Our boat, our skipper and some of our crew! Now it’s all coming together.
Early start on Tuesday 23rd June, so the suggestion was to get to the boat on Monday evening. Small crew this week, only 8 including our skipper. This is going to be fun as we are all going to have to do everything!
For our crew we had 3 Americans, Donna, Taylor and Todd, a German, Guido and 3 Brits, Elaine, Graham and myself. Taylor and Todd got sent out to go shopping and we sat with skipper Pete for a general chat about the boat prep and how to look after stuff etc etc. Once our shoppers were back (later than expected because they couldn’t find the peanut butter and jelly!) we sent out for pizza followed by a pint or two.
We had a fairly relaxed mother watch planned for the week as it was to be only one of us at a time with a helper and non of us had a full day, and we tried to follow our selection of menus to see about ease of preperation and taste and if it was to our general liking. Which they were – some more than others but all exceptable!
Due to the small crew and for us to get back into the workings of our boat Pete had us do daily sails and back into Gosport for Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The usual stuff of tacking, gybing, MOB, head sail changes, poled out headsail and the list goes on. We also got Donna up the mast while out in the Solent – last time I was involved with that we were in the calm waters of the marina – the water was calm but any deck movement is so exagerated when you are sat on the 3rd spreader taking some photos!
We did have an exercise we hadn’t done before on Wednesday. After the MOB we had to get the ‘casualty’ below deck. Interesting!
Elaine, who is our crew medic, was the casualty and we had to work out a way to get her from the deck to below safely and without her slipping off the stretcher. So a lot of securing with sail ties and cushions and the jobs done!
Lift her up after discussing if we lower her feet first or head first. Arguments for either way but with our casualty having a suspected neck injury and to reduce possible aggrevation to that injury it was decided to lower her feet first. Worked a treat!!
Back into Gosport for Wednesday night before our 4 day 3 night course. First time to stay on board for a few nights and to be working with a watch system. Thats not going to be too easy with only 7 crew!
Thursday and we are out onto the Solent with all the Clipper yachts. What a great view! All 10 boats. We get a chance to view the boats ‘wraps’ on the water. The stunning eagle of Cape Breton and the very effective dragon on Qingdao. Brilliant!
James comes out in the RIB with our course notes. They look like they’re having fun! Darn sight faster than us, thats for sure.
While all this was going on it looked like Hull & Humber was trying to take on The Royal Navy.
We had a couple of short races around some markers which was great fun. Seeing our 10 boats jostling for position and the tactics of our skippers was superb.
After the two quick races we had the start of a longer course that would take us south to the north French coast at Le Havre turn west to Cherbourg, turn to the north and come back across the Channel aiming for Portland. This didn’t go to plan – not even close!
We had started our 4 hour on & 4 hour off watch rota but we were all on deck for the start with the other watch going below for their off watch later. They were back on at 18.00 and nothing really happened but they did have good wind. We were sailing with a yankee 3 and a reef in on the main. My watch was back on at 22.00 and we came on deck to a truely amazing thunder storm over the north French coast. So much lightening, fork, sheet, everything. So much and so bright it destroyed our night vision. Then the rain came. That started to test our kit.
After the rain passed on the wind died. Skipper was expected squally winds to come through but they never did. We were nearly becalmed with little wind and strong currents! Some of the skippers decided to motor towards Cherbourg and by the time I came back on watch at 06.00 we were somewhere off the Cherbourg peninsula with the intention to go to the west side into sheltered water to do some exercises with the other boats. It ended up we were well in front of the others so turned back to meet up with them for our own race back across the Channel. But now the fog was down and we had zero visibility. Oh what fun!
Just to show the conditions we had to put up with….. is it full foulies? Or can I get away with jacket and shorts? Or is it the German blood is thicker than the American? Guido and Taylor showing the style!
Off watch at 10.00, the fog had lifted and we were sailing again. Our on watch had put up the yankee 3, stay sail and main while some of the other crews had their yankee 1 up. But when I came back on watch after 3 hours of sailing we had not lost any ground – when with the smaller y3 we should have done.
We were aiming northish for Portland and had to cross the shipping transport seperation system. Very little traffic today and everything is okay.
I was mother for our Friday tea. We have some amazing menues devized by Emma, our secret professional! Somehow managed to throw a vegetable curry together and by the time all was washed up it was well after my off watch time and I was due back on at 22.00. Not much time for sleep when I fell into my bunk at 20.45!
This is how it goes sometimes, the plans have to be flexable!!
Woken up at 21.45 for my 22.00 watch but a change of plan. We were now on 2 man 2 hour watches as we were motoring again aiming for the Isle of Wight. My watch was to be 00.00 – 02.00 with Taylor, so back to bed.
Back on deck to helm for the IoW. We were fog bound with no visability and no speed making holding a course a nightmare. Neither of us could manage it well. Another change of plan, aim for Swanage.
Off watch at 02.00 but woken again at 02.45 to drop the main sail and achor. That is the most exercise I have EVER done at 03.40 in the morning! Now we are on half hour anchor watches with mine at 07.00 so back to bed for another 2 hours! Must say, Swanage looks good at 07.00 in the morning.
We had some exercises to do with the other boats, like stock and personnel transfer in our dingy. We tried various ways that all worked, some better than others. Our Taylor looked like he was having fun and got a bit wet while doing it. All part of the job!
By the time all this was finished we had motored out of Swanage bay had some lunch and the fog was back. Very thick! We motored up to the IoW as the coastguard had told that visibility was okay in the Solent. We made our way up the West channel and sure enough conditions got better. We at last lifted a sail at 16.30. And we even managed a spinnaker run!
Back into Gosport for Saturday evening to get ready for some sailing on Sunday. Yea,right!! We woke to the sound of fog horns in the Solent.
We motored around doing little exercises like demonstrating the wire cutters, looking for the fire hose and we had Guido modelling our very fetching immersion suit!
And we had Graham up the mast to mend a light bulb. In the Solent was anchored a large container ship. We counted 18 containers wide, 7 high and 32 long of various lengths.
We did do some sailing but Pete wanted to get the spinnaker up again. We did, but had to go backwards to get it to fill! My turn out on the pole today as well. Guido did it yesterday so he gave me some guidance. Doesn’t mean a thing till you have to try it!
Lower yourself down onto the rope, monkey climb upto the pole.
Climb up on top. Easier said than done!
Crew ready and spike the spinnaker – easy!
Just sit there and wait till they can let you down – even easier! Now lower youself back onto the rope and slide back down to the deck – not so bad. Lesson for the day? Wear trousers! Nice rope burn on the back of my ankle to lower calf that took 4 weeks to heal!
Then pack up the spinnaker. That was a lot of work to have the spinnaker up for no more than 20 minutes.
Back into the marina for a proper shower and get ready for the deep clean on Monday. All hands to it and we can do it in a few hours. The end of another week. Not the best for the weather but it is all a learning experience. We have to get used to it all!!