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King's Legend - LET'S GO AND CATCH A FISH (OR NOT)



Period 23rd to 26th Nov 2014

Finally we can leave, after days of preparation checking minute details,the ship and crew are ready and eager to go.We came from different directions; the King's Legend, the captain and his wife just completed a Mediterranean charter cruise before coming to Las Palmas. The predominantly Dutch crew flew in from Amsterdam.For some participating in the ARC rally, crossing the Atlantic Ocean is a childhood dream coming true. Considerable time and money was invested in this adventure; meetings and emails discussing minute details, it all shows the dedication and excitement we have for this wonderful adventure. 

24th November 11h00, the start signal is given, the last phone calls are made and we're off for a 2800-mile journey. Our captain Gijs expects we will cross the Atlantic in 16 days.Right from the start we make good speed; our classic lady still has long legs and will outrun most of its modern competitors. We head south; the gale force winds of the last days have built a strong swell. Up and down we go, entire ships temporarily disappear out of view as we round the southeasterly point of Grand Canaria. Ten minutes outside the harbor we  see our first dolphins; we think it is a positive sign? We set the genoa to starboard and the boat starts to fly. Behind us a big white trail of foam, we are surfing between 12 - 15knts. But later that afternoon we end up in a lull, the sails make a terrible noise, we decide to head north and look for more wind. At 16h00 we officially commence our watch system. We rotate in three watches of 2 persons. The day watches (08h00 to 20H00) last 4, and the evening watches (20h00 to 08H00) last three hours. Constant wind shifts make for a very rough first night at sea, but the beautiful view of the Milky Way compensates for our discomfort. None of us are truly seasick, but there is some discomfort. Sleeping is still a struggle; we toss and turn until our watch starts again. All the hatches are closed and is sticky for some persons.

25th November

As a new morning dawns, the wind have finally settled on a northerly direction and we're making good speed. We still see a few boats; it is amazing how quickly some 180 boats disappear over the horizon. We decided to follow the 260-degree rumb line. We regular trim and switch sails; the crew is new to the boat but we are all experienced sailors. Our captain(s) Gijs van Liebergen and Femke Lobach teach us the ropes; we listen and practice. We have enough time to learn and become a competent team.In the meantime we have started fishing, Hans and Michel are keen on catching some fresh food. We discuss the color of the bait and the length of the trailing line behind the boat. Geleyn is our navigation officer;busy getting weather updates and the leader board in Class D, the category in which we compete. We all have our skills, help each other and form a complementary team.The first weather reports start coming in. We see that in a few days, if we are not careful, we will be trapped in a windless zone. We decide to head for a more southerly course. We see it as a game of chess, by giving up some distance now (to target) we hope to maintain a better overall speed.With some variations we will actually maintain this course for the next 24hours. That evening we have our first outside dinner: Femke has prepared very tasty meal. We enjoy meatballs, potatoes, and a wonderful green salad with tomatoes. Who says a boat race cannot be sportive and comfortable at the same time. We enjoy a beautiful sunset and get ready for the night.

26th November 2014 

Sailing downwind is actually hard work and not without risk. A few disaster scenarios need to be avoided, to gybe is one of those. Various safety lines help protect the ship and its crew, but focused steering is the best protection of all. The members of the watch take turns at the rudder every half hour, especially in a dark night when most navigation is done on instrumentation one needs to give steering his utmost attention. With boat speeds of 10-12 knots and wind speeds up to 25 knots things can quickly turn problematic.We are pretty sailing again on our rumb line. During the day we switch back and forth between 220 and 260 degrees. We have a small competition between the watches. Our top speed today is 13.2 knots. The winds vary between 10to 25 knots. The clouds give us some protection from the sun. The day watches (4 hours) can be long and hot without a good sunscreen or hat.We finally catch a fish, or at least we thought so. We slowed down the boat and carefully reeled the line. But as we prepared to bring the fish on board we lost the bait. Nobody has ever caught a bigger fish, of that we are sure. But how bring a fish on board is still something we have to learn.We brought lots of vegetables on board but it is hard to keep everything fresh. Femke is constantly preparing food for the coming days just to make sure we do not lose any valuable nutrients.Today's weather report confirms our decision to head further south. The Position report shows that we are leading in our class (D). We are surprised; we expected that we had lost valuable time by staying further North. But the rally is still very long, many things can happen. It is not over until it is over.We have all settled in, we sleep and eat well. And more importantly are enjoying the journey. We cannot communicate like we normally would. All our phones and computers are shut off. Sharing the GoPro videos and photos will have to wait. Perhaps it is better that way, it allows us to enjoy this unique adventure. But we think of all our family, and friends back home,and wish you could enjoy like us.

Gerhard (Media officer)


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