed was returning back to work in Hong Kong (where we have lived for the past 5 years) after a year sabbatical, Henry was returning to the International school in Hong Kong and Eva was starting secondary/senior/ boarding school in the UK. Many new things to organize... new living arrangements, schools, travel, a family not living together etc.
As months went on and things started to settle down I felt that I could commit to being away from the family for 6 weeks. So I signed up to be away from the beginning of January to Mid February with Charm, with my families blessing. Flights booked I then focused on planning for problems that might arise while I was away and try and resolve the best I could (namely cover for Henry between the time he returns home from school till when Ed returned home from work for one of many examples). I did not expect what we have had to contend with these last few weeks...
Let me just add here, I’m not looking for sympathy and I am very aware I have left my “role/duty” to pursue a personal gain. However one of the reasons I have said yes to this in the first place is that I want to show my two kids that I am independent, a person in my own right not just within the family. I’m powerful, driven and strong.
However, within 48 hours of being in Cape Town I was receiving a phone call from a tearful Henry who had just broken his finger playing football (soccer) and wanted a hug from Mummy. He would be off games for the next two weeks therefore the after school activities that would keep him busy while Ed was still at work was not an option any more. Then 24 hours later I have Eva on the phone in tears due to her needing and wanting to talk to her mummy due to growing up challenges. The heart strings were being pulled as the distance and the fact that communication was going to be limited whilst at sea was made a reality. Follow this up with ‘the help’ we have arranged to mind Henry when Ed is at work and also when he is traveling for business ends up in hospital due to burst appendix. This takes her out of action for at least 12 days.
Now I need to bring in to this blog entry Wuhan Flu.... You might have heard about it! Let me remind you the family home is in Hong Kong.
Firstly I learnt about it from the odd comment, from Ed in a few emails re the situation regarding the flu when sailing from Namibia to St Helena. I at this stage was unaware of the outbreak but all seemed to be manageable. However just before Chinese New Year the outbreak was deemed more serious and it is announced that all schools in Hong Kong will be closed (by the EDB, a governmental department) from the 24 January to 17 February at least. Remembering our ‘helper’ is in hospital currently.... so Ed has to juggle work and Dad duties. He promises in an email and on a call we have when we get to St Helena, that the situation is in hand, taking it a day at a time and he feels okay to be staying in Hong Kong. Until that is we spoke today, 30 January, just before we set sail. He is now not liking the “word on the street” with regards to the situation. For example airlines cancelling all flights to China (including HK in the mix), food already being scarce on the shelves of supermarkets, especially the essentials like milk, bread, fruit, vegetables and water. And then the potential that a lock down on travel in and out of China, including Hong Kong could happen until the summer months. Therefore he is making every effort to get him and Henry out of Hong Kong by the end of the weekend.
Also add to this an anxious Eva in the UK, who is very aware of the situation and being told she would not be able to go back to Hong Kong for the holidays due to the school’s policy of any student returning back to school from China will have to go into quarantine for 2 weeks before they can return to school. Also that anyone flying in to the UK from China, including Hong Kong is asked not to come to the school premises. It is really affecting all aspects of our lives.
So right now we set sail eager to hear news from Ed on the latest updates on his progress to get out of Hong Kong. I have decided not to leave the boat in St Helena for a number of reasons and believe me when I have thought about seriously returning back home, but one is that I do not want to let Lara or Joe down. I also cannot go to Hong Kong at this time to help. I could be there for them in the UK but when Ed and Henry get to the UK we have amazingly willing grand parents eager to help with the homeschooling so Ed can focus on working from home (as the London office won’t allow him in till the 2 weeks quarantine is up).
I watch this space for an update maybe as eagerly as you do.
To finish this entry on a more positive note I would like to share with you my unexpected delight when I got to realize a dream I have been wanting to fulfill since I started to really travel the world at 18 and realize the delights and opportunities there were to experience in the wonderful world. That was to swim with Whale Sharks. I say unexpected because St Helena was not on my radar as a potential destination that I could visit and have this opportunity. It was an experience I will never forget and looking at the 9m female adult swimming with grace around us was mind blowing for me. I had to keep pinching myself when in the water, which was a lot of the time, to believe it was truly happening. I would like to take this opportunity to say a public thank you to my two “personal” photographers Cobin and Lara who managed to get some excellent photos and video of me and said female whale shark.
Finally a general “thank- you” to the crew and Charm for an amazing journey so far. I’m having a blast even though there are troubling times going on at home. Thank you for letting me be a part of your adventure.
Oh latest update. Hong Kong schools now closed till 3rd March!
May the winds be with you.
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