FIRST DAY WITH THE NEW CREW
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The New Crew
Renaissance Marina, Aruba
It has been one of those days, adjusting to having a new crew onboard, explaining where all the bits and pieces live and basically trying to keep out of the way whilst doing little jobs. This is the third crew we have had onboard and trying to remember what they know or what they do not know about the yacht is quite challenging, however Antonia and I are taking no chances and we are going through everything, as you should do with a new crew. Dave keeps on trying to help me do the little tasks around they yacht and I find it strange because I am used to just getting on with it myself. I am sure I will be able to utilise him more in the coming weeks.
Antonia and I got up at 0630 to go to the doctors to get a prescription for Malaria tablets. This was the usual stand in line and look like a tourist because we don’t know how the local system works. We are very fortunate because of Xjomara, the assistant marina manager, who gave us a lift to the doctors, the pharmacists and has assisted with some all important local knowledge. We have again been amazed at how helpful people have been.
At 1200 we were all invited for lunch at the hotel by the manager. He is a keen yachtsman and is very pleased we are staying in this marina, however he is a very busy man and we have not been able to give him a tour of the yacht yet. I hope he will be able to come for a look in the next couple of days. Lunch was fantastic and we had a brief meeting with a local press person, who asked a couple of questions and took some photos.
After lunch we made our way back to Gipsy Moth, Antonia busied herself doing the interviews with the crew. The crew then went for a look around the complex whilst Antonia got herself up to date with the yachts finances. I think she has dealt with about four different currencies so far. I was packed off to the internet café to send the video clips.
At 1630 the bags arrived from the airport, much to the relief of Ed and Dave. I was happy because my spare parts arrived. I cannot wait to install all the bits and pieces and have everything running smoothly again. At last I have fixed all the draws on the yacht (fingers crossed). The Primus stove is working like a dream and should give us some good meals.
Dinner is now underway, Antonia and Melanie are doing the honours and we are all looking forward to a good feed. The plan for later on is to go for showers then head to the strip for a walk. All the crew are in fantastic spirits and really excited and pleased to be here. We have a number of things to do before we leave, there always seems to be a thousand and one jobs. This is also one of the last opportunities to get the boat ready for the long crossings of the Pacific where it will be much harder trying to get spare parts. So far Gipsy Moth has been holding out very well, all her original features are holding up, it’s the additions we have made that are causing a couple of minor problems. I personally think the yacht wants to be left as she was built, she almost seems to resent having all the new fangled gear onboard, although I do feel she likes the company of a crew.
Ray Nicholson (1st Mate and UKSA Yachtmaster Instructor, as well as a bloody good bloke)
UP AND RUNNING...
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Mel and Ed
Renaissance Marina, Aruba
The rainbow had just disappeared and the rain had stopped, droplets glistened on the polished stainless steel winches. She appeared from the cockpit like a siren, her pale green eyes coolly took in the scenery. Her hair fluttered in the breeze as she issued her commands “Get this boat clean now!”
The first mate scurried forward and gave the crew verbal hell, how he hated being humiliated by this strong female. She disappeared back down below leaving her scent of Angel perfume. The first mate suspected she would go below and indulge in a dunkin donut as was her special habit. He also suspected he would get a call to go down below and put the kettle. The crew were ordered to polish the hull………….
Now, back on a serious note, Antonia, Dave and I have sorted out the engine bay problems. The engine blower has been re-mounted and works perfectly; the water trap has been re-installed and also works perfectly. The water maker high pressure pump was also taken off and re-mounted. It has taken quite a lot of the day, however to have the engine working again, which for us means we can use the water maker, charge the batteries and manoeuvre the yacht. I feel so much happier.
The crew have been working hard today, they have been cleaning and polishing the hull, oiling the boards that hold the jerry cans, fishing, eating dunkin donuts and generally enjoying themselves.
Late last night I had a thirty something moment, I came down below and noticed that the batteries were not charging. I went onto the dock and checked the shore power supply. I checked the breaker and even took the shore power plug to pieces looking for a loose connection. I was annoyed so I decided to have a go at fixing it in the morning. So after finally fixing the engine and its attendant parts I thought I would tackle the problem of the charging. So again I went to the shore power control box, checked all the connections shore side and could not find a fault. I started to think the worst, that the battery charger was faulty. As we started the engine I looked at the electrical control panel and saw that power was going in. I then looked at the yacht shore power plug and noticed it was hanging out. I looked at the sky, looked at the mast, looked out to sea and thought “ you idiot!!”
I then thought back to a passage in the Book, when Sir Francis could not figure out why his batteries would not charge from the engine. He decided that it must be complicated and he may need to re-build the alternator, a job he was dreading because Sir Francis hated engines. He called shore side on his HF unit and got in contact with an engineer. The engineer suggested he check a couple things first, before they had to take the alternator apart. As it turned out the fan belt was loose and therefore not turning the alternator flywheel. He said in Gipsy Moth circles the world, that he felt rather a fool. It just goes to show that sometimes the mind plays tricks on you, and you always assume the worst. An engineer friend of mine told me years ago, that when working on engines, always start at the most obvious thing and work from there. The only problem is knowing what is the simplest and most obvious place to start. Such is life!
Ray Nicholson (1st Mate and UKSA Yachtmaster Instructor, as well as a bloody good bloke)
A PINK DUCK?
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Luke's turn
Position: Aruba, Dutch West Indies
Where does the day go to? We start working on the boat between 8 and 830am and never get to the showers before 6pm. I won’t go into the exact details but it just take ages to get anything done.
The crew, accompanied by David were sent off this morning to do the victuals, Luke who hates shopping was astonished that they filled two trolly loads and had six bag packers to help! The taxi driver was a bit taken back when David asked for a lift back to the boat with the crew and the 2 trolly loads. He was worried about his car’s suspension. For a relatively small island, there are a lot of fairly new cars and also some Harley Davidsons.
Orangestaad, the capital, is full of hotels and casinos. There isn’t much culture compared to the other Caribbean islands but what does impress me is the three languages that people speak. It appears that you can walk into a shop and either speak Dutch, English or Papamiento (native language). I can understand a lot of the Papamiento because it is very similar to Spanish.
We are very nearly ready for departure, we are in the process of making mosquito nets but have got to wait for some velcro to arrive on Monday. We also hope to get the spinnaker pole inboard end fitted to the mast. Luke had his go in the engine compartment today and had to empty the bilge into the main bilge, Ed continued to polish bits of the hull that had got missed and Melanie updated the food inventory on the computer. There are still some tins from the UK but we are gradually getting through them. Its very nice to be able to dig out the odd familiar jar or pot of something. I have to thank Emma Baggett who did the victuals in Plymouth because it has saved us a lot of hunting around supermarkets. However we have finished the milk, tea bags and biscuits, so have had to move onto other varieties now, I always really missed proper English tea bags but am now appreciating any tea! When the boat was in Camper and Nicholson’s we all kept commenting on how little space there was but as long as the crew keep their kit in their bags, there is actually a lot of space.
Ed impressed us all with his rowing and we reckon he’s the best on the boat, he enjoys rowing around but his highlight today was going to the private island. Melanie had been suffering from swollen ankles but as soon as she got into the sea, she felt better. Ray and I stayed on the boat while David accompanied the three youngsters to the private island to see the pink duck, the parrots and the flamingos. They didn't beleive me when I said there was a pink duck. They really enjoyed their little trip but were astonished at how expensive the drinks were and thought that the duck had been sprayed?? who knows? Aruba is very expensive. I made the mistake of buying two litres of milk and a loaf of bread from the local shop and got charged eight US dollars.
I asked the crew this evening what they have enjoyed most so far, the replies were the warm water, the island, the general atmosphere, the welcome, the luxury of the resort and the tropical scene. They have not really seen Aruba yet but I hope to be able to let them go on a tour either tomorrow or Monday, however there are always jobs to do and as I said earlier where does the day go to?
PS Even Luke, a tall fit and healthy 16 year old has omitted he is shattered and it’s not even ten o clock.
DAVID'S COMMENTS
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Ladies In Pink
Position Renassiance Marina. Aruba
Date 22 01 2006. Sunday.
Today has been a very interesting day, starting with the sun raising the temperature to what seemed like 50deg. This made for a somewhat slow start, and all jobs being done at about 50% of normal rate. Sails have been washed and dried, spinnaker pole fittings found and prepared for use. Ed has been rowing the dinghy around the Marina, he shows an amazing ability for this, and could become dinghy captain in the future.
Following lunch it was generally agreed that a trip to the island would be the best use of time, swimming ,diving and general larking about followed but of course all in the line of duty, this skill might be needed. Considerable exploration of the island brought the amazing discovery of man eating hermit crabs, and a shocking pink duck, clearly courtesy of Walt Disney.
Whilst most of us were seriously overworked, Ray messed about climbing up the mast to clear the uphaul, and then also did something pretty boring with Sikaflex. He seemed to think it important.
We did consider doing a passage plan, but after some thought decided against sailing, so might get a taxi to Panama. The weather appears to have taken some lessons from UK and some serious rain is falling, this is a great shame as it interferes with the sun bathing.
Dinner is about ready so I must speed up the report, tables are being prepared, pre dinner drinks have been served, the candles are glowing gently and a general; atmosphere of sophistication abounds. Dining has become a way of life aboard Gipsy Moth IV. Master Chef Luke is in charge tonight, his experience in the catering trade goes back for many years, in fact he knows more about MacDonalds than any body we know.
Another day begins to draw to a close, all that remains is for the gaming tables to be brought out for some bridge, then dancing in the ball room until dawn.
Tomorrow seems like it will be all together a different day as someone has mentioned sailing on Tuesday, seems a pity to spoil things but I feel it is unavoidable.
David Wilding
RYA Sailability
Ps If anyone from Sailability should see this, please modify the document to make it appear that we are having a hard time, or they will all want to come on Gipsy Moth1V.
THOUGHTS FROM THE CREW
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 Today I have been on a tour round Aruba I saw some cactus and rock formation.
Also today I went to the east side of the island and saw the Atlantic and it was very ruff I wanted to go surfing till they told there was great white sharks in the ocean, which made me want to go fishing.
Luke O’Shea aged 16.
Today we have been on a tour around the island, saw a rock formation with lots of huge rocks and one of them had some really old painting that was thousands of years old. I enjoyed the tour around the island but I preferred the rock formation and how Luke had managed to climb up a really steep rock and pulled a silly pose and I took a picture with my camera. While we was on our tour I saw lots of fences that were made of cactus, so they had no need for any barbed wire on their fences because the cactus did the job nicely, that’s what our tour guide told us. Then we when got back to the marina we all went straight around the swimming pool too relax.
Melanie Pudney aged 18
Today I got up and prepared the breakfast and I filled the cans with diesel. We carried it to the boat so that Melanie could transfer it to the tanks. Antonia took us for a trip around the island we saw the cactus plants they were about 10 feet tall, and the fruit tasted like strawberries. We took lots of photos’ and did some recording, when we came back to the boat had a shower and cooked tea, which was spicy beef stew with noodles, and everybody said it was great
Ed Oliver aged 20.
Whilst all of the above were enjoying themselves eating and going around the island, Ray and I had to continue with the restoration of Gipsy Moth. Finally this afternoon we decided to retire to the bar to continue our thought processes, which didn’t get very far, but then who wanted to leave.
We have had a remarkeable time with the guys above who have kept us all cheerful and entertained
David Wilding aged about 110 physically, but only mentally about 12.
GIPSY MOTH INITIATION
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"These fuel cans WILL not escape!"
Renaissance Marina, Aruba.
Thrown in at the deep end, that’s what we did to them today, we took our new crew on Gipsy Moth into 25 knots of wind for a trial sail. The idea was to see how well they coped, they have different needs to those we have previously sailed with and I did not want to set off on a 500 mile trip, with no idea of what to expect. Gipsy loved being out on the sea again and with just the No 2 headsail she was steaming along at 6 knots. We sailed downwind for a while and Ed, who couldn’t wait to get on the helm, had a go. We gybed up the coast onto a close reach to check out the sea state on the northern coast but after an hour of getting drenched and the occasional gust of 30 knots I decided it was time to turn back. We were also healing over at her usual 30 degrees plus. The three youngsters all felt sick, unfortunately Mel and Luke couldn’t keep their breakfast down but there was never a moan or groan. Ed did really well and was talking so much he didn’t have a chance to be sick. Luke who was helping Mel to get on the high side after we gybed managed to hit his eye on the boom crutch, I threw an ice pack at him but we’ll see how it is tomorrow. He later managed to stub his toe on something so that is now strapped to another with tape. He did say he was accident prone but I didn’t expect two injuries in less than six hours!
As we were leaving the dock, a group of English people from the Oreana cruise ship came along and asked if it was THE Gipsy Moth. Ed started talking to them and then one lady recognised him from home. I’m sure it was the last place she ever expected to see him.
Once back alongside, I tended to the sick and injured i.e. got the arnica and electrical tape out! Poor Mel had got rid of every bit of food, she was very apologetic about being sick and saying she was quite looking forward to getting back in. Ray and I were very impressed with her determination and she never said a bad word, even though she must have felt awful. We hastily took our wet salty clothes to the laundry, did some final shopping, (for the things that always get overlooked) made some phone calls and then had showers. Luke offered to cook chicken stir fry, so David offered his help but I’m pretty sure he did most of it.
You may be asking why did we go out but as nearly everyone gets sea sick in any conditions on GM it doesn’t make any difference. They all have an idea of what to expect now when we leave on Thursday, I also wanted to make sure that they could handle it for a few hours, seeing as we have 550 miles to go in what’s known as rougher than normal seas. However most of our sail will be downwind with a following sea.
Tomorrow, Wednesday is a public holiday, the sea state is still rough, the winds still blowing so we shall wait until Thursday morning to leave. They are all still as keen as mustard but understand now why we are waiting and see why we didn’t leave on Monday as originally planned when they arrived. Its been a great chance to get to know each other and to let them get to know the boat’s systems. It will be a hard 4-5 days for them but they are a very enthusiastic and grateful bunch so far.
The boys have gone for a walk and no doubt a slight refreshment, Mel is reading her magazine and appears to have fully recovered from her rough time earlier. I’m going to the internet café with this and then to bed. There will always be more jobs to do tomorrow but I hope we can have a few hours by the pool, seeing as this may be our last spot of developed luxury for a while.
Antonia Nicholson (Skipper)
P.S. Ray and I loved it!
THE PERSONALITY OF THE SAILIABILITY CREW
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The Crew
Skippers Log
Rennaisance Marina Aruba.
25 01 06.
Today has been a day of recovery from yesterdays exertions at sea. The shake down trip gave us a chance to see how our young people from RYA Sailability would cope with difficult conditions. The upwind legs in a fairly powerful sea gave us enough to think about before starting the long leg to San Blas, this is causing some concern as there is little understanding of how long a voyage can seem.
The individual strengths and weaknesses of the crew are very different, generally they have fitted together and support each other. Melanie Pudney has a very kind and gently nature, without any malice. She has put up with the conditions here very well, considering her spinal difficulties and lack of balance, it was inevitable that seasickness would raise it’s head, or rather lowered it’s head, the other way would have been worse for all. She can get major problems when she gets cold and tired, which in itself is possible aboard, so night watches will be interesting.
Luke O’Shea came across as a typical urban youth with a hyper active nature, this is beginning to be used to everyone’s advantage. His endless energy and desire to prove himself capable of being better than any of his peers is useful. He has a surprisingly compassionate nature, taking care of both Melanie and Ed when they need help, which is often. He shepherds Ed around keeping his often wayward ways in line, encouraging him to swim in the sea, dive and generally help.
Ed Oliver is the comedian of the crew, keeping us in stitches much of the time. It is difficult to be cross with Ed, as he soon says something to diffuse any situation. We have tried giving Ed specific jobs, so far supervised quite closely to ensure some degree of completeness, before he loses interest. Another of his endearing points is his tidiness about the boat, in fact much of his possessions can be found in small piles, we are gradually reducing this. Ed has proved himself a brilliant rower of the inflatable dinghy, he will be the one to ferry us all ashore at San Blas, hope he keeps up the concentration.
We have here a couple of very capable instructors, who are often reduced to tears, never having had quite such a limited ability crew, with such overall good natures. The next leg will have to be sailed with good weather conditions, pity really that the forecast is poor, with high wave heights and strong winds. We will be sending out for a bulk delivery of Stugeron. We look forward to our voyage and expect it to be completed without serious mishap, the crew brief before setting off should include a serious word with the Almighty, as mere mortals might struggle.
David Wilding
RYA Sailability.
ARTIFACTS AND COCONUTS
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The Coconut Hunters Prevail
Rennaisance Marina Aruba.
26 01 06.
Another day in paradise is drawing to a close. Antonia, David and I have gone for a tactical meeting and left Luke, Mel and Ed on Gipsy Moth to give her a clean down below, organise the sheets and generally prepare the yacht to go to sea. It’s also a test of responsibility. We are intending to sail around the Island tomorrow to try and bed the crew down into a sailing routine. Hopefully we will all be okay and have a fantastic sail. Whilst the weather forecast is not too bad from a sailing point of view for Gipsy Moth, Antonia, David and myself want to provide a safe environment for Luke, Ed and Mel that they will enjoy and cherish.
We have had a relaxing day really, the boat is pretty much ready, we just have a couple of mosquito nets to make (which have been the longest on going job for a while- we are now on plan D!) . We visited the local museum which I will leave to the crew to describe. I stayed on the yacht during the afternoon as the rest of the crew went to Eagle beach. I took the time to clean down the galley and prepare tonight’s dinner, which will be corn fed chicken breast, stuffed with fresh herbs, garlic and the finest New Zealand butter produced from grass fed, free range cows, sauteed in a light olive oil. Locally grow potatoes gently boiled with sea salt and garnished with affore said butter, cracked black pepper, sea salt and whole grain mustard served with a garnish of purple cabbage braised in specially treated Aruban water and butter. In other words fresh chicken breast, mash and cabbage.
Luke, the intrepid hunter, managed to bring me a coconut. He had heard me talk about how nice they are when they are green, this is before the water turns to milk. So, with a sharp knife in hand, I managed to butcher the poor coconut and poured a glass of water. This was shared around the crew like a part of an ancient ritual. The coconut was then split in half and the tender flesh excavated. This was eaten and enjoyed by all. It has been a long time since I have had a coconut in this fashion and I must say I rather enjoyed it. Coconuts from the supermarkets never have that “tropical just from the tree taste.” This is one of those things I have been looking forward to for a long time.
The current crew are such a mixed bag of characters and they are all fantastic. Ed is so funny to be around and I often find myself laughing out loud at a comment he has made or his actions. He is a very easy person to be around, he is so enthusiastic and
never gets cross or irritated. He always has a smile on his face and is always polite. He will do what you ask him with some help and guidance. Mel is a very sweet natured person. She never complains or moans about the pain she must be in a times and is always asking to help or do things as much as she can around the yacht. Luke I think has surprised me the most. He is always there to help Mel and Luke and never losses his patients and is always willing to help. His general attitude is fantastic, he is very aware of the opportunities he has been given and is determined to make the most of any situation. He seems to have a mature head on those young shoulders, and it is quite amusing when the occasional “teenage” comment comes out. All in all I feel the entire crew have bonded very well and it is already beginning to feel sad that it will end soon after we arrive in Portobello.
Ray Nicholson (1st Mate)
A TESTING SAIL
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Ready to go!
Position: Aruba, Dutch West Indies
We have spent most of the time sailing upwind, with a boat speed of about three to four knots with a ground speed of two! As we left the marina, our B&G instruments were showing 20-25 knots so we hoisted the working jib and put the equivalent of three reefs in the main. For those of you that know Gipsy Moth, putting a reef in the main is not as easy as a modern yacht. In fact today was the first time since we left Antigua that we have actually used the mainsail.
David and Luke were sent to the mast with the very heavy custom made reefing handle. The idea being that the boom is actually turned therefore wrapping the mainsail around it and reducing the sail area (aka Boom reefing). Ray put a line through the reefing pennant and tied it down to the boom outboard end. This worked well.
Melanie had done some research on San Blas Islands and Portobello yesterday so she told us their history and what to expect when we arrive. The female Kuna Indians make their own clothes which are beautifully hand sewn in many different patterns and colours, perhaps Mel and I will treat ourselves to a new frock when we get there! Ed, the enthusiastic, was first on the helm and had to be prised off it a few hours later as he was getting tired and not holding such a good course. Luke put the fishing line out but was disappointed when he caught a piece of seaweed so pulled it in and offered to make ham rolls for lunch instead.
After lunch, Mel stayed on the aft deck clutching her new friend, the bucket, she did not have to use it as much as the first day though. The seas out here are quite daunting and Gipsy Moth was doing her usual trick and heeling over at nearly 30 degrees. When a gust of thirty knots caught us we were pushed further over until the toe rail was in the water. However we cracked on and continued upwind with the initial intention of sailing around Aruba, but this was cancelled as sailing on a lee shore in a F6 is not a good idea.
We continued to sail until dark and as we sailed past the shelter of Aruba, the seas picked up to a good 2-3 metre. Ray, David and I were very grateful that we were not in the UK because it wouldn’t have been very comfortable, getting hit by the odd wave but as were are in the Caribbean it was great fun. Even Luke who has done lots of dinghy sailing and is hoping to become a sailing instructor started to enjoy the motion and watching the waves come rolling towards us. Ed had taken himself down below for a nap, after his long helming session and was a bit shocked when he came on deck and it was nearly dark. Every now and again, I could hear Mel muttering to herself but when asked she told me she was counting to 100 in French and Spanish. Her sister has been teaching her French and she learns Spanish at College, this is great because I can help her now. She was also looking for the star constellations.
When sailing back towards Aruba on a close reach, we were making about 6-7 knots because we had the current with us. I had intentions of staying out all night until dawn but the seasickness was easing off and the crew couldn’t understand why I wanted to sail up and down the same stretch of water. However, we have just come in and are now tied up back alongside, after 12 hours at sea. As long as the youngsters are still well and feeling good in the morning we shall set sail for San Blas, with a possible stop in Cartagena, depending on our boat speed and strengths. Ed was the first to go to bed, at last his endless supply of energy appears to have been exhausted for the time being.
Gipsy Moth is full of fuel, food and water will be made on the way. The job list is complete so the yacht is ready to go. We just need to buy some more fresh fruit as I can’t have them getting scurvy!
Antonia Nicholson (Skipper)
NOT QUITE TO PLAN
Position: Aruba
Not quite to plan by Ray Nicholson (1st Mate)
I’m not sure where to start….. I definitely know its not Friday the 13th but it is one of those days. Finally at 1430 we left Renaissance Marina for Customs and Immigration which are in the commercial dock next door. The crew had been ready for a few hours and had prepared themselves as much as possible for their biggest adventure yet. The thought of five days at sea is not at all easy to comprehend but having had a few chats about it and talking through what to expect they were ready. Our first delay happened just before lunch, David was trying to see why the handheld VHF was not staying on, and so he plugged it into the inverter. This blew the fuse. We asked where we could purchase another fuse and the guys at the Marina office said “we have some on order, another 3 weeks!” We’ll just have to stay and wait for them we joked. We set off towards Radio Shack but lo and behold it was shut for lunch. So we managed to find a petrol station, which had some. Thank goodness.
Once at the commercial dock, Ant went to Customs. I went down below to put on the TT Reporter software. This is the system that interlinks the instruments with C-Map and updates the web site, so you all can see the information about wind speeds, directions, course heading, boat speed etc. Earlier in the day we had tried to download a weather report and noticed that the monitor was not working. We searched through the cables looking for a loose connection, but nothing made a difference. We did not think too much of this, just Gipsy Moth having one of her moments. Anyway, we noticed that the computer had turned itself off; we asked each other if anyone had shut it down.
We then noticed that the Satellite phone was not working either. Antonia decided that we should see if there was an easy solution, a loose wire or something of that nature. After further investigations we discovered that the likely cause was the 12 to 24 volt power converter might have malfunctioned.
Our journey was not going to start after all; we could not leave without our main communication system back to the UKSA not working. The converter is pretty crucial to the staelite and communications equipment. To cut a long story short, batteries are12 volts and all our yacht systems are 12 volts; however some key components of the communications system require 24 volts. This is normal as larger yachts have their batteries wired in parallel that provides 24 volts. The problem with this system for us is that we would need a bank of series batteries (12 volt) to run the normal yacht systems, and a set in parallel (24 volt). So in an ideal world this would be perfect. The problem then is that you need a system that charges the 12 volt and a system that charges 24 volt. So in basic principles you need two sets of wiring, two sets of batteries, plus a dedicated 24 volt electrical panel and two methods of charging. As you can imagine the system is more complicated. All this needs to fit into Gipsy Moth and space is a premium. Also because of the nature of the sailing we shall be doing, the systems need to be as simple as possible, so rather than having lots of complicated stuff we have a 12 to 24 volt converter.
So the yacht itself is fine, we just will not be able to download weather reports, use C-Map to navigate (we do have paper charts that we primarily use, a GPS, and a sextant) the satellite phone (a must for communication) and we will not be able to update the Web site everyday and keep you all informed of our daily progress and goings on.
Our biggest concern was that base knew we were intending to leave, and if all communication ceased at once there would be a number of very worried people, although we do have an Iridium phone as well as VHF and HF.
We then had to go back to customs and clear back in again, what a faff. Port authority remembered us arriving and were happy to help again. Ant asked to call the Marina for our berth back and see if an electrician could come and take a look. They said that someone from the Search and Rescue team would be on their way. We motored back to the marina and tied up alongside the fuel dock, as our previous berth had to be given to a catamaran. Shortly after, the local SAR engineer arrived. It took Ant and I a few attempts to get in between the hull and the built in cupboards to get the converter off. Once off and handed over to the engineer it was announced ‘dead’.
We exhausted all local sources as the fellow that came to help us called everybody that he knows which is basically everybody on the island. So we contacted base and let them know that we need a new part sending out. It looks like we will head out for another day sail tomorrow and see what can be organised for the next couple of days.
Ant declared an evening of rest, and took us out for Pizza. Tomorrow is Sunday so unfortunately nothing will be open; however we hope to go out for a day sail. Luckily we still have the back up laptop computer so this is how we have managed to write this daily log; however we cannot download any photos because they run from the main computer system, so apologies for their being no photo today.
DOWNS AND UPS
Position: Fuel dock, Renaissance Marina, Aruba.
Downs and Ups with David Wilding from RYA Sailability
The electrical problems of the past day have had an effect on the crew, which we have had to overcome. Most of us are disappointed with the breakdown because we had all been ready to make the voyage down to the San Blas Islands, and coming back to the Marina was a bit of a downer. We are now tied up to the fuel dock because the berths at the marina have been taken up by the day charter boats who have come in to escape from the long ground swell that has set in. There are a few Oysters here and one of them belongs to the father of an ex UKSA instructor that Antonia and Ray knew. We have been told that we may be woken up very early in the morning because of the queue for the fuel dock, what are they expecting? Breakfast!!
Today we set out for a day sail to the north west of the island, the gods were on our side giving us fair conditions to rebuild enthusiasm. Melanie caused us most concern as she had become very homesick and spent some time in tears, however some TLC on the aft deck appears to have largely solved the problem. She hoisted the working jib and staysail with Luke and during the sail we have had her standing at the rigging, later helming and finally dropping and packing sails whilst at sea. Her commitment is truly inspiring!
Ed helmed for quite a time and his concentration has improved greatly, he has been spotting shallow water and taking correct actions to avoid it. He offered to clean the hull whilst at anchor but once in the water decided it was not such fun after all.
Luke took part in all parts of the sail, but especially after lunch he played a major part in the anchor recovery. This involved swimming about 30 yards in choppy conditions to assist Ray. Luke put his fishing line out again, we have been told he is a champion fisher but have not had any success so have yet to see!
The day finished with crew morale rebuilt and endless friendly banter going on, a sure sign that all is well. Luke prepared supper, with a little guidance, and the three young people washed up and cleared away.
Hopefully the defective part will arrive soon and we can get on with the next adventure, with its unknown excitements. During the voyage everyone will be involved in navigation, helming, night watches and sailing under the stars.
So let’s go, rock and roll.
ACHEIEVEMENTS ON GM
Renaissance Marina, Aruba
The rain has been pouring down today. As we awoke this morning we moaned but then felt fortunate we were not getting up for a watch, instead it was just to get ready to move from the fuel berth. The land here is so flat that there is very little drainage, some of the schools were closed because they flooded. We were all dressed in our Henri Lloyd waterproof jackets after breakfast and sorted out the lines while Ray and David prepared the anchor and line for a bow to mooring. Between us, Ray and I have moored GM nearly every way possible, (the only exception being stern to due to the self steering gear).
She didn’t behave too well this morning and Ray caught me having words with her, in fact I had to take her out of the marina, turn around and come back in. Sanders the marina manager was ready in his new rib to take the anchor and be on standby to fend off a 115ft motoryacht. At this moment she behaved beautifully and glided in perfectly. We are currently in between the motor yacht and a fifty foot catamaran, so feel rather small.
We finally made contact with Richard Baggett and he has arranged a new converter to be sent out to us. Ray and his accomplice David, took the converter to pieces just to make sure it really was dead, after testing the voltage with the brand new multi meter, seeing as the other one died on Saturday too.
I checked through our food inventory again while the youngsters went for a swim in the rain and put the washing into the machine (not ours of course!). I have come to the conclusion that we have enough tins on board to get us through another full week. It ‘s amazing how things accumulate.
After lunch and once the rain had finally ceased, we set about giving down below a good clean however the crew seemed to magically disappear with far more important things to do! Their timing is amazing. Once David and I had finished down wiping the surfaces and bulkheads below deck, they all appeared and asked if they could help!
Ed cleaned the cockpit, Mel found lumps of dust in corners of the boat where no one else has clearly cleaned for a while and Luke sorted out the fishing box that was in need of some tlc. I gave Mel a lesson in currency converting and general budgeting, she now knows how much she has been paying for things, fortunately some items were a bargain.
Ed was given the metal polish and polished the end of the boom, the mast step, fife rail and the turning blocks. Anything that needs doing he is always first to offer. Luke managed to catch some little fish, (he gets upset when we say little) although not edible so put them back.
Ray helped Mel cook our dinner tonight, which was a first for her, another achievement ticked off. So while we have not done a great deal of sailing, there is plenty to learn and most of all, their skills and confidence are building daily.
Antonia Nicholson (UKSA Skipper)
A SAIL TO PALM ISLAND
Palm Island Reef, Aruba
We are currently sailing back to the marina under headsail, doing about 3 knots in a F4, calm seas. The water maker is on as we appear to be fairly extravagant with our water consumption, it must be all the dishes and mugs we are washing. As on any Caribbean island, water is much more valued than in the UK and more expensive. Therefore, we only hose the boat down if we really need to otherwise it’s a bucket job and prefer to make our own fresh water when we can.
As we were preparing for our day sail this morning, the skipper of a 90ft motoryacht, which is actually the tender to it’s mothership ( with a crew of 18) said he is having a clear out and we have first refusal. It was like having another Christmas, we have some more tins of tuna, some Twinings tea bags – a real luxury, some sweets, some Oreo biscuits which we could not resist and ate one large packet, some candles, some magazines, a bag of cables for the VHF and HF, a spare antenna and even a set of modern bathroom taps, (they will be coming back to the UK with us) Ed managed to get 3 brand new umbrellas! Perhaps we can use them as sombreros.
We have been invited onto the boat this evening for pre departure drinks which obviously everyone is looking forward to as this particular boat is quite a sight, after ours of course. We appeared in the daily paper again today, it is all in Papamiento, but I have managed to translate most of it.
Back to the sail, we motored inside the barrier reef to a lagoon where we dropped the anchor. Getting there was quite a mission because our C Map did not quite cover it all, however the locals drew us a chart. Once in the shallow area, Ray was on the bow and spotting any bommies or shallow patches. At one point, we must have had about a foot of clear water either side, (well it felt like it) and we were grateful that Gipsy is so narrow. On the way, Luke who was on the bow spotted a shark, yes it was a real one. I reckon it was a reef shark but he thinks it ws about eight foot, it was very exciting anyway. This of course caused a bit of apprehension whether to swim or not but once the skipper was in the beautiful turquoise waters, everyone followed. Mel had her first swim off the boat, unfortunately she had some trouble getting up the ladder which we had not foreseen so we got the Bosun’s chair out and hoisted her up. Meanwhile Ray and Luke had gone to snorkel over the reef, on their return I asked them how it was, “yeah it was ok, saw a few fish and some squid” But later on I heard Luke tell Ray it was a “quality” snorkel, in other words brilliant!
Everyone is gaining more confidence on the boat and keen to go. They are each learning where their strengths are and what they can manage to do. As I write now, Ray has just come down to say that Mel and Luke are flaking the sails alone, this has usually been a task for either David, Ray or me to help with. Ed can now put the boom covers on alone without getting distracted.
I have decided that we are going to set sail for the San Blas islands tomorrow morning, the seas state has clamed down to about 7-8 foot and the wind down to an average of 15 knots. Initially we had to wait for the new converter but if we do then we may miss our weather window and would also miss out on the San Blas Islands. I don’t quite think that these youngsters or anyone really knows what to expect, but I have heard that they are the last of the untouched islands and obviously not one’s average holiday destination. Let’s just hope we make it past the harbour this time!
Antonia Nicholson (UKSA Skipper)
ANOTHER CHAPTER COMES TO AN END
A beautiful anchorage, Portobello, Panama
It seems a very long time ago that I wrote this log, but looking at the calendar it was only 9 days. We have had very little conception of time or even what day of the week it is, the only thing we were concerned about was when to be on watch but as that was every six hours it was quite easy. Although I suppose my concern was to get to Portobello in time for the crew’s return flight and to get a glimpse of the San Blas islands.
Our first three days at sea were quite challenging for the crew, we had seas of 2-3 metres and the inevitable sea sickness got the better of the three youngsters. However this did not deter them from their duties and they managed well with very little complaint. They all found getting up at odd times very hard and staying awake but by day four, we had a full crew of six up and about for most of the day. Luke,16, thought being able to go to bed after a three hour watch was great but once his appetite was back, he was back in the galley making tea and coffee and helping with meals. Ed found the night watches very hard as he only had a little compass to steer to rather than a landmark and also found it hard to stay awake but during the day he was always willing and ready for a job. Mel was a great helmsperson, she kept a steady course and particularly enjoyed the stars and moon at night. One evening, as I went to the foredeck to get the running sail up I heard some splashes and looked over the guardrails to see some dolphins in the moonlight. I hastily went back to the cockpit and took the helm from Mel so she could have a look. Once again these great creatures had come to welcome Gipsy Moth into new waters.
It took us four and a half days to get to the San Blas islands, our first days run was an astonishing 183 miles but then it dropped to an average of 150 miles. We spent the last 30 hours motoring as the wind had dropped to less than eight knots but this enabled us to make the reef riddled San Blas islands in daylight. Ray and I were slightly concerned because we could not see any other yachts which we expected but then out of the blue we heard Gipsy Moth being called over the VHF. You’ve missed the party! Tony , the director from the Blue Water Rally announced. The other 23 yachts had already gone onto another island and were making their way to Portobello.
Arriving at Sapibenega had to be the highlight of our trip, definitely what I had been looking forward to for two months. We hastily got our Avon dinghy out and rowed ashore to meet the Kuna Indians and have dinner with Tony and Christine at the Lodge. The following morning we visited a nearby village called Playon Chico, this island has a population of 3,000 of which 2,000 are children. The island no bigger than a square acre, was crammed with huts and obviously children who were very pleased to see us. They were full of smiles and desperate to sell us either a bead necklace, a mola (a piece of embroidery) or polished shells. This experience was a real eye opener into how some people live and totally surprised our crew with the total simplicity. The women were dressed in beautiful handsewn blouses and skirts, some had bones through their noses and beads wrapped around their legs . Some even had rouge on their cheeks and markings on their noses, this was apparently their version of make up.
That afternoon, we made our way to Porvenir passing some beautiful anchorages and desert islands, covered in palm trees and surrounded by reef. We arrived at Porvenir quite late so the crew did not get a chance to get off, our reason for visiting was solely to clear customs.
Our final sail to Portobello was fantastic, we got all four sails up and everyone really enjoyed the day. The wind was on the beam, this is what Gipsy Moth really loves. Ed did the water experiment tests and provided us with endless supply of drinks, David and I enjoyed the helming, Ray taught Luke how to do four braid senates (the non nautical term is a scoobie!) and some turks heads. Unfortunately Mel’s back was not too good so after some helming she went to lie down and missed the best part of the day.
Last night, David took Luke, Mel and Ed to Colon in a local taxi (actually a pick up truck) to the hotel. We had had a lovely lunch in a very lush tropical setting with the other yachts, this had been arranged by the Blue Water Rally to go through the Canal arrangements.
Overall, this has been my best leg, these youngsters from RYA Sailability have managed extremely well in some challenging conditions. They have all had to push themselves further than in their daily routine back home ie cooking for six people, washing up in forty degrees on a rocking boat, eating different foods, being away from parents, not being able to call home everyday, helming Gipsy Moth in all conditions and of course sailing this historic maritime treasure (this last one they night not have appreciated yet). We have seen their confidence grow, they have realised some personal goals and learnt new skills. They have visited some amazing idyllic islands and seen Kuna Indians on their territory. I hope they will treasure the memories and learn from their new experiences. Ray and I are handing Gipsy Moth over to Steve Rouse and Simon Hay now, we shall miss her funny ways and look forward to rejoining her somewhere else.
Antonia Nicholson (UKSA Skipper)
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