Umiko - Blog 1 from Alan. The start of our journey and Dolphins!

Good evening UMIKO Fans,

Well sorry it has taken a few days for this to get to you. We have been busy! We had a few teething problems with a few systems. Everything from our new halyard lock system (marks and training required) to the generator not starting, (a faulty relay)! If you are reading this it also means I have got the Sat comms to say hello again!> The crew have settled well into boat life and we are enjoying the great conditions that we have experienced so far. The crew did not know the yacht very well and have never sailed on such a large yacht before. The maneuvers have come on leaps and bounds in the first few days and we are really starting to gel as a team. Anyway Alan has done our first blog and it is below!

Olly OUT

UMIKO ARC Blog Tuesday 26th

After a last evening out in Las Palmas (at Sailors’ Bay of course) we were scheduled to meet at on board at 09.30 on the morning of the 24th. However I was rudely awakened earlier by my crewmate Polly, relaying instructions that we were to collect a repaired spinnaker at the nearby sail loft at 08.00. So, off we sped on rental bikes to the sail loft, where we met Teddy, and packed and rolled the A4. Having loaded it into the sailmaker’s van we luckily had enough time to return to our B&B for a quick shower and breakfast before heading to the marina for 09.45. Our skipper Olly was anxious to avoid any madness in the marina so we slipped our lines at 10.30 and headed out of the marina on our adventure - to the sound of music and cheering at the marina entrance. Once outside the harbour we hoisted the Mainsail and unfurled the Jib in about 10 knots of breeze, and ran through a couple of practice tacks to get into race mode. Over the next hour or so we were joined by more and more yachts of every size and shape, from a Volvo 65 to a Sigma 38, monohulls and catamarans. The weather was (mostly) good, we had mostly sunshine with just an odd light shower.

There was an air of nervous excitement on board, and finally we were minutes from our warning signal. The (surprisingly short) start line was laid between a navy destroyer and an inflatable buoy laid (uncomfortably) close to the land in relatively shallow water. A downwind start was inevitable, and we planned to start on a port hand gybe. Olly had already told us that he was aiming for a conservative start - not wishing to get involved in any messing at the start line that might end our adventure before it began! The start was a little chaotic with so many boats of different sizes and - as if that wasn’t enough, a number of freight ferries close to the starting area. We started at the Committee Board end on a port hand gybe under mainsail and genoa- we couldn’t hoist a spinnaker until we had cleared a freight ferry anchored directly in our path close to the start line. As we sailed past that ferry and prepared to hoist we were passed by Ulisse in their stylish Prada crew gear.

Having cleared the offending ship, we took up the positions that we had been training in and prepared to hoist the A4. Unfortunately this did not go according to plan! Hoisting was not a problem - but keeping the halliard up was! The newly installed mast lock mechanism initially refused to engage and then when it did, it engaged only for a second or two before disengaging again. Having tried a number of times to get it to work, we had to admit defeat and drop the spinnaker into the saloon (using a letterbox drop), continuing to sail under the jib. Unfortunately we then had some trouble with the jib furler, necessitating trips up the mast for Nico and then Olly. Luckily Olly was able to fix the issue and we unfurled the jib and set our course to the South.

After a number of gybes we hoisted the A4 on the spare spinnaker halliard. We decided to head south to avoid likely light air patches to the West so we stayed on a Southerly course for much of the first day without incident, gybing once. We dropped the spinnaker at dusk and furled out the jib - as a precaution in case of high winds and reflecting our relative lack of experience on Umiko. I suspect most of the crew were relieved not to fly the A4 on the first night!

Sunset happens very quickly - at approx 18.30. Sunday night was cloudy with little stars to see until later on during the second night watch. Night sailing is very unusual with no moon - essentially requiring sailing in pitch black conditions with only a slight luminescence effect on the sea surface from the aft navigation lights. Without stars, navigation is by instruments only, and is very tricky (especially under spinnaker) because the slightest lapse of concentration can see the boat change course by 40 degrees (usually upwind) without the helm noticing. Helming by compass alone is even more difficult. Olly, who helms by the feel of the wind on his face, makes it look spectacularly easy! Everybody helms during the day - coached by Olly and Nico, and the more competent and experienced helms tended to helm at night.

On my watch is Olly, Polly, Barry, Teddy and myself, with the other watch being Nico (First Mate), Brian, Dave, Paul, Carl and Carolina. The third crew members is Chris, who has years of experience working on big boats and has so far thoroughly spoilt us with her home made cooking - definitely surpassing our expectation of what eating at sea would be like!

On the first night we were visited by dolphins shortly after dusk - the first sign that they are with you is a faint popping sound as they break the surface of the water - followed by a slight luminescence effect as they dive below the surface. It was amazing to know that they were surrounding the boat. Another school of dolphins visited us the following day and I managed to take some video; they are incredibly fast and manoeuvre within inches of the bow but never touch it. Olly informs us that they like to play / swim at 13 knots - which was our boat speed when they visited us.

The first evening was not cold - just a slight chill necessitating a mid-layer jacket. No need for trousers or boots - I wore shorts and base layer. We wear life jackets on board 24/7, and always clip in at night.

On the second day at sea (Monday) we re-hoisted the A4 on the spare spinnaker halliard and checked the mast lock, which appeared to function properly using a slightly different release mechanism. We gybed twice during the day without incident. As the forecast was for relatively constant winds of 10-15 knots we flew the A4 all night. During the night watch change we gybed again but the lazy sheet managed to get caught under the spinnaker pole (which we have lashed to the port side guard rail). Luckily we were able to recover without any further incident or damage. Having set the mainsail, we rig a preventer line to prevent an involuntary gybe.

The second night was uneventful, with less cloud cover and therefore more stars - which are incredible at sea given the lack of light pollution. During the night we passed El Diablesse - who hailed us on the VHF for a chat. Over the first 24 hours we averaged 11 knots of speed. After coming off watch we run though two sets of logs - one recording navigation data and a second in relation to boat systems. Each morning and evening we carry our a deck walk to check all gear around the boat, and we have a Skipper’s briefing every evening at 17.30.

This morning we were treated to fresh scones from the oven and a great sunrise - we’ve had clear skies for most of the morning and we made (slow) progress at 6.9 knots in 7.4 knots of breeze, having dropped the A4 and hoisted the A2. St. Lucia here we come.....

Alan