NEW YEAR REFLECTIONS
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The crew arrive (2330)
The first day of a New Year
Position: 13 06N 59 38W
Antonia and I had a very nice evening last night. We decided to stay onboard because we were advised that there would be a couple of fireworks displays visible from the yacht. As a treat, we took a couple of cushions on deck, poured a Mount Gay and coke each, and made some popcorn. We sat on deck, under the stars and waited for the Old Year to pass by. All in all it was a very memorable night. However, it started to rain, so we beat a hasty retreat to our bunks. The music from shore was very loud, however due to it being a special night we did not mind.
I am currently re-reading The Book, which I must say is fantastic. I have not read it since the middle of the re-fit, when I was trying to fathom out why things were as they were. Now, after sailing the yacht, it is such a pleasure to get back inside the great mans head. There have been a number of times when I have found myself nodding in agreement at certain parts of his story. It would be amazing if I could just spent an hour talking to him and discuss how the yacht sails, after all he was really the only point of reference. I’m pleased to report that I have to agree with a number of things he said about the yacht. I also believe he would be amazed at modern yacht design and I think I can imagine him looking at Ellen MacArthur’s trimaran and saying to himself “I want one of those, only faster!”
Last night, as I lay in my bunk, I reflected about the last year and it really has been fantastic. Antonia and I found a house to buy, I was asked to work on the re-fit of Gipsy Moth, which fulfilled two of my long standing ambitions, the first of which was to work on a Camper and Nicholson yacht, and the second to work in the Camper and Nicholson yard. (and what a yacht and time to do it). I have also wanted to sail around the Med and the Caribbean (I worked in Grand Cayman for five years, but never got the opportunity to cruise around). Spending time with my wife on a yacht has been on the list as well and so far so good.
I have had the pleasure of being introduced to HRH the Duke of Edinburgh and HRH the Princess Royal. I said hello to Dame Ellen MacArthur during Cowes week, talked to Shirley Robertson and Emma Richards briefly. Dee Caffari is a friend of Antonia’s and she came round for dinner one evening, so all in all it has been an amazing year, courtesy of Gipsy Moth IV. What is this New Year going to bring I ask myself? Can it get better?
Anyway enough of that and back to the job in hand. The crew is arriving tonight at about 2300, so we have been busy getting ourselves and the yacht organised. The main problem, I am sorry to say, is the inflatable dinghy. Richard purchased the outboard engine in Antigua, which was a great relief as we didn’t want to be rowing everywhere. However, it’s not as practical as we’d hoped because the outboard appears to be too heavy despite the manufacturer’s guideline. The fibre glass mount has a small split in it from the first run ashore and now the rubber button mounts that hold the engine mount in place are starting to sheer away. Barbados has been closed for most of our time here and we do not have the facilities to fix these problems. Luckily we have a Knight in a shining RIB (Wipers) from the Yacht Club who has very kindly lent us his RIB until we leave. This RIB has a solid floor that will make transferring the new crew and their bags onto the yacht much easier, particularly this evening as there is 15-20 knot breeze and swell. As Antonia mentioned yesterday there is nowhere to moor the yacht, and we both feared loosing the new engine overboard, so thanks a lot Wipers, you really have helped us out.
Antonia spent most of her day sorting out the accounts (it’s so nice to mate once in while), going to the internet café which didn’t open, trying to log on to the internet and planning the next couple of stages of our journey. I shall let her inform you of the plans when she next writes the log.
My day was spent varnishing the cap rail in the cockpit (at last), I hope to get a couple more coats on during the next month. I also spent a lot of time down below fixing the draws under the chart table. You have no idea what a pain these are. I just hope that they stay fixed for a while. We then tidied up the yacht and got her ship shape for the new crew. We have had dinner and are now going to make a menu plan before we leave for the airport.
Happy New Year to all the people in the world, especially those that know Antonia and I.
Ray Nicholson.
THE NEW CREWS FIRST DAY
Day One of leg 6
Position: 13 06N 59 38W
Our new crew arrived at midnight, tired after a long day’s travel but nevertheless very pleased and even overwhelmed to be onboard the famous yacht. Simon sat in his allocated coffin bunk and said “ I can’t actually believe I’m here on Gipsy Moth, I’ve been waiting so long”.
The crew have been selected through the Prince’s Trust, Ben 23, Simon 20, James 18 and Kelle 22 their team leader. They are all really keen to learn about life on the boat and sailing, Simon and James have done some sailing before but for Ben and Kelle it will be a new experience.
After a quick breakfast and some interviews, one of them said I’m bored, what can I do – “great” we replied “ haul the dinghy up and clean all the sand out of it”. That was their first job pretty well done, the outboard has been carefully stowed too in the lazarette. Once dried and packed, I asked them to put the dinghy in the forepeak with the storm sails and some spares as the laz is pretty full with the fenders and outboard etc in it. I was pretty amazed when told it fitted and also relieved because otherwise something else would have to be moved. After coaxing everyone to jump off the boat into the lovely blue warm water for a boat bath, we got ready to go ashore with our cameras, suncream, swimmers and shower kit. Have you all got sun cream on? I kept asking. However as we were leaving to go ashore, I looked at the foredeck to find the storm sails were still lying on the deck! A job for tomorrow then. We are now a bit spoilt with our borrowed RIB which can safely transfer all six of us ashore without getting wet. Once ashore the boys and Kelle had a look around the historic Carlisle Wharf, where they read some local history and took photos, while Ray and I made our daily visit to the Internet Café. (I was quite disappointed yesterday to arrive finding no one there, but he apologised this morning.)
We spent the afternoon at the Barbados Yacht Club, having been asked to bring the new crew along and were welcomed once again by some of the members and the Manager. They treated us to lunch and real showers and as usual we met some more people who were very interested in us and the project. The generosity and superb hospitality astonished our new recruits who kept saying all the way home – “ they really treated us like royalty”.
James was so taken back with the soft pale sand, saying “I could lie in this and no one would notice.” Jerome, who very kindly looked after us fetched some masks and snorkels and took Simon and James to a wreck just off the beach. They came back absolutely amazed telling us about how they had fed the fish and how they had been nibbled by the fish that were …..this…..big! What a fantastic experience for them on their first day.
We got back to the boat this evening and had 2 of the 11 tins of cooked ham with fresh mashed potatoes and tinned sweetcorn. Potatoes and grapefruit being the only fresh items on board. We made a shopping list for tomorrow and the boys added to the crew log. It’s now 2130, two of them are fast asleep in their bunks, 2 are reading, one making coffee and I’m just waiting for another hour until I can turn the engine off and retire to my bunk too.
AN EVENING AT MOUNT GAY
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Blackbeard In Disgrace
Position: Carlisle Bay, Barbados
What a frustrating morning. Antonia packed me off to pick up the spinnaker pole that had been sent from the UK. A new friend at the yacht club offered to give me a lift to the shipping agent for what I thought would be a simple pick up. My worries had been about getting the thing onboard the yacht. The pole is four meters long and the RIB is only two meters long. Not a problem I thought we will find a way.
The shipping agent had been called the day before and we were assured that it was a simple case of turning up, signing a form and picking the items up. This was not the case. The lady at the counter told me that I needed the original Bill of Lading, which of course we do not have. I thought to myself, here we go, this is going to take a long time. However the lady at the counter was very helpful, made a phone call, stated my case and stamped the forms for us. I had the piece of paper I needed to get the items from the cargo port. On the way there, Jonathan, who has been helping us out a lot, warned me that trying to get stuff out of customs could take up to three days! He decided to call in a favour with a friend of his who is a local customs agent. A couple of phone calls were made and hopefully we will be able to pick up the goods tomorrow.
The crew were sent on a little excursion to the supermarket, which is short trip in the local buses (ZRs). These local buses are basically transit vans with seats in. When the crew arrived back with the shopping, they informed us that it had been a tight squeeze, with nineteen people inside. There are only fourteen seats! On the way back they decided to get a taxi.
Antonia spent most of her day onboard Gipsy Moth trying to sort out the communications equipment, which is not very happy at the moment. One of the problems onboard the yacht at anchor is there is only one plug in socket with an inverter, so trying to charge batteries is a pain, especially when trying to use everything.
At 1630 we had invited some people from the yacht club to come out and visit Gipsy Moth. They arrived armed with a beer each and a breadfruit for me (I have been looking forward to breadfruit for the last seven years). I then gave them the full guided tour.
We then had to prepare ourselves for the Mount Gay party, which started at 1800. It turned out to be an intimate gathering of all our new friends at the yacht club, as well as the main people from Mount Gay. They gave us nibbles, rum and a guided tour which was fantastic. A couple of reporters were there also and they interviewed the crew and Antonia. Peter Marshall (Marketing Director) then gave a speech welcoming Gipsy Moth to Barbados. The yacht was then presented with two small barrels of specially blended Rum that will travel around the world with Gipsy Moth.
I would like to thank all at Mount Gay for their support for the project and for hosting us last night. The crew had a fantastic time and it will be a very important memory for them. They were quite taken aback with the fuss that was made over them. Especially Simon ,20, who was surprised when one of the yacht club members gave him her address and invited him to stay if he returns. I don’t think he has ever had this sort of generosity or friendly approach from a relative stranger. He also has some contacts now for sailing in the UK and Barbados.
Antonia and I also had a fantastic time and it was good fun watching Antonia give a thank you speech. So once again from all those on Gipsy Moth and all those back home that have been involved in the project, thank you!
Ray Nicholson.
P.S. Blackbeard, I hate to report, disgraced himself in a most un-seaman like manner. He tried to jump into one of the holding vats, made numbers of rude comments to the members of the yacht club and to cap it all he raided the barrels of rum Gipsy Moth had been presented with and got thoroughly drunk. I suppose he is a pirate.
TRIALS AND TRAILS...
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Gipsy Moth crew at the distillery
Day 4
Carlisle Bay, Bridgetown
We had a great welcome reception at the Mount Gay distillery last night, the steel band was playing in the background and we tasted all sorts of local foods such as the bajan speciality - fish cakes, cod balls, flying fish goujons and spinach fritters (not sure of their real name!) I talked to a few of the local papers and a local TV company about Gipsy Moth IV, the crew and the project. We were given a guided tour which lasted about 45 minutes and learnt about the originations of the distillery, the family history and of course the most important thing – how is it made and where the ingredients come from. The smell of the molasses was very mouth watering. I won’t go into the whole story because it has been made into a video for you to share the experience. You’ll see us blowing into a rounded jar and then making a funny face, well this is the pure alcohol, this was quite an experience in itself.
This morning the crew tidied the yacht up and cleaned the decks in preparation for the camera man to visit us and take some photos. While waiting for his arrival, Ben asked if he could do some fishing because he has never done any before. Simon who has fished for years helped him set up the hand line, about half an hour later he caught a pretty little fish. I asked if he could put it back in but unfortunately it had been murdered so he used it for bait! That was the one and only catch.
I had a very frustrating morning, and spent hours talking to the engineers about the satellite system that refuses to work. The crew were getting restless as I could not give them any jobs to do that didn’t need any supervision or instructing on what to do. Ray had gone ashore to upload the clips and pick up our vistor, so I told them to make the most of it and relax or swim. They find it quite hard being at anchor and restricted to what they can do but they are adjusting well seeing as they have only been on board for a few days. In between all this I was trying to contact the Customs broker who had arranged delivery to the main port of our spinnaker pole and brochures. We had some American visitors brought to us by dinghy and as I was on the phone, Simon showed them around. They were very impressed with the boat and Simon was also so pleased with himself and I felt very proud of him. These young men have been on board for 4 days and already they are working as a team, they work hard when given jobs to do and are really looking forward to learning about sailing. It’s a shame we were not able to leave last night as planned but there could be worse places to be!
At about 1530, I had a call from the customs broker to see our goods were waiting for us and we had to pick them up from the port with Gipsy Moth. So the men were sent to the anchor and hoisted away. They really enjoyed motoring around the corner and I think they felt a little achievement in moving the old girl.
The rest of the evening was spent doing some interviews and for Ray and I to practice our new skills- film producing, although we’ve got a long way to go!
James cooked some pasta and a sauce while I went to upload the clips. On our return we were greeted by Ben who made us a cup of tea to have with our supper, everyone else had taken themselves to bed. It was ten o clock after all.
SAILING BUT NOT ON GIPSY MOTH
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 St James from the boat
Position: 13 06N 59 38W
We all had a really nice sail today, although not on Gipsy Moth. Once again Wipers came up trumps and invited us all to sail on his J24 to the West Side of the Island to see turtles. The sail was wonderful and there were all in all fourteen of us on board. Apparently, the local tourist boats (sailing catamarans, glass bottom boats etc.) all head to shallow spots on the West Coast to feed the turtles. The turtles have become so used to it that they go there all the time. We were no exception. The anchor was dropped, masks and snorkels eagerly grabbed and photographs taken. The crew had wanted to do this for a number of days, ever since it was mentioned at the yacht club.
Before we left this morning a number of tasks had to be completed. These included Antonia going ashore to download clips, Ben and Kelly purchased some more food for the yacht. James went over the side of Gipsy Moth to clean the water line of green slime that has been building up since we have been at anchor. Simon started to clean and service the four mast winches and had help from James when he finished his task in the water. I finally managed to get another coat of varnish on the cockpit woodwork. I have been trying to do this for the last three days, however we keep getting little rain showers, just enough to stop me doing the job.
I am currently onboard doing a few odd jobs as the rest of the crew are ashore having showers. We are hoping to pick up a part that is being air freighted out tomorrow so that we can finally depart for our next destination, which is looking like the Grenadines. This evening Antonia is going to go through some basic chart work with the crew in preparation for leaving tomorrow. Antonia and I are hoping that the crew will be able to stand a watch by themselves, that way we can run a three hours on and six hours off watch system. This watch system is a lot kinder than the usual three on and three off, as it is a lot easier to adjust to when first starting a voyage. I cannot wait to set sail, although our time in Barbados has been fantastic.
All the people we have talked to and met have been wonderful and very helpful. I hope to return with Antonia one day and spend a couple of weeks here. I know that the crew are itching to leave as well and now that we have a spinnaker pole hopefully we will have some nice downwind sailing.
JUST A FEW THINGS LEFT TO DO..
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James snorkelling
Position: 12 56 90N 59 42 38W
For those of you who are observant, you will have noticed that our position has finally changed. Its 0130, I’ve just come off the first watch and we are motoring away from Barbados. The wind is very light NE and moderate swell, from what I can feel. The moon has been and gone so it’s too dark to sea the sea state. But I can tell you that down here at the comms station, my stomach is being pushed against the edge and I can hear everything in the cupboards roll around as well as the unidentifiable objects that you can never find. I knew there was a job that we had missed!
Today was another very busy day, this morning I was asked “ can we have breakfast before we start work today?”
“Yes as long as you are quick!” I replied. This morning I waited patiently for a phone cal from Miami to say that the package was on the way, once I had the phone call I started to feel positive about our impending departure. I made my last visit to the internet café and I cant believe its only been two weeks since we arrived, as I was saying good bye it was as though we had been around for a lot longer. The people of Barbados are very friendly and it is a n extremely welcoming place. The crew set to work this morning with a few more jobs such as cleaning out our borrowed dinghy, trying to store the boxes of brochures and very importantly picking up the two casks of rum from the distillery. Ray showed James how to extract oil from the engine and set up the staysail sheets in preparation for the off. The remainder of the diesel in the jerry cans was siphoned into the two tanks.
The crew had their first live telephone link up to the London Boat show at one o clock, so after some tinned chicken and lettuce sandwiches, they sat quite nervously around the saloon table. Once the interview had ended, they made a halyard swing, which they had been looking forward to for a few days. Ray and I went to the airport with Kelle and Ben who had asked to come so they could see some more of the island. Like everything in the caribbean, the airport security is pretty relaxed. After a delay in the flight and waiting for an agent to escort me through to the baggage hall, I started to worry about our box and asked the security guard if some one could come and meet me. He told me to walk on through, so without hesitation I walked on into the hall and found the box on the carousel. I showed it to the Customs officer who thought it was strange for me to be leaving the island by yacht and walked on out with the arriving passengers. I was feeling really relieved now. We were nearly there, just 2 more things to do, make sure it worked and clear customs and immigration at Bridgetown.
James and Simon had been left in charge of Gipsy Moth and our tender for the afternoon, so they had a great afternoon jumping off the boat and snorkelling. They came to pick us up and said that they had got bored so started to wash the decks, but had only managed one side because we needed picking up. They are learning!
I made my way on foot to clear out, but had to wait for a russian sailor who had never cleared in before it seemed. This took 2 hours instead of the expected half hour and where were the taxis when I wanted one.
So nearly ready for departure, then I realised it was Friday, a superstition for some. I guessed as long as the black box worked , we could leave near midnight. The crew got the sails on deck and returned the dinghy while Ray put the black box in. It worked, I now felt really happy and ready to leave. By the time dinner was cleared, below decks stowed away and after an on watch briefing, we were ready to hoist the anchor. I think this finished the boys off and the enthusiasm started to wane slightly. Kelle did the first watch with me, despite the mal de mer getting to her she is valiantly fighting on, using a bucket, emptying it and then taking the tiller back. If only everyone could be like that!
We are rocking and rolling and I'm fighting against the cupboard to stand upright. I just hope when the day light breaks we can put some sails up to steady her out. It will be a challenging 24 hours for these guys but I reckon they’ll cope and i am really looking forward to hearing their views tomorrow.
I’ll let you know too.
Antonia Nicholson
GM SETS SAIL AGAIN
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Kelly and James on the foredeck
Position: 12 13 0 N 61 10 9 W
It is 2235 and Grenada has just been sighted. We are currently forty miles from our destination. Today has been a lovely day, the sea has been slight, however we are sailing almost dead down wind, so we have been rolling very heavily. Poor Kelly has been sea sick almost constantly, however she has had a smile on her face for most of it, although she did say before she came off watch that she had had enough of being sick.
The rest of the crew have been fine, a few attempts were made to add to the bucket and there has been the occasional mumble and groan as Gipsy Moth has rolled deeply from the port to the starboard and back again.
This morning was a fine clear day; we had set the mizzen, the staysail and the running sail. The wind we had to keep on the aft quarter, otherwise Gipsy Moth rolled her sails over constantly. The wind speed averaged about 12 knots true and the boat speed about five to six knots. Antonia was not to bothered about speed because she wants to make land fall in the morning, so that we have something nice to look at.
About midday I asked if we could put up the cruising chute as the wind stayed light. The sail set well and was nicely balanced with the mizzen, out boat speed increased to over six knots. A rain cloud paid us a visit at about 1700 and the wind speed increased, so the running sail was hoisted and the chute dropped. A good job to, as I noticed a four-inch tear where a seam had given out. Another job for the list!
The crew has started to settle well into the watch system and the cups of tea and coffee plentiful. Some have mentioned feeling homesick but once they are into the routine we hope it will pass. The food has also been pretty good despite not having much fresh stuff . We are hoping to tie up alongside tomorrow morning, which will be good. I would like to polish the hull as it has a couple of scum marks on it. All in all it has been a lovely sailing day and I hope that out trip to the ABC islands will be as nice.
Ray Nicholson
RED SNAPPER FOR BREAKFAST
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On our way in to Mount Hardman
Position: Mount Hardman Bay, Grenada
We arrived this morning at 0500 into Prickly Bay with Kelle at the helm. The boys were woken up, to prepare the boat for dropping anchor. They weren’t too grateful and kept asking if they could go back to bed. Yes once the anchor is set, we replied.
It was still very dark so we had no idea of what to expect in the daylight, this is one of the most exciting things I enjoy about sailing at night. A few hours later we woke to beautiful sunshine, blue water and a lush green background scattered with pretty houses. Sadly there were a few boats on the rocks, these had been the result of Hurricane Ivan. (Incidentally, panic struck this morning at 0200 when I could not get the primus going for a very much wanted cup of tea.)
I am now sitting on the deck under the stars with the sound of cicadas, it’s very peaceful apart from the odd sound from the galley. James is making corned beef hash for the first time with sweet potatoes and baked beans. Simon is fishing, he has caught a little fish which is now bait. Ben is reading. Ray is very pleased because we have both burners working now for the first time since Gibraltar, I am pleased too because we can now put the kettle on as well as cooking something else-such a treat! The crew are learning to cook as they don’t seem to have done much before and also having to plan ahead. I am often reminding them that there are no 24hr shops just round the corner to go and buy something if it runs out and the hardest thing for them is eating what’s here. If they don’t like it then they will go hungry. However as a crew we have made the biggest dent to the food stores so far, so it can’t be that bad.
We moved the boat into Mount Hardman Bay to a little marina that used to be the Moorings Secret Harbour marina, however they have gone and it is now called Martin’s Marina. Kelle and Ben have said that the scenery is something you see in a film, its absolutely gorgeous and very tranquil. We have had a very relaxed day today as by the time the boat had been tidied and the cushions aired it was mid afternoon. James and Simon had spent several hours perfecting a boat swing, the final one was produced with the white ball fender on an extended halyard tied. We all had a go and it was very refreshing after a very hot day. Our oceanographic equipment read that the water temperature was 29 degrees. It certainly felt warm.
The boys are certainly back to their usual selves now despite being apprehensive about another possible 4 days at sea. I remember waking up to my morning watch looking up at the companionway to see James who shouted down at me “how can you cope with this, I feel awful” however he still had a grin on his face and continued to bounce around. Yesterday the most often asked question was “how far have we got to go and when will we be there?” I had told them it would be between 24 and 30 hours but the human mind is always inquisitive. They all managed to plot our hourly position and fill in the log so it was a good start to navigation. On the leg to Aruba, I hope to share the art of celestial navigation.
It’s great to be tied alongside a pontoon, because it just gives us a little more space and freedom to have a walk, after being on anchor for two weeks. There is very little here and only five other empty boats on the pontoons, but that’s all we need. We have each others company, two working primus burners, plenty of food, plenty of water and of course our favourite mobile home. You just have to love her don’t you as we often say to each other.
It looks like red snapper for breakfast.
Antonia Nicholson
THE CREW VISIT GRENADA
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James takes the helm
Position: rolling at 12 0048 N 62 01 90W
Wind: Ely force 2
Rock ( a local tour guide) picked us up at eight this morning and took us for a four hour tour around the southern half of Grenada. The island, is a similar size to the Isle of Wight with a population of 98,000. It’s main exports are nutmeg, mace and cocoa. The island has a rather diverse history, mainly influenced by political changes. Unfortunately we have no footage or photos for you. The digital camera refused to stay open despite several attempts with different batteries and the video camera’s battery that had been left to charge all night had simply not charged.
We were taken through St George’s the capital, and saw the markets, the 3 forts, some colonial style buildings and some reminders of the slave industry that lasted from 1813 to 1834. A highlight of the day was a tour around one of three nutmeg processing stations. This was very interesting and very labour intensive. The only machine was one to crack the nutmeg pod. There must have been about eighty women working in one of the five processes. There are three grades of nutmeg, the best is what we see in the supermarkets, the second is used to preserve meats such as salamis and the third grade is used in cosmetics and medicines.
We really enjoyed our tour the boys especially, they asked lots of questions and learnt some more new things. Grenada is very green and has to be the lushest island so far, Ray and I thought St Lucia was but the variety of vegetation was much greater. (The log book and chartplotter have just leaped off the chart table onto the back of my ankle). Once back on the Moth, we had another live link with the London Boat Show, Ben talked to Simon Hay, the GM Global Communications Manager and I spoke to Peter Seymour, a Director of the Blue Water Rally.
The crew had a quick swim before a noodle lunch then they got the sails on deck and the boat ready for departure. During this time, Ray and I fixed the water maker, the whole unit had lost its bolts that secured it the bracket holding it in place. This was a very fiddly job because of the access to the bolts. It was extremely hot on deck and even hotter below deck, so you can imagine how much sweat was pouring of us! I am enjoying the heat having been out here for four weeks but it’s still too hot for some. I am a bit worried about how we are going to cope while sailing, as there is very little shade on deck. Especially as the majority of our crew have fair skin or simply the sun cream does not stay on when the body sweats. We made a temporary awning in St Lucia but without a frame it flaps madly and just gets in the way.
There were mixed feelings about leaving again today, I of course was really looking forward to setting sail again as was Ray. The thought of four whole days at sea provoked some apprehension amongst the novices and Kelle was hoping not to be sick. She has been extremely positive and saying that she won’t be, so far tonight she is feeling marvellous! ( and its certainly not a smooth ride). Once we left the dock, our team was back and they looked happy to get back out to sea. They settled into the watch routine and after a delicious pea risotto followed by peaches and cream those not on watch took themselves to bed. We have the engine on to recharge the batteries and typically the wind eased off as we set sail to a meagre 6 knots.
I’m off to bed now for a few hours too!
Grease monkey - Blackbeard
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 Position: 12 41 64 N 64 28 63 W. 320 Nautical Miles to Aruba.
So far so good, everything and everybody seems to be behaving. Last night was beautiful, a half moon during the beginning of the night and no moon for the latter part. There was a little swell from astern that made Gipsy Moth roll. The wind was and still is dead astern of the direction we wish to go. Antonia decided to be nice, so we have cracked off course by about 15 degrees to the North, to keep pressure on the sails. This kills most of the role. Kelly, I am pleased to report did not feel the slightest bit seasick, which is great, as Francis Chichester said in his book “long may it last”. At least for the next couple of days anyway. However Simon apparently succumbed last night during his watch.
Simon, James and Ben are all in fine feckle and seem to be enjoying themselves. There is the occasional swear word when the yacht gives a little lurch and bites somebody (some of these curses have come from Antonia and I as well
The sun came up to greet Ben and I; the breeze has stayed steady since then. The time soon came for me to get myself off watch and borrow a bunk (we have been using the forward bunk as bag storage to make life a littler easier.)
Simon has been acting as watch leader and so far has been doing a superb job. The watch system we set up for the Barbados to Grenada leg has been continued and has been running like a dream. Everybody is getting plenty of rest and they seem to enjoy being on the yacht. Simon and Ben are starting to miss home, which is natural for the first time at sea. I however am having so much fun sailing with Antonia. It has been a dream come true.
Antonia got the sextant out this afternoon and we had a little play with it. I have never used a sextant in anger. We were going to do some sun sights, however the satellite phone rang. The next hour or so was devoted to talking to the London Boat Show. It is fantastic to be able to share our thoughts and feelings with an audience. It makes us realise, again, the importance of Gipsy Moth IV and the need to raise more funds to keep this fantastic yacht sailing, and doing the work she is doing.
At the moment we have the stereo blasting out a couple of tunes to keep that crew happy. We hope to make landfall (Aruba) in two or three days time i.e. late Thursday or Friday, we are our not counting our chickens yet however, the sea is the sea and Gipsy Moth will do whatever she likes!
Tools:
1) The tool you need you do not have.
2) The bilge gremlin always moves the tool you are using. So, you do the best you can, pack up and the little blighter has put it back again.
3) A friend pointed out that it was a waste of time purchasing cheap tools. I pointed out that expensive tools sink just as fast.
4) Socket sets are designed to rust (so are pliers) no mater what treatment you give them.
5) You spend hours charging power tool batteries for them to run out when you are in the middle of a very important job that just cannot wait.
6) You always need a remote controlled third hand.
7) Screwdriver bits (you know the little ones that are fashionable at the moment) always come in packs with at least fourteen other bits you have never seen in you life.
8) Finally, get a grease monkey to do the work for you (see picture).
THE WONDERS OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY
The Wonders of Modern Communication.
Position: 12 07 N 67 27 W. 20 miles North East of Archipelago Las Aves.
The time is currently 2000 and we will need to gybe Gipsy Moth in an hour or so to miss the above island. This island is about 30 miles East of Bonaire, the first of the ABC islands. These islands are so named because of the first letters of their name i.e. Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. We will be heading Southward of Bonaire then head towards the North West to reach the West side of Bonaire. Hopefully we will catch a little current that will help us on out way.
Antonia is currently uploading the oceanographic data for Plymouth University. She is also preparing to upload today’s GMTV clips.
The weather again has been fantastic. The wind is still dead astern of the direction we want to go, thus the gybe later on. Antonia and I are really enjoying this sail, it is a shame the same cannot be said for the guys onboard. James is loving it; however Simon and Ben are not quite there with the sailing thing. Kelle is doing really well and seems to be slowly getting used to it. She had a little sea sickness relapse last night but so far today she has been fine.
The crew had a laugh today, I stated to grow my hair in the summer, thinking I would be sailing in the English Channel and Solent all through the winter. I thought it would help to keep my neck warm. I did not anticipate spending most of the winter here in the Caribbean (thank God). I am also on the cards for doing the Galapagos to Marquesas leg, so I will not need long hair for that either. Anyway, my hair has been really getting in the way, so today I did a radical thing and shaved it all off. My sun tan is such, that now you can see the top of my head from a mile away. I have to say it does fell a lot better. We had a guessing game and used the ships Corum watch to time how long it would take. Kelle guessed the nearest as it took one hour.
The rest of the day has been un-eventful; unfortunately we could not talk to the London boat show which was a shame because it would have been nice to talk to Amie (our young lady from the last leg). All the technology onboard Gipsy Moth is mind blowing. The best part of the technology is that a phone call on the satellite phone and you can have so much advice from so many people. It’s amazing when Simon Hay (Global Communications Manager of Gipsy Moth project and very good friend) calls us to see how we are doing and to let us know what he needs.
The Ocens weather package and GRIB weather information files we can download is beyond fantastic, I wonder what Sir Francis would have made of it all. He only had the clouds, sky, sea, skill and intuition to guide him. Also the electronic charts are fantastic for making passage plans. Antonia and I usually have all the paper charts out and plan from them, however having both the Simrad GPS and also the B and G Deckman and the C-map charts, takes a lot of the work out. Especially as we need every minute we can get. However we do use the paper charts all the time, it just is the seaman like thing to do!
Ray Nicholson (1st mate and UKSA instructor).
ENGINE TROUBLES
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Heard of the naughty step??
Gipsy Moth Strikes Again.
Position: 12 12 N 69 37 W.
So far so good, well almost. Another little disaster. Antonia put the engine on this morning to charge the batteries. I was off watch and in Antonia’s bunk. I looked over and saw a little bit of smoke rising around the engine bay hatch. The engine was quickly shut down and the surrounding area checked. It did not smell like fire, so the covers were slowly removed after about fifteen minutes. It smelt like exhaust fumes.
The engine covers were left off for an hour so I could crawl around the engine, however the engine space is very small and I could not quite get myself in. I had a quick look round and could not see anything obvious. I thought at first that the exhaust hose had maybe fallen off, but nothing so obvious. The engine blower fan has also needed some attention and I had a look at that and discovered that it has broken a bracket and basically destroyed itself.
I wanted to remove the sole board in the cockpit as this would give me access to the top of the engine, however this has been bonded down. I sent James, as he is one of the skinniest into the engine area via a small cupboard on the starboard side of the engine bay. He crawled in and could not see how we could get the engine cover off. . After about five minutes of cursing and swearing I finally made it in, it is a very tight squeeze. After having a close inspection I still could not find the source of the smoke. I asked Antonia if she could fire up the engine and see if I could find it that way. I had James on standby to call out to switch the engine off as soon as I asked. I did not fancy getting poisoned to death. This however did the trick as exhaust fumes and water poured out the top of the water trap and silencer.
It looks like I will have to dismantle the area by the skippers berth to gain access or find some way of removing the cockpit sole. I asked for a volunteer and Ben said he would, so I sent him into the engine bay with a role of duck tape to try and seal the split temporarily, just so that we can park Gipsy Moth without causing any problems. The only thing is at the moment we cannot charge the batteries sufficiently, so we have had to kill all the systems. Thank heavens we will be in Aruba before midnight (Friday 13th). I hope that Sir Francis is looking down and willing to give us a little bit of help. It is a shame we will be making land fall at night. I am sure that their will be no problems. So as well as being on watch, I have had a very interesting day.
The crew seem much happier today, we sighted land this morning and lots of shipping, it has been the only sight of humans in three days. Hopefully we will be tying up in a marina with a laundry facility. Simon has been learning how the weather information we receive works and has found it very interesting.
Our power is down to a minimum, we have deployed the Aquair 100 tow generator but we are not completely confident with its input, lets hope we still have juice when we get to Aruba.
Ray Nicholson (1st mate and UKSA instructor).
FRIDAY THE 13TH- UNLUCKY FOR SOME?
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Sunset at Aruba
Position: Renaissance Marina; Orangestaad, Aruba.
Friday the 13th January
When I woke this morning, I glanced up into the cockpit and remembered we were at anchor just outside the main harbour at Orangestaad. We arrived at 2300 last night, in fact 2100 and managed to sail right up to the fairway buoy. I started the engine and as the sail was lowered the engine fizzled out. So we beared away immediately as there was reef to windward and further away to leeward (either side for the non sailors). It took us a while to get back to the fairway buoy because we had to hoist the running sail, staysail and mizzen to be able to sail upwind. Everyone was up and it was
their first experience at sailing upwind on Gipsy Moth, I was actually pleased to show them her other way of sailing. We sailed onto anchor just inside the harbour entrance and passed the massive cruise ship Carnival Destiny as she was coming out. The camera flashes started but I don’t think they would have seen it was Gipsy Moth , just a beautiful yacht sailing under the moonlight.
Anyway, I hauled myself out of my bunk and was very grateful that the boat was steady as I have a good collection of bruises on my thighs where I usually struggle to get out. I immediately went to the chart table and turned off the GPS and anchor light as we no longer needed them. I tried the engine again but no luck after all it was Friday the 13th. After several attempts at contacting the Aruba Port Authority, I got hold of them to explain our situation. They didn’t quite understand. I made the decision to sail as it was a downwind sail to the dock.
The boys hoisted the anchor and immediately raised the running sail which we backed to help turn the Moth around. We sailed in between the reefs to the commercial dock and as we approached we lowered the running sail, with lines and fenders ready on the port side. This had to be the most nerve racking moment I have had on Gipsy Moth, mainly because the dock was concrete and we all know how she handles. I took a huge sigh of relief, as the bow line was taken ashore by Ray who kept the bow off too. We were alongside and the boys who had really worked well as a team also leapt off at the first opportunity.
Customs came immediately which I was very grateful with because usually I have to go to them. I managed to get hold of Renaissance Marina who came around with a fishing charter boat to tow us around to the marina. Despite the very pale blue water and the palms, it didn’t feel like the Caribbean I know. We are now bow to in Renaissance Marina, (the hotel chain) as this is the only place on Aruba apart from anchorage. It is part of a huge holiday resort with shops, a beach, restaurants, tennis courts and fantastic swimming pool. And loads of iguanas and pretty little birds! It feels like we have crossed another atlantic, the diversity of the contrast between the other Caribbean islands and what I can see of Aruba so far is immense. The marina managers (Dutch) were very welcoming and of course knew of our lady, they saw us sail off anchor and immediately had respect for us and were listening out for us on the VHF. A few other people came down and asked the usual question “ Is this the Gipsy Moth” and their faces are always a delight!
Everyone was very hot and tired, it’s 30 degrees below deck and must be 35-40 on deck. The fans we have are very minimal and only cover the sleeping quarters. It was hard to motivate the crew in the heat but the offering of a swim and shower worked, so after a clean up, filling the water tanks, connecting shore power, airing the cushions and packing their belongings away they were allowed to go ashore. There are iguanas everywhere and some very colourful lizards. The birds are quite small but also very colourful. Ray and I did the usual administration on arriving to a new place, sorted out crew passes, made some additions to the defects list, talked to Richard about some necessary parts. Then we made a beeline for the hotel’s laundry facilities.
I must say I didn’t like the air conditioning, it reminded me of being at home last month!
We all returned to the boat at 6pm, the boys were grinning from ear to ear and full of beans, they had been to the hotel’s private island and seen a pink duck, barracudas, flamingos, parrots and some more turtles. They had also been on the beach and in the pool and felt very refreshed. Kelle had been doing some souvenir shopping in the resorts variety of shops. We decided to eat out and have a look at Orangestaad at night, it’s very Americanised with Dutch influence. We had a great meal and to our surprise the crew presented us with a thank you letter, a bandana for Ray and a pretty shell and bead necklace for me.
We have had a fabulous sail for the last three and a half days, and now we are in a fabulous marina resort, one I certainly was not expecting. So despite it being Friday the 13th , we haven't done too badly. I hope our crew feel privileged and grateful because Ray and I certainly do!
Thank you again to all those involved.
Antonia Nicholson (aka Skipper Gripper) Full time instructor at UKSA
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
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Prince's Trust crew and Antonia
Position: Renaissance Marina, Aruba
Today was the last day of leg 6. At the end of each leg, we have to complete our weekly ,monthly and even four monthly checks if necessary, its not always a day that people enjoy but it has to be done. Due to the varying lengths of the legs and the actual time spent at sea, there are sometimes jobs that have got missed out or left for later. As the crew had some R & R yesterday afternoon, they knew today was the cleaning day and they did a great job, once given a list they worked very efficiently. To those who have already sailed the boat, they will know the removable sole boards (floorboards) have to be taken on deck and scrubbed, while the remaining ones get cleaned down below, the floor bearers gather loads of dirt, dust and hair so we scrub these too. The bilges need to be cleaned but one needs very long skinny arms, in fact Mr Tickle would be very handy. It’s impossible to scrub the whole bilge due to the shape of the hull so it’s really the top third that gets done. All the food and spares get taken out of the lockers, the tins are checked and the lockers that are covered in dust and rust get wiped out. After the last leg, I found two very light tins of fruit and not much evidence of juice so they must have been there for a while. While on deck, everything is taken onto the deck and the deck is scrubbed with fresh water then the metalwork and topsides are polished. The lazarette locker, the cockpit locker and if time the forepeak locker all need to be emptied however we emptied the forepeak locker in Barbados so it will be done by the next crew. The bunks are all sent on deck with personal kit so we can inspect the boat for any interior damage. The lifejackets and waterproofs are also put out to dry and air, however due to the heat and constant moisture they never seem to dry out completely. The interior whitework gets a wash with fresh water and the engine gets a good clean too. There are still some jobs for Ray and I to do which we did not have time for but overall Gipsy Moth is looking superb and we have had a few nice comments from passers by. Once I was satisfied with the day’s job, the crew went for showers and a swim in the pool. We had final interviews and a crew photo then they left for the airport at 1630.
Overall, it has been another fantastic experience for all of us, we have visited 3 islands in 2 weeks, been to the Mount Gay distillery, swam with turtles, seen dolphins, had an tour of Grenada and visited a nutmeg processing factory, sailed in the Atlantic sea, sailed in the Caribbean sea, seen the moon set, many sunsets and sun rises, seen shooting stars, seen roaming iguanas, flamingos and a pink duck, taken responsibility while on watch, cooked for 6 at sea and sailed 686 miles in a national maritime treasure.
There are many more things that these young adults from the Prince’s Trust have learnt, not only about sailing, also about themselves, working as a team and I hope life in general. At times they found the whole experience very stressful, being in a confined space that rocks and rolls, getting knocked and bruised, being away from girlfriends, getting up at odd times, not being able to sleep for more than six hours, and not being able to get off the boat . There was very little room to get away from each other so they learnt to deal with it themselves. The cooking and general mother duties is always quite a chore for people, and will be avoided if possible but they realised that we had to eat what we had on board and someone had to cook and clean. And it wasn’t going to be Ray or I all the time. Both Ray and I were in the mother system, (when I used to sail at Ocean Youth Club I don’t remember the skipper cooking or cleaning at all!) to encourage them and lead by example, just as well really otherwise we would be starving!!
Finally, I have wanted to sail with young adults from an organisation such as the Prince’s Trust for a long time so that’s one more thing ticked off my list!
I hope they’ll keep some of those special moments and when they face a challenge again they will look back at what they have just achieved and focus on the positive aspects rather than the negative. Most of all i hope they will see there are oppurtunities out there, they just have to take them.
Antonia Nicholson (Skipper and full time instructor at UKSA)
A BIT OF ARUBA
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An iguana
Position: Renaissance Marina, Aruba
A day of rest at last – well half a day! We have been on Gipsy Moth for nearly five weeks and only had one and a half days off when in Barbados so we had half a day today and have a whole day tomorrow! A lot of you are probably saying “ a day off” you are always on a day off when sailing. I certainly agree with a bad day on the water is better than a good day in the office but the constant motion of the boat, the responsibility of six lives including my own, the planning and preparation of a passage and the organising of other people really takes a toll on the human battery.
Ray got into the engine compartment this morning to take off the split water trap that caused our problems the other day. I had gone to the internet café and was doing some admin before the arrival of the next crew and on my return saw him trying to squeeze out of the compartment (the access being about 12” x 14”). Now anyone that knows Ray, understands he is quite a large chap and even our skinny crew last week had difficulty in getting in and out of this area. I heard him mutter and curse whatever he had got caught on and asked what I could do to help, there was very little. I found it very amusing because all I could see was his bottom and a pair of legs, Ray didn’t quite think the same so I took a picture and ran back to the internet café. He came and found me a short while later so he managed somehow to get out.
One of the things that we really wanted to do is to go in a helicopter and funnily enough at the end of the pontoon is a new R 44, offering tours of Aruba. We got in with the pilot after our safety brief and within minutes we were lifted vertically then horizontally on a slight tilt. It was just what I imagined from seeing them on tv and it felt as though we were some camera crew. The views were incredible and we were able to see the whole of Aruba, which is smaller than the Isle of Wight at only 21 miles by 7 miles. The southern half of Aruba, which runs from NW to SE, is very developed and commercialised with an oil refinery at one end and hotels at the other. There are in fact two main hotel areas, the low rise and the high rise. The beaches are pure white, speckled with imported palm trees and bamboo umbrellas. Just what you see on Caribbean holiday programmes and brochures. The houses looked fairly well built and there were no obvious slum areas. However on the northern half, there was very little, it is called the wild coast. The waves were rolling in and breaking on the coral. The vegetation was scarce, mainly aloe plants and cacti.
There were a few beaches but these looked very rough and were not really suitable for tourists. We were shown the remains of a gold mine that was worked for a hundred years but the total yield wasn’t actually very much. The oil refinery receives its product from Venezuela and provides a major part of Aruba’s income. The whole trip lasted for half an hour and the views were breathtaking. Blackbeard managed to hitch a lift too and he behaved himself considering he had been fighting off the iguanas shortly beforehand.
Once we landed we hastily got our swimming and shower kit off the boat and went to Renaissance Island. We waded into the sea pool slowly because we found the water so cold but once in it was very refreshing and just what I have been looking forward to for weeks. We took a stroll along the nature trail and stumbled across some hermit crabs in their shells on the path and some more birds. Unfortunately my least favourite of gods creatures, the mosquitoes, found us before we could get away. Please can anyone tell me what use are mosquitoes and blue bottles??? We also saw the flamingos on the beach and lots of iguanas. The iguanas fascinate me, some have very stripy tails and some have stripy bodies. They don’t seem perturbed by humans at all and generally just bask in the sun.
We finished our day off with a sauna in the hotel and a simple meal on board. Tomorrow we are planning on doing some snorkelling and checking out the supermarket etc. I am going to excuse ourselves from writing the daily log now.
By Antonia Nicholson, Skipper and full time instructor at UKSA
THE NEW RECRUITS-LEG 7
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New crew have to get past me first!
Renaissance Marina, Aruba
Our new crew have arrived this evening, unfortunately for two of them their bags got left in Miami, so they are the lightest travelling crew so far! We hope the bags will arrive tomorrow afternoon because they also have the spare engine parts that we have been waiting for. Besides that they will need some shorts and swimmers. We’ve just taken them for a walk around the marina and shown them the sights by night. Luke, 16, can’t wait to go fishing and has bought his own equipment with him apart from a rod. Ed, 20, is very excited about everything and is promising to buy us all a pint! Melanie, 18, can’t wait to get her new digital camera out and take some pictures of the wildlife. And there’s David, the Eastern region organiser for the RYA Sailability, who has accompanied the youngsters out here. Getting onto the boat has proved to be the first challenge for Ed and Melanie as we are moored bow to.
This morning Ray fixed the final drawer catch and it was a great triumph once it was done. I found some bags of flour that had some weevils in so promptly threw them away, better than the maggot invested j cloth that I found yesterday! It’s all part of sailing in the tropics. I just hope that’s all of the nasty surprises. I measured up the hatches today and bought some mosquito net, so we can be protected against the nasty things. Getting these made up is one of the many little jobs we have lined up for the new crew over the next few days. My favourite purchase so far has to be a 12V mini car fan that runs off a cigarette charger, in our case it runs off the DC outlets ; we have extended the wire so it can be mounted in the galley or at the comms station, a place where we spend many an hour dripping over the keyboard.
I crawled into the engine compartment today and was grateful that I am not claustrophobic, it reminded me of potholing when at school. I had to get the engine blower fan bracket off as it had broken, it was just very awkwardly placed on the bulkhead and meant I had to use my right arm to balance on and my left to undo the bolts.
That’s all for now, the new arrivals are in their bunks and I can hear some gentle snoring. Luckily it’s so hot they don’t need any bed clothes or sleeping bags, otherwise it would be very awkward for Ed and David who’s bags got left behind.
This will be our third leg on Gipsy Moth, my fifth in total and again looks like it will be a very interesting and sometimes challenging three weeks. We are all looking forward for the adventures to begin…..
By Antonia Nicholson, Skipper and full time instructor at UKSA |
