COMPUTER SAYS NOOOOOO!
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 Leg 9 Crew in Panama
2006 02 25
Location Flamenco Marina, Amador, can we leave yet……..Computer says Noooooo!
Weather: Hot and a breeze built to about force 5 form the South West, just like a perfect day at Thorness!!!
Today was officially my first day as Skipper on Gipsy Moth IV. Jon Curtis (1st Mate), myself and the new Avon tender arrived in our hotel a few days ago after what seemed a very long 24hrs of travelling completely exhausted. Today was day three of fixing bits and bobs on the boat and learning where everything was on board, we had asked the computer to help locate a few things but computer said Nooooo!
I stamped my mark on the boat by putting to cushions (beds) on the pontoon to air and watched them then blow into the marina and then float away (they needed a wash anyway).
We were then manoeuvring the Avon ready to deflate it when I managed to drop it on Simon Hay’s broken toe, Simon, who has just finished his stint as mate, is kindly staying on a few days to help with our computer coms problems. The main problem is that the computer says Nooooooo!
I spotted a local selling lunches from a “warrong” (trolly) on the street and Steve, Simon, Jon and I had a fantastic Panamanian lunch, and all for $8!!!!!!!! Previous skippers seem to have collected a variety of “this might be useful some day” items which when removed let Gipsy Moth raised 6 inches (15 cm in new money) out of the water. We had just finished moving all this kit when I suddenly heard the engine overheat alarm beeping, headless chicken mode followed for 20 seconds as we all raced round to stop the engine, the problem was just a Tesco style plastic bag, when the engine stopped it drifted away…. A lucky escape bags are engine killers!!!
In readyness for the new crew Jon went through the lockers to see what food we had left on board, it seems lots someone thought they would like sardines then changed their minds, hundreds of tins!!!!
Just as we were starting think about dinner the chaps turned up with the bimini cover that Steve Rouse had arranged. The cover is a stunning job, perfect fit first time and all arranged by Steve who speaks no Spanish with a chap who speaks no English and yet Steve got exactly what he wanted, and Gipsy Moth needed for its Pacific crossing.
Thanks must go to Steve and Simon for a brilliant hand over of the boat, with everything now up and running. Thanks Guys.
I have just returned from the Airport with the new crew from The Ellen MacArthur Trust, who seem amazingly awake considering the 33 hour journey, it looks like being a great trip, can we go now???? Computer says Noooooo!
Crew for Leg 9 Panama to Galapagos are:
Sam Connelly, 30, Lake, Isle of Wight
Jon (Dez) Curtis, 37, Binstead, Isle of Wight
Peter Topping, 35, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Maria Turner, 18, Saint Field, Northern Ireland
Barbara Kennedy, 17, Dungannon, Northern Ireland
Laura Walsh, 20, Glengormley, Northern Ireland
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Skipper
Mate
Crew Chief
Crew
Crew
Crew |
Captain Sam Connelly
Skipper Gipsy Moth IV
BLING BLING
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 Planning Ahead
Location: Flamenco Marina, Armador, Panama
Weather: Hot, Sunny, No Wind (Sticky Weather!!!!)
Today I have been experiencing Gipsy Moth IV’s onboard Sauna…. whilst learning how to edit video to keep you all up to date with our escapades. Simon Hay, outgoing mate, kindly spent a few hours helping me get to grips with the coms systems, and guess what………., the computer says Noooooo.
Being part of the computer team on Gipsy Moth is far better than joining Weight Watchers……, I’m looking forward to getting out on deck this evening to see what the world looks like!! I’m so lucky to be helping on this leg, the group from The Ellen MacArthur Trust (Maria, Laura, Barbara, and Peter) are excellent fun, game for anything, and my Skipper Sam Connelly, whom I’ve known since 1991, is great too. Please Computer men fix our coms so we can go Sailing, the local Nera engineers have done a fantastic job so far, especially as they have given up part of the Panama Carnival (Panama stops during this event completely, Nobody works during the Carnival which continues until Thursday) to help Gipsy Moth IV. Thanks also to Flamenco Marina in Armador for their support and sponsorship of Gipsy Moth IV with her berthing here.
Jon Curtis (Mate)
Before we went for lunch at the Flamenco Garage, we had to sort out the lockers that housed all the food left on Gipsy Moth from the last crew. We numbered the lockers one through to six so that it will be easy to find the food for each meal such as breakfast, lunch and dinner. We also made a list of shopping we needed for the trip .Our new skipper Sam told us that it is really important to pack all the food away careful as we don’t want the food flying around down below while we are sailing. We then had lunch at went shopping.
Barbara Kennedy (Crew)
After lunch at the local restaurant Flamenco Garage which was fantastic, we made our way into town to find a large supermarket to buy all the groceries for our 15 day trip. The only problem was the taxi we booked did not arrive, so Sam taking his life into his own hands flagged the next taxi to past. Unbelievable as it might sound but Samuel L Jackson stepped out of the taxi Kangol(hat) at the ready. His driving was relaxed to say the least but I think that is part of the local culture, however I very decent guy who even helped the girls pack the trolley with all the groceries.
Peter Topping (Crew Leader)
After we arrived back from shopping some of the locals at the marina helped us with our shopping down the dock to Gipsy Moth. Unloading it all (15 days of food) was an ordeal as we had to remove all the wrapping of plastic and cardboard, because cockroaches lay their eggs and it is easy to transfer the eggs onto the yacht without even knowing. It was scary as I kept on thinking that a cockroach would jump out of the bag. The cockroach can lay it’s eggs two days after they are born so the boat could be infested very quickly. We washed the deck down and hoped that NOTHING got through.
Laura Walsh (Crew)
After lunch at the local restaurant on the port, we ordered a taxi to bring us t a large supermarket. Our skipper had mentioned to us the crew that when shopping if we could pick up some food that we were not use too. We all picked up a piece of food. The piece that I chose a Namia it’s a vegetable that can be put with soup. Laura picked a plantane piece of fruit it looks like a large banana and lastly Barbara chose another vegetable called an avocado. The rest of the shopping was very relaxing we bought enough food to do us for 15 days at sea. There were lovely, hansom boys at the counter packing our bags and then bringing them to our taxi, they were very pleasant and one in particular said to me that I was lovely. He was very hansom and when we were leaving he give me a wink. I became very flustered with joy (laugh out load) overall our day at the supermarket was adventurous and exciting. I enjoyed it very much wanted to stay partly because of the lovely Panama boys…. (Joking)
Maria Turner (Crew)
Sam Connelly
“Work’em hard play’em hard, feed’em up to the nines, and send’em to bed so tired that they are fast asleep before their heads hit the pillow!”
Day one on the gipsy moth boat, john and I are getting to know the crew, they are truly a fabulous bunch of people. All 3 of the kids are highly motivated, full of life and dance around as if they have had far too much sugar!
The Northern Ireland cancer fund for children were offered places by the Ellen Macarthur trust who help children suffering from cancer giving them the opportunity to learn how to sail in a safe environment.
The magical resemblance is that sir Frances Chichester got over his cancer at the age of 58 and then proceeded on his epic voyage to circum navigate the world, these kids are going to get to taste a small part of what he had to endure.
Tonight is carnival night and the girls are getting all “Blinged up” in the background I can hear “I ain’t got nuffink to wear!!” “wotchya doin!!” “Ah I look mingin, i'm gona look a totally different person when I get back!”
Hard Hat and Ready to Go
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 Location: Flamenco Yacht Club Amador, Panama (Still)
Weather: Rain in the morning followed by hot sun, Southerly wind force 4 to 5.
Hello! Today Peter and I were given mother duty!!! (Me being dad and him being Mum!) First task of the day was to brush up the remains of last nights festivities (tiny pieces of white paper thrown at carnival!) this is involved hands, knees and tweezers priceless… next up was the exquisite cuisine of porridge beautifully prepared by Peter, I was on scrubbing duty while dancing to the beach boys, due to adverse weather conditions (RAIN IN PANAMA!!!) sunbathing was postponed and instead we donned the rubber gloves and cleaned all the food storage lockers. Lunch was served at half 1 we had tomato loopy loop (soup) and sandwiches which everyone seemed to enjoy(my amazing cooking skills eat your heart out Jamie Oliver!) We went swimming around half 6 and were too late back to cook mostly because us girls were overwhelmed at the sight of a hair dryer and hot shower, so we managed to skip dinner duty and grabbed a bite to eat at the hotel haha- over to Maria and Barbara tomorrow! Good luck the standard has been set!
Laura xxx
Today Sam was teaching Maria and I a little about the things on deck. He talked to us about the sails on the yacht and the names of them for example there are four sails starting at the bow working back there is the spinnaker-it is a large balloon type that moves from side to side, he then taught us about the head sail- it is the most important sail on the yacht, even further back there is the stay sail which is a small sail that has many uses for example in story weather or to enhance the performance of the other sails, finally the main sail, which is nearest the cockpit. Sam continued to tell us about the halyards for each sail and how to find where they start-end and how to figure out where they are at the mast. While we were being taught Laura was doing her duty as mummy of the day so she missed our lesson. Sam then kindly informed us that we had to teach Laura everything he taught us and then test us. The forfeit was if Laura got anything wrong we were going up the mast!!!
Barbara
This afternoon myself, Laura and Barbara went up the mast on the yacht. I went up first, I got harnessed up, stuck the spinnaker halyard rope to my harness and then the headsail halyard. Once a safety check had been done I was pulled up the mast. As I was raised up higher and higher I experienced a brilliant feeling. The view was incredible, although it was a little windy it wasn’t that scary for me The way we in which we came back down again was like abseiling down a building. The overall experience was cool, I’m so glad Laura and Barbara got to try it too.
Maria xx
Hi another great day on the Gipsy Moth, the girls have been dancing all day after their first carnival last night, a fantastic experience for all to see the colour, music and the wave of thousands of people young and old dancing in the streets was incredible. Sam has been putting the crew through their paces with a variety of different tasks on board Gipsy Moth. The girls are enjoying every task, which is great to see, from the cleaning on board to learning the different skills for sailing the yacht. We have also been getting to terms with all the filming and interviews which, went well and have helped to bring everyone a bit closer as a team. Jon and Simon have been flat out with trying to get the coms system back into working order with not much luck as the carnival is a national holiday here in Panama and we are having problems getting parts. Apart from this problem the craic is good and all on board are having a great time.
Peter XX
Well as has already been mentioned I have been down below in Gipsy Moth again, but this time as it was raining, I wasn’t quite so bothered. Steve Rouse’s Bimini Cover worked a treat in the rain and kept us all lovely and dry. I managed to sneak a phone call home on the pay phone in the marina to my wife Fiona, son Jack, and daughters Emily and Lucy, to tell them about Sam, the Skipper’s, attempt this morning to catch some 4 foot Tuna, that dared to swim into Flamenco Marina. This time the Tuna Says Nooooo! Whilst I was talking to them, a flock of about 60 pelicans swooped in front of me into the sea for their midday snack, they can definitely fish better than Sam! The Ellen MacArthur Trust crew are certainly the life and sole of the party, and if there isn’t a party, they start one!!!
Simon Hay managed to teach Sam how to operate the coms today so hopefully, now we both understand it, when they are up and running again we can keep in touch after we leave for the Galapagos. No outside help today though as Panama is closed until Thursday!!!!!!!!!
Its late now and the crew are all asleep, the only sound to be heard is the gentle breathing of Gipsy Moth IV as her flags flutter in the breeze, Good night all.
Jon Curtis (Mate)
Today was my turn to learn how to work these very complicated time consuming hi tech coms fingimigiggis!……………………..dontlikeit!
Today I have tried every possible excuse to try and escape. “I feel like a buffalo soldier!” all I want to do is spent some quality time with the Ellen MacArthur crew, however I keep getting dragged back down below by Simon for a beasting on learning how to work these computers and editing footage. Dontlikeit! I think I would rather clean the bilges with my own tooth brush than be put through another 4 ½ hrs of bending over this flat screen monitor!
I have to say when I was first brought into the Gipsy moth program by the UKSA on the
Isle of Wight I had been informed that these coms would be hard but could not comprehend
How much work was involved, as well as crew welfare, the skippers log, astro nav, and the day to day maintenance and running of a boat.
Time to do what a good skipper does best…………delegate!
“The sleep of a labouring man is sweet.”
Sam Connelly (Skipper)
PANCAKES GALORE
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 Pancakes All Round
Location: Flamenco Marina, Panama for a change.
Weather: Southerly Force 5, Cloudy morning, Sunny afternoon
Laura
This afternoon Captain Jon of the Dinghy ™, decided to show me how to operate an inflatable dinghy. After donning the life jacket I got into the dinghy, first up was learning to row (uh-oh) as I expected I wasn’t very good at all!!!!! After 5 mins or so of going in circles (it was the wind, honest!!) and off-put by peter top-ping laughing like a hyena (thought he was going to need a doctor!) we put on the engine and I was off! It was soo much easier, fortunately my bond (James bond) skills kicked in and I managed to go in a straight line and park (yey). Ill hopefully improve tomorrow and be up to Olympic gold status!!! Keep ya posted!
Jon Curtis (Mate)
We Spent the morning around the marina, and met Ken, Marina Manager, to say thanks for helping the Gipsy Moth project. After their first Powerboat experience the Ellen MacArthur Trust crew came with me to the Miraflores Locks at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal, I’ve never seen such big boats in such a small place. My family Fiona, Jack, Emily and Lucy tell me that it’s snowing on the Isle of Wight, no chance of that happening here! We have just had a fantastic Chilli, exactly what was needed on such a cool day (38 degrees). Still can’t wait to get on the move, but it looks like a few more days to go yet, oh well Computer says Noooooooooooooooo!
Maria xxx xxx
It is pancake Tuesday today therefore we thought it practical to make pancakes for breakfast we made different shapes i.e Shamrocks for St. Patricks day and Sailing boat (very practical) Me and Barbara were the mothers on the boat today. We had to make all the food and look after the crew ( making them tea and coffee etc) We did alot of team work making the lunch and dinner etc. Another thing that happed today was the fact that we got the e-mailing up and running we were able to get in contact with my family this was really nice as I miss them a lot. It was good to read up on their e-mails and find out how they our getting on. I love them all very much and I’m thinking of them everyday wish they were here with me experiencing what I am. Hope your proud of me Mum and Dad
Barbara Xoxo
We were told today that we were gonna learn some knots and the first thought that came into my head was ‘oh joy’ sarcastically of course cause we have been making knots in ropes since the training weekend in Cowes and I thought that Sam was just gonna show us the same things all over again but we all took part anyway and to my surprise Sam came up with a load of new and funky ways to do the bog standard knots that we had been doing it was great fun and made us look really cool like pros. Thanks Sam!!! Before we were taught the new knots us girls got to tie up Peter, Sam and Jon and gag them and to finish it off we put bikinis on them Ha Ha Ha! I’m having fun here on the Gipsy Moth the only thing is that I miss my boyfriend David and my boxer Becky. Hope everyone’s good back at home love ya’s
Peter Topping (Crew Leader) XX
Late afternoon we made our way to the world famous Panama Canal at the Miraflores Locks. Having spent the day around the boat learning some new skills it was great to get out of the marina and visit a tourist attraction. To call the Panama Canal a tourist attraction is an under statement, it is a feat of engineering that needs to be seen. Lucky for us we were able to watch two extremely large ships pass through the canal, on average 25 ships pass through each day. The trip was very interesting, educational and enjoyable. It was a great way to end the day, so thanks to Sam and Jon for a great visit, speak to you all tomorrow.
Skipper Sam Connelly
Dear diary, a constructive day today, we got stuck in to our endless maintenance list, and when the going got tough ….the smart got lost! They up and left disappearing of to the Miraflores locks courtesy of UKSA.
I’ve decided with the coms that nothing is impossible for the man who does not have to do it himself!! Cheers Dezi!!(our first mate/chef engineer/entertainments manager/and head of coms!)
I am really looking forward to getting sailing, At home I have a wonderful fiancé who normally takes care of all the type bits, this has just emphasised our symbiotic relationship, and how much I need to develop some desperately needed computer skills!.
Simon (GMIV Stowaway)
Well yes I am still here! The crew decided that since I am under their feet all day (often literally) that I should join the daily voyage log ritual – thanks guys. Despite the computer still saying Noooooo, we did make some major progress today. It started at 0600 with an e-mail from Nera in Norway informing us that they are able to ship the Fleet 55 components we need to get the comms back up and running. I would like to thank all the Nera team at HiTeck Marine in Panama, as well as Nera support in Norway for all their patience and help in getting this sorted out.
We also managed to fix GMIV’s Mizen Mast camera which has been on the blink since Tenerife – in the end it turned out to be a faulty junction box hidden deep in the bowls of the lazerette. I also have to thank Sam for his help today in getting the Sat C system up and running – despite wielding the soldering iron like Luke Skywalker and leaving me with several interesting scars, we think that by the early hours of tomorrow we should have the sysetm up and running.
We also finally managed to corner the Flamenco Marina Manager, Ken for a photo with the crew today. The team at the marina have been a great help during our extended stay here, and the free berthing certainly helps with the costs of the project.
It is great to see the new crew getting to grips with life onboard, they are a great bunch, always smiling and singing. I think that they will have a fantastic trip to the Galapagos.
FISHY DELIGHTS
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 Supermarket Fish Counter - NOT
Location: Flamenco Marina, Amador, Panama (For a change)
Weather: Very, very, very hot, and sunny, Wind force 0 to not much (until Sam moved Gipsy Moth IV, then it become South Easterly force 4)
Weather forecast for tonight……dark!
Jon Curtis (Mate)
Today Sam and I were on Mother Watch (cooking and washing up!), I am a hopeless cook as my wife Fiona will agree.
I managed to escape the marina in a boat today for the first time, OK so it was only the tender but I did pass the breakwater!!!! I made sure all the Ellen MacArthur Trust crew were able to use the tender, and then as Gipsy Moth touched the bottom for a few minutes at low water, I got the crew to use the tender to clean the waterline. As we exited the marina we were dive bombed by a flock of pelicans, a bit like being in the middle of an RAF Red Arrows display.
This evening, as Mother, I got the job of helping to light the BBQ, an interesting experience next to an old wooden boat. Simon and Sam were both getting quite twitchy, whilst I found a new way of removing the hairs from your legs! My children Jack, Emily and Lucy would have loved the fish supper, just like Thomas the Tank Engine goes fishing.
Time for bed now and guess what, the computer says Noooooooooooooooo!
Maria xxx
The weather was brilliant today; it was extremely hot we all had factor 45 on us. We sun bathed for a while got a little burnt from the blaze’n hot sun wooopppsssss. So Barbara, Laura and I decided we should have a water fight it was so cool Sam our skipper soaked me after I had sprayed him with the water hose. We all had so much fun getting soaked in the hot weather. After the water fight we had to go on a training session with Jon on the dinghy, he said that I drove it and parked the dinghy really well if not perfect, I was well pleased. I loved driving the dinghy out to sea a bit and back and wanted to stay on it all day.
P.S I would just like to say hello to my mum, dad and my brother I love you all and miss you all so much.
Barbara xoxo
We went to the fish market in Panama today, it was a brilliant experience for me cause ive never been to a fish market before. Our friend Billy the taxi man or should I say Samuel L Jackson took us there. We walked around looking at the fish; there were loads of different types ranging from Prawns to Sharks. We bought Tuna, Golden Travali and Razor fish. The funky thing about Razor fish is they move when you stroke them, well until you cook them. The Panamanian fishmongers were very persistent for us to go to their stalls but they were also full of information. As we were leaving one of the fishmongers took a fancy to Jon and Sam we think they swung the other way! When we got back we got straight into gutting the fish, I was brave and went first, I gutted the Tuna that we had bought- David I hope your proud of me! It was extremely messy and gross but now I know how to a gut a fish, once again ive learnt something new! The girls went next with the Golden Travali it was hilarious watching them. I miss you David and love you loads.
Ps if anyone from school is following this I’m having a great time, learning new things everyday and best of all I’m getting a tan ha ha ha
Laura
Hello everyone!! After going to the fish market today (and gutting it, thank you very much! dont worry Ive had a scrub) it was onto cooking!! We decided to BBQ so it was pyro gear and flame throwers at the ready! First up was the Tuna, I “bunged” it into the pot with some white wine (lovely) and onions as a marinade and give ,er a stir with the old faithful wooden spoon, next up was the golden Travali (head still in tact) we flavoured it with garlic (the boat will smell lovely tomorrow) so now it was over to Jon Captain of the Dinghy TM who already had the Barby lit (minus a few leg hairs) , the golden Travali (AKA Billy the Bass) took the longest to cook, manoeuvring it from head to tail and flipping it over was a task in itself (2 man job). It cooked really well, wish I could say the same for the Tuna which did not resemble a steak AT ALL so it ended in a pot in the galley (Hey! Even Jamie Oliver gets the odd cooking malfunction!) Dinner was served shortly after rice and fish! It was very tasty and nice to try something different, definitely more nutritious than a Zinger tower burger (mmm KFC). Hopefully everyone will be ok in the morning ha-ha, but for today its goodnight, time for the crew to sleep!
Night everyone
P.S Hello to mum, Dad, Chris, Neil and Caroline miss you all loads and thinking about y’all take care and speak soon! xxx
Capt Sam Connelly
Another day at the office, we were asked to move the boat to another berth today, so after a oil and filter change from the girls we slipped the lines and swung out into a large open area where we prepared to come alongside again, Staci and Ocean would have been proud of me, in the past there’s been this vicious rumour of gipsy moth being a pig to park so before we began our approach it would be wise to spin around a little for some power handling. I take it all back!! From what we know of Chichester he stopped referring to Gipsy Moth as her and referred to the vessel as it, respect to all the skippers who have successfully manoeuvred it into a confined space it doesn’t handle, it has a mind of its own and when it’s windy, don’t bother, go and anchor off! After a variety of attempts to get this thing moving astern in a straight line, I abandoned and stuck her in bows in. “Any landing you can walk away from is a good one”.
Simon – The Stow Away
Well yesterday’s optimism about the Sat C system was misplaced – it turned out that the Sat C antenna was damaged when the junction box burnt out so we are going to need a new antenna as well – oh well.
Progress was made with the new fixed Iridium arial which will be fitted in the morning – unfortunately this means crawling into some very tight spaces to feed the cable but it will be worth it.
The rest of the day was filled with various other maintenance tasks and updating GMIV’s inventory and stowage plans. The crew treated me to their BBQ delights which I have to say were impressive.
LITTLE MERMAIDS GO TO PANAMA CITY
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 Little Mermaid
Location: Flamenco Marina, Amador, Panama (feels just like home now!!!)
Weather: Hot start, windless, cloud and wind building during the day, even rain for 2 minutes.
Well you’ve guessed it, the computer says Noooooooooooooo! But we’ve got Bob Marley on the CD so, now everything little thing is gonna be alright! We have had a couple of things fixed by the computer chaps, but the main problem still remains. The Ellen MacArthur Trust Crew are not ones to get down in dumps though, and we have been busy, very busy, as you are about to find out……….
My day started with waking to find Sam the skipper’s legs poking out of the engine bay, the fuel filters needed changing before we could start the engine to charge the batteries. This was followed shortly afterwards by a trip with Taxi Billi, our local Taxi driver, to Panama City to get a new Video Camera so that we can keep you all entertained at Fakenham High School, Norfolk and everywhere else, I then got to walk through Panama City to the Panama Sony Centre Service Department to retrieve the tape out of the old Cam, which had given up the ghost, they kindly performed this 45 minute operation for free, so many thanks to Antonio and his team.
Fiona, Jack, Emily and Lucy tell me its been -7 degrees on the Isle of Wight today, its been 38 degrees here again! Just at the hottest point of the day the Primus stove stopped working, No Tea!!! Primus says Nooooooooooooo! So Sam and I melted in the boat whilst sorting it out and testing it, great game, NOT! All ok now. Once again, as my old friend AF use to say when things went to plan, “It’s a beautiful thing.”
Jon Curtis (Mate)
Hey everyone we got a surprise today from Sam our skipper and it was amazing. He took us scuba diving we all thought we were going to the beach but when he told us to bring the flippers, snorkels and mask we thought it must be more than just the beach. Sam taught us all about the different signs and safety procedures before we got into the pool, when we got in the pool he took us down to the deep end one by one to show us how to dive properly and after that he left us to it. We all had a go at underwater filming and doing summersaults with all the gear on it was lethal craic!!! I even had a go at taking all the gear off underwater apart from the regulator (mask that gives you air so that you can breath) and then putting it all back on again. I had to be giving a belt with led to make me sink cause I couldn’t stay underwater for long. I am definitely gonna do it again sometime and hopefully the next time we scuba dive it will be in the Galapagos. Anyone jealous? Hi to everyone in Drumglass High School hope everyone is doing alright and working hard. Still missing you David and loving you loads. Say hi to all the dudes for me you know who they are. Keep safe baby! I would say hi to my parents but they don’t know how to work a computer but they know I love them anyway. Hi Kelda and Heather missing ya lots xoxox
Barbara (crew)
After we got home from the scuba diving we had to clean the winches, this consisted of taking them apart piece by piece, then we washed them with the alcohol to polish them up and make them shine, we then had to put oil them to help them move more freely, and make them work more affectively. After we had cleaned the four of the winches on the bow of the boat (which is the front of the boat for those that don’t know laugh out loud hehe) We have to clean the rest tomorrow at the stern as it started to get to dark for us to see the little parts of the machine. The mothers of the boat which are the people in charge for the day (i.e.)they clean, cook and make tea for everyone when they want it etc. Well they started on dinner it was veggie fajitas tonight I had super noodles they were yum yum.
P.S I would just like to give a shout out to all the lads at La Salle Boys school in Belfast, thank you for following my progress hope to keep you interested e-mail me or the crew any time you want lads I would be happy to speak to any one of you guys. Thanks to everyone who is backing us all the way we really appreciate all your support keep following our progress and we will try to keep you up to date on everything that is going on.
Maria XXX
Apart from the computer saying Noooooooo everyday, everybody on board is saying yes yes yes. The moral on board is extremely high; we are all getting on well with each other considering the tight space we are living in. The girls had a great day thanks to Sam, Jon and Simon for organising a get treat in the form of Scuba diving. A full day on board with the cleaning and maintenance to get the boat ready for the off, when that might be we do not really know yet, fingers crossed it will be soon. Dinner tonight was a master class in cooking thanks to Laura and me as her lovely assistant, and once again another day has elapsed. Which brings me to the only bad experience to date and that includes all the travel and the meeting of hundreds and hundreds of local people throughout Panama. Sam had borrowed two hose pipes yesterday so that we could refill the water tanks and wash down the decks. The hose pipes went back to what we thought were the rightful homes, later to find that we had lost a nozzle from one of the hose pipes. So first thing this morning we had a very angry USA skipper from a large sport fishing boat, cursing ten to the dozen about his 6 dollar nozzle to myself and Simon, we both looked confused as we thought Sam had returned the hose pipes the previous night. Not so bad, but then he started to curse at the girls about his 6 dollar hose and how upset he was about losing this nozzle. I went to the Chandlery got his 6 dollar nozzle and a few beers to calm the waters which he accepted after a swift conversation on how we sort out problems in Northern Ireland. His behaviour was extremely poor considering the great reception we have had here in the marina from everybody. As it turned out Sam had returned the hose, but unfortunately someone had pinched the nozzle overnight and we bore the brunt of this chaps rage. Lesson for today, Money might buy you a big boat but manners are priceless.
Peter Topping (Crew Leader) and peace maker
This afternoon the girls and I went to the Duty free mall in Amador which is right beside the flamenco marina where we are docked (still!), although it has its advantages as we get an extra 10% off for being there!Woo-Hoo. Most of the customers there are just passengers from cruise ships who visit mainly to restock on vodka (darling) or pimms and Cigars (stereotype ya think?), although they probably have more money than us on our budget pocket money we get as slaves on the yacht! At the mall (you guys!) we all bought a set of maracas (headaches all round then) and Barbara invested in a lovely multi colour sarong (just like Josephs!).We got a few funny looks in one of the shops because we put on Pocahontas style head “attire” and pretended to be Indians…weirdo’s eh? Some of the clothes in this shop were particularly dodgy and looked like Pat Butchers wardrobe (Eastenders) but then there were some really cool bags made of reptile skin ( how I wish I had Paris Hiltons money!) Buy of the day was a very funky blue checked (Bros style) hat we bought for Peter we thought we’d get it as we have given him quite a bit of abuse over the last week and also the poor bugger is getting his head burnt off him everyday. we actually bought it as a joke but it turns out he carries it off pretty well and we all want 1 now ( I want that 1!) My favourite bit was the duty free…purely because it had air conditioning. We are all going back again tomorrow and bringing the video camera so we can capture some of the modelling in action for everyone to see!
Hope you are all enjoying catching up with us and sharing the fun! Just a quick hello to Carol-Anne and the rest of the Henderson’s crew reading and watching, can you ask Mr.John to release our £40K cheque please? We need it to buy sweets! Take care guys
Love Laura xoxo
Well another action packed day aboard the good ship gipsy moth, after an early start changing fuel filters and bleeding the engine the crew slowly started to appear from their boudoir! And so we proceeded to kick them off the boat so the team of electronic engineers could do their stuff. Upon our return I was greeted with a large….enormous bill to pay for the communication systems which needed to be paid before they would authorise a next day delivery for the final bits. So I jumped into this old car, with two non English speaking Panamanians, it was not the normal insane kamikaze driving that scared me on this particular occasion but the well dodgy area we were passing through, I sank down into my shoes as one of them reached over me and pushed the door lock down to stop anyone getting in. Upon arriving all 5 of my credit cards decided not to give these very pleasant people any wonga! After lots of cold sweats in an air conditioned building and 2 and a half hours of international calls it was decided their credit card machine was broken and so they dropped me back at the marina with all my fingers and toes! PPhhewwwwwwww!! Let’s see what happens tomorrow.
“The reward of things well done is to have done it”
Captain Sam
N.B. Staci and Ocean, don’t worry I’ll look after him. Dez.
MONKEY BUSINESS
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 Old Mates
Location: Flamenco Marina, Amador, Panama ( I bet you wouldn’t have guessed that, eh! )
Weather: Very Hot, Very little Wind. Sticky weather!
Hi Guys, well we have been here now a full week, it is Fri night in Panama and we are getting ready to go out for some dancing. It is hard to believe that this time last week we where sitting in Heathrow. I am sure you are all aware of our situation here in Panama with the communication equipment and the fact that we cannot set sail for the Galapagos Islands. It has been very frustrating for all involved, however the calibre of the staff here in Panama from the Skipper Sam Connelly to the Mate Jon Curtis and Simon Hay the previous mate, who is still here trying to solve the problems surrounding the computer, have been nothing but brilliant. Of course all the back up staff back at UKSA, EMT and Gipsy Moth have not let us suffer in silence they have been constantly on the phone, sending emails and trying to support us in every way possible. The crew are in tip top form and the jokes are still flowing with a few wise cracks thrown in for good measure, they have really enjoyed the film and log diaries. Sam and Jon have been organising outings and different trips for the crew, which has helped maintain moral and pass the time we have been stuck in the marina because the computer says Boohoo. The country is beautiful and we have made many new friends on our travels especially are new best friend in Billy the taxi driver who has taken us on all our travels. To all our families back home we are well and the girls are having a wicked time if the next week turns out to be half as good, we are in for more fun and frollicks. Lots of love Lucy and Oliver
Peter Topping (Crew Leader)
Hello everybody! Its 9 o clock in Panama (2am Belfast) and we have just finished a lovely dinner prepared by our mummies Maria and Barbs! Today has been really good fun we visited the Gamboa rainforest to see the monkeys; however my favourite bit was when we when we were given an inside look to how the other half lives. We were invited onto the very luxurious ($100 million) yacht called the Boadicea by a very lovely man called Andy Bale, a friend of Simons. We were collected on the dinghy by 2 very hot guys (oohh yea) Ben from Australia (how you doin’?) and Dave from New Zealand ( come on the Kiwis Bexx). The journey across was very pleasant we saw some dolphins which was very cool and had a good laugh on the way (mainly at how Jon and Sam were travelling 2nd class in a slightly slower dinghy!). The girls and I tried to play it cool but just couldn’t cope with all 20 hot guys on board the yacht, so we gave up and shamelessly flirted with every single 1 of them ( including the females-joking) and asked if we could be their new chefs ( we don’t mind bunking up with the crew!). The boat was absolutely amazing we got a full tour it’s chartered out for a very reasonable 400K A WEEK (pocket change eh?). The boat had about six floors on it and was just like my home back in Northern Ireland; it had a Jacuzzi, piano lounge and enough rooms for up 14 guests (how do we become stay over guests??) We also had the chance to check out the main control panel in the bridge (Star Trek stuff) complete with hot skipper and dentist style luxury chairs ( minus the drills and rinse) we got to re-enact some Titanic scenes and took the boat for a spin ( only joking). Unfortunately the boat and the guys on board have left Panama and headed for Barcelona (lucky Sods) our big question for today is- When is Captain Birdseye coming to pimp the Gipsy Moth?
Living in hope
Chief Man Eater Laura
Hello to Gillian (J-lo) wacky Angela, Pauline, Judith (its your turn next year Peter is pregnant) and everyone at the NICFC, take care and thanks to everyone possible for us to come here.
Today we went to Gamboa Lake were the monkeys live. We all got on a tour bus when we arrived and headed off towards the tour boats on what we thought would be a lovely slow gently journey but boy were we wrong instead it was like the wacky races. When we got to the tour boats fully intact thank goodness we climbed aboard and on with the tour we saw numerous white faced monkeys that took food from our hands (don’t worry we washed our hands afterwards) and clambered onto our tour boats. The monkeys were very curious about everything and extremely quick at moving around their habitat. We also saw Sloth’s, Crocodiles, Turtles and Toucans all amazing animals. Don’t worry we all took loads of pictures. I was shocked to hear that the environment they were living in was man made by dredging the sediment to make the famous Panama Canal. When we got back to the pontoon the man that was driving the boat (Barry) well lets just say he crashed into the pontoon Doh! We went back up to the main resort for lunch and a paddle in the pool. The hotel is 5 star with lots of Americans lounging by the pool enjoying their winter break. It was another great day on our now famous day trips out; I really enjoyed feeding the monkeys which were very friendly and cool. Hi to everyone at home love ya loots and miss ya’s loads
Barbara (crew) xoxox
Today Barbara and I were the mothers of the day we woke up and had to make breakfast for the rest of the crew. Once tea and cereal was pored out we were able to go and get ready for the day. Once we came back from our showers we had to tidy up the boat, clean the toilets and wash and dry the dishes. The boat had to be tidied up and things had to be put away the skippers are very particular therefore we had to make sure everything had to be the way they wanted it. The other duties that we had today was to cook dinner it was spag boll it looked really nice and we got nice comments about our food, We had to make sure everyone was fed well and that they were all happy and merry. After dinner Barbara and I had to clean the dishes again and tidy up the boat again. It is very hard work because we have other things to do for the skipper. But sure here’s looking forward to tomorrow not being mother and getting everything done for us and cooked for us.
Maria XXX
Well we have been busy today, we’ve had the opportunity, as you’ve heard, to go on Boadicea, a Super yacht, thanks very much to the Captain and crew for giving The Gipsy Moth IV Ellen MacArthur Trust Crew this experience. (Frank at the Ellen MacArthur Trust Office has probably beaten us with photos of this as Andy Dale, 2nd Mate of Boadicea, also a skipper for the Ellen MacArthur Trust took photos whilst we were onboard, and has coms that work!!!! Just as ours will very soon!!!)
We also got to go on the Panama Canal whilst enroute to Monkey Island, my wife Fiona tells me my children Jack, Emily and Lucy were very excited about me seeing Wild Monkeys!
Then it was back with Taxi Billi to Gipsy Moth to join Sam the Skipper, and Simon Hay (previous Mate, who is still here working very hard) for more on going maintenance. Then more video editing, maybe I can get a job for the BBC, Ceebeebies probably!!!, when I get home. Coms asked the computer a question, and guess what…… Computer says Noooooooooooooo!
Jon Curtis (Mate)
Its funny when a dollar can look so big when you have to give a tip, yet so small when you go to the chandlery!
Today was mission to complete all the weekly/monthly and 3 monthly routine maintenance tasks, if I scurried up to that chandlery six times it was six times too many! I need to either learn to delegate ( hard when you are alone ) or sit down for half an hour to consolidate all the items I might require and stop running around like the pink panther!!
I’m completely and utterly exhausted…….and now the young whippersnappers wanna go party!
Skip Sam Connelly
COMPTER SAYS YEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
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 Hi-Tek Marine Dream Team
Location: Flamenco Marina Amador, Panama (and the world wide web)
Weather: Very, Very, Very Hot morning force 1, cloud building and wind increasing to force 4.
Today I had to visit a Panamania hospital, as my left foot has swollen to twice the size of my right, something bit me! Taxi Billy took me and translated my way through reception, I wasn’t looking forward to the whole event, but as my wife Fiona had told me I should go, and it looks as though we are going to be able to leave on Monday, it seemed sensible to get it sorted. The doctor spoke perfect English and quickly established that I have a skin infection, so 2 courses of antibiotics and $150 lighter I headed back to Gipsy Moth IV to undertake some light duties for 2 days (Doctors Orders) before hopefully being back to normal.
I’ve also seen Simon Hay go through various ups and downs in mood as the Satellite systems take quantum leaps forward, he treats this system as if it were his child. Thanks must go to the Panama Nera boys who have worked so hard to help us.
My children Jack, Emily and Lucy are also looking forward to pictures of the boat under sail, fingers crossed we are not far off now!
Jon Curtis (Mate)
Hiya dudes hope everyone’s doing good and having fun at home in the cold, it was yet again another hot day but cooled off thank goodness later on in the day. As it was hot this morning everyone was sweating buckets especially when us girls were cleaning the last four winches, it was that bad that the metal from the winches started to melt the plastic bag they were sitting on, so we had greasy hands, sweaty bodies and bubbling plastic, it was hard work and if all of the above wasn’t bad enough well lets just say it certainly made it hard to recover from shenanigans from the night before, it was great craic the only thing that we needed to make the night complete was if Jon could’ve joined us to make a full team, ah well maybe next time. Today we went to the old Panama City and it was like stepping back in time with all the old type building and ruins compared to the high sky rise buildings in the new Panama City but even though it was old there was loads of life about it full of colours and people. I don’t think they really knew what hit them we they saw and heard three looped dancing queens prancing and singing along the streets. Maria and I went out in the tender (dinghy with an motor) for the first time by ourselves it was really good fun, we practised parking (this needs great skill Go us!) and even had a go at motoring over our own wake amazing fun! Tonight when we got back from our shopping spree we decided to butcher the coconuts that we had bought, we had a sip of the milk and it tastes nothing like a bounty bar but it is still drinkable. When we had finished picking at the coconut Sam showed us how to make cups with the coconut shell, it really is beautiful so far I can’t wait to finish it! Missing you loads David!!! Love ya lots baby. Hello to all my friends out there I’m having loads of fun. Well I’m gonna sign out now to get some dinner at 9:10pm and finish off me coconut.
Love Babs xoxox
Hey guys today was a great day (well I was a bit tired) last night we got the dancing shoes on went to a night club just down from the marina we had a really brilliant night- picture the river dance in the middle of a dance floor to Spanish dance music (Dodgy!) we even managed a mid night swim (involuntary might I add) it was a really good laugh even got a cheesy conga line going (all 5 of us!) anyway.
I feel very cultural (and brave!) today as for lunch we had a local Panamanian dish which didn’t look too appetising (nothing to do with last nights rum obviously!). Lunch was rice and beef with beans (NOT BAKED) the beans looked horrible but I forced myself to eat it (im a fussy cow with food) and it turned out to be very nice (phew) and myself and Pete cleared our plates .After having this for lunch I was feeling a bit adventurous on the food front and later on a trip to the local fruit and veg market I tried a few other things. After a tour of Panamas old town, which was beautiful got myself a funky hat and had a dance with the street seller, Taxi/ ambulance/ fish monger/ green grocer/ tour guide Billy (LEGEND- this guy looks just like Samuel L Jackson!) took us to the local market and we got some veg and a few other bits and pieces for our dinner (which smells really good). The market was well…a big outdoor green grocer (smelt a bit funny!) Skipper Sam aka David Dickinson managed to barter with the sellers and got lots of stuff cheap as chips (see what I did there? :D). With my new found desire for exotic food I tried Sugar Cane Juice it was a lovely green colour (mmm) but tasted ok it was very sweet (SUGAR BINGE!) but I wont be buying a bottle anytime soon, I also tried some coconut. We bought 3 coconuts and we all tried coconut milk (which is not milk at all but water) it was vile to be honest but hey at least tried it, it has gone into Skipper/ Chef Sams chicken rice! Later we had the actually coconut (looks exactly like the bounty Ad minus the figure 8 eating it! Ha-ha).It was actually quite nice (hitting it with a hammer to break it was fun too!) So im proud of myself for trying different food in most cases its not as bad as it looks (but I won’t be trying oranges just yet Dad!). Quite a Cultured day on the whole complete with new American tourist Style Peter Topping!
Time for dinner guys!
Take Care and hope you’re all enjoying the snow in the UK! It was only 30oc here today! (Muwaughaha!)
Lots of Love
Laura
One word for today……..Hanging! the girls had us old men out for a few cheeky beverages last night. Busting moves on the dance floor, and dancing on the swimming pool tables in the pool! Thankfully we are leaving Monday morning as soon as we clear customs, and if the last few Technical coms problems get resolved. I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else!
Skip and galley bint Sam Connelly
READY FOR OFF (AT LAST)
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The Real Billy
Location: Flamenco Marina Amador, Panama (Yes still here, but the end of our stay is in sight)
Weather: Overcast with sunny intervals, wind force 5+
Quote of the day: “The difficult we do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer”.
Hey everyone we are still here in the marina its Sunday night and we’ve just finished our dinner of spag bol yummy!! Well done to the mummies today! We went to the shopping mall again today to get the last big shop for the trip ahead Woohoo I cant wait!!! We did really well and worked as a team to get the shopping done really quickly Maria and I even got one of the mini shopping trolleys that the kiddies use, it was the perfect size for Maria ha ha! Over the last five days I have been making a list if all the items of food that are in the lockers in the whole yacht and to day I was getting out of the hatch from my bunk and I sat the notes I had made on the deck and from the weather report you’ll know that it was windy today so my notes went flying off towards the water and I don’t think I’ve ever moved so quick in my life, I jumped down on the pontoon and started to grab the pages from the water and then… (now would be the perfect time to say I fell in that would give ya’s a laugh but I didn’t) they started to sink. I managed to get all of the 24 pages but 3 of them died a watery death. So it was back to the note pad for me for about an hour. It’s totally finished now at long last. Well I hope everyone is doing great. I love you David n miss you loads. Hi to everyone in Drumglass high school, hope your all working hard!!! Hi Kelda I’m missing you loads hope your getting on alrite with the beavers babes tell them to be good.
Barbara xoxo
Hey everyone, today was a hard working day with an added bonus that consisted of a shopping spree at the end of the day. This morning I had to go and finish off the painting of the bow of the boat where there was some damage I also made some phone calls home to my family and friends in Northen Ireland it was really nice to catch up with them, glad their all keeping really well. After that we went to a huge mall in Panama and also went to the supermarket to get more food for our 10day journey to Galapagos Islands. Our day was very fulfilling, when we went to the mall the first shop we (being the girls) wanted to go into was a formal/ball dress shop. I tried on a pink princess dress it was $120 it was beautiful really pretty, I really wanted to buy it but there would have been no way of getting it back on the plan and I don’t think it would have been a good idea or very practical to keep it on the yacht. (Ahh man! At the moment we are preparing to leave for tomorrow therefore we are flat out cleaning and fixing things on the yacht making sure everything is ready for our departure tomorrow. Before I go I would like to give a shout out to phillip miss you loads. My new re-founded mate Andrew,To all my friends and my little prefect class 8c at Assumption Grammar miss you all so much hope your all keeping well. Hey Mum, Dad, Eoghán and my lovely nice Catilín love you all and I miss you so much. Nite nite talk to you tomorrow I’ll be telling you how our first day at sea went ekkk.
Maria XXX
Today was my second and final day of only being allowed to do light duties (Doctors Orders), so I phoned my wife Fiona and children Jack, Emily and Lucy to find out the weather back in the UK, sounds like we still have the better end of the stick even though the wind has kicked in and the sun has hidden for a few minutes today. We are all getting exited as we are going sailing tomorrow, yes!! My foot has been much better today, my thanks goes to Simon Hay who has helped out with some of my duties today, and to Sam the skipper and the Ellen MacArthur Trust crew for their help and tolerance. I have however been able to read about two of my Heroes Peter Blake, and Sir Francis Chichester (Most Appropriate!). I hope my friends at Sea View Yacht Club are all well, as tomorrow we embark on the bit of the journey they are interested in, Gipsy Moth IV sailing! I know I’m about to learn lots, as my friend Peter Hunter always says “Anyone who says he knows everything there is to know about sailing is a b****y liar!”
Jon Curtis (mate)
Boy these guys are in for a shock! Were going to clear customs, final bunker fills and stock with fresh produce and then slip. Forecast is looking windy 30 knots of wind and 2.0 meter swells, expect some green faces and some peuking!(on camera) According to Sir Frances Chichester she rolls like a pig! Weather is looking like it will drop off in about three days. I will place bets on these logs becoming a lot shorter!!
Skipper Sam Connelly
So it is finally over, my extended stay in Panama has thankfully come to a successful end. GMIV’s comms systems are now full operation (all bar the Sat C system which will be fixed in the Galapagos Islands). I have to admit that I am a little envious of the crew heading off tomorrow to sail GMIV to the Galapagos Islands, I know that Sam and Jon will ensure that they have a fantastic trip.
I would like to thank all of the Nera team in Norway and Panama for their patience and dedication to resolve the problems we have faced, and to Sam, Jon and the crew for putting up with me under their feet for the past week. I look forward to watching their adventures on-line.
Simon Hay (GMIV Stowaway)
ALL AT SEA
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Maria steering into the dark
Location: Gulf of Panama, 3Nm East of Isla de Taboguilla
Weather: Northerly force 4 (sailing Weather)
Quote of the Day: A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step!
Well here we are at last, at sea, to everybody’s relief. This morning Sam introduced me to the Panamanian custom procedures as we faced the officials with our scruffy bits of paper and they made us run backwards and forwards between various offices and officials. All went OK and all we had left to do was some shopping and clear immigration (not quite so easy as it sounds) 45 minutes after starting out on our quest to find the immigration office at the marina, which isn’t huge, and we were in the office, then more running between offices and we were finished. A quick call to my wife Fiona, and we were off. When I was a nipper I went to see Gipsy Moth IV with my Mum, Dad and Sister, Dad’s a great sailor and his enthusiast talk about boats obviously has a lot to answer for, I stood as a small boy looking at GMIV in awe wishing I could sail her, little did I know then that today I would get the chance. Whooppee!
Jon Curtis ( Mate)
Hey guys, today we finally left the comforts of the marina and set off to sea! This morning there was lots of prep to do so myself, Simon and Pete got to work, we took the sails out of the bags and got our no 2 jib, stay and Storm sails ready for the high seas (although I think I need to work on learning the technical sailing terms- who knows what the aft lazerette on the port bow is straight off!?). We set off around 5 o clock tonight and after around 15 minutes of sailing we found out the speed-o-meter wasn’t working (on Gipsy Moth Never!) so Super Skipper Sam summoned me to clean the log which measures the type of water passing the hull. So off I went with great enthusiasm only to find that I had been well and truly stitched up by el capitano! As I unscrewed the log, water came flowing into the boat at great speed and pressure making klutz here (as I am now known) thought that she’d started the sinking of the boat ( wouldn’t be like me!) I plugged the hole straight away and turned round to find Mr Sam laughing away because he knew it was going to happen! (Cheers dude- I was drenched and the blood pressure went through the roof!). We’ve been sailing for around 2 hours now and my 2 partners in crime are both suffering from sea sickness, Ive just finished my first watch duty and learned to steer the boat. Steering is the part I hate the most and have no confidence with it but I think I did well and felt more relaxed with it. Wooo (well I didn’t go in circles anyway). Time to log off as it very rocky in the galley! Looking forward to the rest of the night and seeing how long it will be before my sea sickness kicks in!
Night guys!
Laura The Klutz xx
Well do I lie to you and tell you how beautiful she sails, or do you want the truth? She rolls like a pig, draws fly open at the precise moment you wobble passed them,(I bet Chichester didn’t have as much duck tape as us!) and all the blocks and halyards have so much friction on them you need to be Popeye to be able to heave the lines! I quote Chichester “I felt I needed both a monkey and an elephant for supplementary crew- the monkey to tackle things when gipsy moth was healed over at 35 degrees or more and an elephant to take the helm when it got out of control”.
As predicted most crew members went quiet after about 20/30 min, then the appetite was lost followed by some shark feeding (being sick). Spirits are high with Jon and myself, as for the crew………there asleep! Well most of them, we have a very strict policy onboard if it’s your shift, seasick or not you have a job to do!
We pondered out of flamenco marina @18:00 with No 2 headsail poled out and full main, within 10 minutes we had peeled to the runner this is the largest of the foresails to try and maximise the most of the wind we have, only to be joined by a pod of bottle nose dolphins.
Skipper Sam Connelly
The rest of the Ellen MacArthur Trust crew are a little green tonight but by tomorrow that will probably be me and they will all be fine.
Time to do battle with the computer now, whilst rolling from 35 degrees one way to 35 degrees the other. Now, the elephant is asleep, where was that monkey………..”Blackbeard!”
Jon
GALAPAGOS HERE WE COME
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Where are we Laura?
Location: Pacific Ocean, in the dark, 6 degrees 36’ N 81 degrees 02’ W
Weather: Cloudless sky, wind has dropped now from 20 knots to 4 knots
Quote of the day: “Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something……..I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down!”
On this Day 29 years ago Sir Frances Chichester had 25/30 knots of wind on the beam and was rounding the horn doing 5 and ½ knots. We have 15/20 knots of wind up the chuff and making a ground speed of a steady 9 knots it just so happens he too was complaining on the 7th March about these flipping analogue gauges, our new B&G Hydra 2000 are working a treat, I am laying in Chichester’s bunk watching these dials go from a speed of 0.5 to 3.0 knots as the boat pitches from one side to the next.
On to more important things, Gipsy moth used to have a gimballed or self levelling chair which has been taken out and replaced with this new hi tech cutting edge coms station, No chance we could swap it back is there?, this would make the astro sight reductions and daily logs much easier! While your at it could u also put the beer and gin back on board! (no, I thought not, well it was worth an ask! I just thought it would be in the spirit of the project and to keep the resemblance between Sir Frances Chichester’s punishing endurance and ours, I guess there is always the ship’s cask of Rum that we are transporting to Australia!)
Ta Skipper Sam Connelly
Well today I’ve been learning how to Astronavigate, using the sun to tell where we are, as if I hadn’t found the coms onboard difficult enough! I have seen the light of day to take sights and that’s about it!!! I’m melting down below decks as we surge on towards Galapagos. The night’s sky is amazing out here with no light pollution.
Gipsy Moth IV is very interesting to sail, as Chichester said “My God, she’s a rocker” how right he was! It’s a bit little trying to work in the house of fun at the fair, the floor is always going the other way to you! Great fun though, and I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.
No contact with home now, I hope my Wife Fiona and children Jack, Emily and Lucy are OK back home on the Isle of Wight.
The Ellen MacArthur Trust crew have all taken turns redecorating the side of the boat during the course of the day, only Laura, Sam and I seem to have escaped………………. so far!
Jon Curtis (mate)
Hey everyone it’s Maria here it’s 9.00 o’clock at night Panama time. I have just finished my first duty about to go to bed for a sleep thought I would write to you first. Yesterday we left for sailing it was all very exciting for everyone on board we couldn’t wait to get out into the ocean. I think at one point we all felt a little sea sick but hey that’s natural. Anyways last night my first night watch was amazing the sky was lit with so many stars, only one word to describe it magical I didn’t want to leave night duty. Today has been good also at one point we were doing 9knots with sails alone which is really good we hope to keep up the good progress. Thanks for all your support guys keep in contact and keep watching and writing.
Love Maria xxxx
ANOTHER HARD DAY AT THE OFFICE
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Life on the line
Location: The deep blue Pacific Ocean 5 degrees 25’ N 82 degrees 25’ W
Weather: Light Northerly winds dropped to nothing
Quote of the Day: We like to work for half the day, we don’t care if it’s the first twelve hours or the second twelve hours. Half a day keeps us out of trouble!
Well today Sam has been beasting be with more Astronavigation, gosh it’s a lot of work!!! We are still working our 2 hour on 4 hours “Off” watch, off means not sitting on deck but working somewhere else on the boat. The water here is so clear and blue, its beautiful, warm too. The coms systems seem to be working fine, I checked that all our info sent so far has come through with David Green CEO of UKSA, he confirmed it had, so it seems…….. Game On!
We are off at full pelt to the Galapagos Islands, we’ve some serious catching up to do, but as Simon Davies always says ‘it’s not over until the fat lady sings!&r | 
