CREW TEN ARRIVE
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14th March 2006
Position: Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands
Arrival of the New Crew.
Written By Ray Nicholson (Skipper, UKSA Instructor)
Well here I am again, after having a three-week holiday in the rain and snow of sunny England. It is so nice to be back out here in the tropics. The crew onboard this leg is a little different, as they are all adults. The reason for this is because this is the longest leg of the voyage and it's traditionally five to six days of motoring until the trade winds kick in, and then it is downwind sailing for the next two to three weeks. All in all it would be a very hard trip for non-experienced sailors.
The new crew is Alastair Buchan first mate Hutch Wright Sue Ballantine Lucy Scales and myself. Three of us (Alastair, Sue and me) left England two days ago; we had an overnight stay Quito and arrived yesterday at three o’clock. Sam and Jon had gone for a little surf, so we made ourselves at home. Lucy has spent the previous week on the islands doing the tourist thing and she joined the yacht today. Hutch has flown in today and has arrived as I am typing this log.
So far so good, the yacht is in good order, the comms seem to be behaving and the crew is happily enthusiastic. Yesterday the food was inventoried and a shopping list produced, as well as the hand over from Sam to myself. At six o’clock all the Blue Water Rally participants were invited onto a 150ft Perini Navi sailing yacht for drinks. This was a very nice way of saying hello to all the people I have missed over the previous three weeks. We then wondered into town were we had some local food in the local Kiosks, which was fantastic. The nice thing for me on this leg is that my wife Antonia is sailing on a catamaran that is part of the rally, so I will be able to talk to her during the trip, which will be great. Ant is also sailing Gipsy Moth from the Marquises to Tahiti, then on to Tonga.
Today the hectic routine of trying to keep people busy and get the yacht ready progressed at a steady pace. Sue, who has cooked on yachts before, volunteered to do the shopping, I spent my time with Alastair going through the yachts systems. It is a very nice change to have people on the yacht that understand sailing so we are already nearly ready to set off. Lucy arrived the same time as Sue returned from shopping, so I was able to give Lucy (who has no sailing experience) a thorough safety brief, before doing a general safety brief later this evening.
Tomorrow it looks like we will be able to spend the day touring around and seeing the fantastic wildlife. We will have a few jobs to complete on Thursday morning and then hopefully we will be off on our long passage. We are all looking forward to arriving in the Marquises and hopefully it should take around 28 days.
I would like to thank Sam and Jon for getting the yacht here on time, for fuelling her up and for giving her the love and attention she always demands. Cheers.
A DAY OF REST
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 Red Breasted Frigate Bird
Wednesday 15 March 2006
Galapagos
At Anchor
A Day of Rest
Alastair Buchan Mate
We plan to leave tomorrow afternoon. After two days of fuelling, rationing and generally preparing Gipsy Moth IV for sea all the remains is to bring aboard fresh food, and as everyone is promising light to vanishing winds for the first 600/700 miles, still more fuel. This is not a passage for the purist. Anyway they are tasks for tomorrow morning so the skipper declared Wednesday a day of rest. It’s likely to be our last for three weeks.
Ray, Sue and Lucy disappeared towards North Seymour Island. This is north of Baltra. It’s miles away but they were lured by promises of swimming with sealions, seals (sounds OK) and sharks (!). There was also the chance of seeing Blue Footed Boobies, a rare bird only found in the islands and the source of many double entendres on local T-shirts and sun hats. It was all as promised and a great time was had by all.
Alastair and Hutch disappeared into the town where Hutch began his great hat hunt. He now owns a sun hat for every occasion and the hunt was so exhausting it took four hours of serious lunching to recover. They only stopped because they were in danger of missing the bus to the Blue Water Rally briefing and farewell party which was finally reached by trudging for miles through a lava tube which is exactly that, a tube blown through lava by red hot gases during an eruption.
The briefing underlined this is passage across lonely seas. Volunteers for radio net controllers were sought and eventually found without resorting to the hinted threats and then to the serious business of eating (our last meal at a table for weeks) and wishing new and old friends fair winds and kind seas.
DEPARTURE FROM PORTA AYORA
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 Leg 10 Crew Ready for the Off.
16th May 2006
Position: 00 59’49 S, 90 37’83 W
Weather: Barometer 1008, wind direction variable, wind speed 2-3 knots, sea state smooth, course 235
Departure from Puerto Ayora
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Written By Hutch Wright Second mate (aka The Oily Rag)
After last nights pre mission briefing we were ready and keen to get going .The only remaining items to purchase were fruit and veg plus more diesel. The supermarket was only 100 yards from the quay so a Sainsbury trolley provided the usual logistic support to get the supplies on board.
We decided that before departing we all deserved one last big fat Galburger with all the trimmings. I guess no need for supper tonight. After stowing away all the veg in nets we weighed anchor and at 3.30 we slipped out of harbour and headed west into the open expanse of the Pacific Ocean ready for all the mystery and adventure which we have learned to expect.
A pause to reflect the enormity of the task we were about to encounter, was rudely interrupted by our first visitor Freddie the Freeloading Frigate bird, who has taken up residence at the top of the mizzen mast and will probably remain there until we get to the Marquises. So I guess we now have a full complement of crew.
We have now been allotted daily duties except for Freddie of course. Mine appears to be Music and fresh fish supplier. Wait for the photos.
Our first Sunset was awesome, only to be followed by the lazy moon rising from the East which lit up our path through the night.
This is Oily Rag signing off until my next time.
A DAY IN THER DOLDRUMS
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 17th May 2006
Position: 02 27’66 S, 92 45’25 W
Time: 2040 (local) 0340 (GMT)
Weather: Barometer 1009, wind direction variable, wind speed 2-3 knots, sea state smooth, course 235
A Day in the Doldrums
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Written By Ray Nicholson (Skipper, UKSA Instructor)
Well, the doldrums have not quite lived up to their name, as we have been quite busy today. However, the sea and wind conditions have lived up to expectations. There is a one-meter swell running at the moment, which Gipsy Moth is dealing with in her usual manner. The wind is almost non-existent with the occasional light puff, just enough to move the hairs on my head, and the heat has been beautiful. Thanks to the awning we are keeping ourselves from getting totally deep fried.
I find myself in the strange position of having things done before I ask, for instance this morning as I came on watch at two in the morning, Hutch informed me that he had just had a wander around the deck to make sure all was well. Luxury! Food is served at regular intervals, without the normal hints and guidance needed with some of out special participants. So far we are getting on very well and we are still working each other out. For the first time in a long time I find myself going off watch with not too much to worry about.
Today had been quite a busy day. Lucy has been doing the ocean surveys; Sue decided to go through some of the galley cupboards and re-stowed some of the items. I decided to stop the yacht at 1500 to switch of the engine and perform some engine checks, which Alastair did. We all jumped in and had a swim, which is great in 3000 meters of water. Lucy and I gave the water line a little clean to get rid of some of the growth. It was a very nice interlude from the engine noise, which has been running non-stop and will do so for the next two to three days. I have also been busy with pen and paper working out fuel consumption and how long it takes to fill a water tank, to best access the fuel management, which on this leg can be critical.
The high light of the day was seeing a pod of whales whilst we were stopped. Unfortunately they were a little to far away to film or identify them, however it was nice to have the company. Talking about company Freddie the Frigate bird did a bunk in the early hours of the morning, much to Sue’s relief, as she was concerned it may not make it back to land, however after seeing the presents it left for us I am quite glad it went.
After our playtime in the sea we had some nice fresh water showers, fired up the iron fore sail and headed back on course to out distant destination. I am not predicting how long it will take at this time, as it will depend when we catch the trade winds. The weather report this morning seemed to indicate that they are moving down South, which is not the best news, however, at sea things can change.
We have had an amazing dinner of filet steak served with fried onions, mushrooms and mashed postatoes and I must say I would have happily purchased that meal in a restaurant.
ALARMS AND EXCURSIONS
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 SATURDAY 18TH MARCH 2006
1800 hours SHIP’S TIME (0100 hours UTC)
POSITION Latitude 3o 58.256 S Longitude 93o 52.544W
WEATHER Wind ENE 1 knot (mostly less now) Visiblity good Sea State slight (One metre swell.)
ALARMS AND EXCURSIONS
By
A Buchan, Mate, Gipsy Moth
First the alarms, it is only our second full day at sea and we have a problem with the satellite communication system. The skipper switches it on, it goes through its repertoire of whistles and beeps, tells us that it has found a satellite but that it will only take voice calls. This means we cannot send any reports to update the website so we don’t know when you will read this. Just as important we cannot pull in the latest weather forecast. The engine has been going more or less non-stop since we left and it would be nice to know where to find the best winds.
The morning roll call of the other Blue Water Rally boats raised our hopes that we had reached the top edge of the trades. We can’t see any of the other boats but we are all within a few miles of each other and everyone was reporting much the same winds. Nothing much more than eight to ten knots but all from the right direction and with the right sails that’s more than enough. We stopped the engine, hoisted the cruising chute and found ourselves making over four knots in the right direction. The mizzen staysail added another knot or so and we had it made. Things could only get better. Then, after an hour, skipper, ever eagled eyed, spotted a small tear in the cruising chute. It came down and was replaced by the spare, not many boats carry two cruising chutes, but the wind decided enough was enough and went home. We’ve not seen much of it since.
While we were stopped there were more excursions. Everyone, except one nameless sluggard, took the opportunity to leap overboard for a swim in a few thousand feet of water. Unlike yesterday there were no passing whales to disturb the bathers and once they were back aboard it was up with the iron mainsail and on with our hunt for the trades.
The highlight of the passage so far has been Sue’s cooking. Working on a one ring cooker (one of its two burners is sick) she has produced mouth watering, gourmet meals. Yet another is being prepared as I write this.
The jokes about ‘I’m a Nonentity..get me out of here!’ have all been made but than does not make them any less true. Take five strangers of different backgrounds, ages and experience, stick them in a confined space for a few weeks, disturb their normal sleep patterns and its perfectly natural to take bets on who will wear the pink leotard. In fact we are rubbing along fine. Nicknames are beginning to emerge and that’s always a good sign….so far we have Salty, Oily Rag and Mum but for more on this watch this space.
IN AT THE DEEP END
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 Sunday 19TH MARCH 2006
SHIP’S TIME: 1720 hours (0012 hours UTC)
POSITION: Latitude 5o 34.047 S Longitude 94o 56.082W
WEATHER: Wind NE 10 knot (mostly less now) Visibility good, Sea State slight (Two metre swells.)
IN AT THE DEEP END
Lucy Scales
Finally I have emerged from my sweaty cabin of despair. Only now has the seasickness begun to subside and I have come back to join the land of the living. Members of the crew have helpfully been informing me that being sea sick is all in the mind. This has been hard to believe and very annoying to hear as I wretch over the side of the boat. Yet I am gradually getting accustomed to Gipsy Moth’s movements as she rolls and tumbles her way across the Pacific Ocean. I have even managed to eat some of Sue’s amazing cooking, without having to re-feed it to the fishes several hours later. We are still motoring along at a steady pace and constantly looking to the sky for any sign of wind. Hopefully the sails will be up in a couple of days so I can get my first real taste of sailing.
I am beginning to understand Chantelle’s predicament when she entered the Celebrity Big Brother House. She was the only non celebrity in the house, desperately trying to act like one. Similarly, I am the only non sailor on board a yacht full of yachties. And I am failing miserably at pretending to be a yachtie myself. Sailing is a foreign language and it is taking some time for all the definitions of mizzens and halliards and clews to sink into my non yachtie brain. Yet I am beginning to pick things up, and with three men on board, there is always someone who wants to tell me how they think things ought to be done. As a result I have been learning some essential skills and rules. On my first ever night watch, old Salty effectively taught me the perils of falling into the sea at night by making me watch an apple core being thrown into the dark abyss of water. As it disappeared from sight, I felt suitably terrified and sat frozen to my seat. Oily Rag has taught me a few knots by talking about rabbits going into holes, and Ray, aka Pluto, (so called after the baddie in Popeye with whom he shares many attributes), has taught me the basics of navigation by drawing on an orange. Most importantly I have learnt the sailor’s mating call, which involves belching loudly. With an unsettled stomach this has been easy to perform.
I find comfort by drawing from Chantelle’s experience. Despite not having any skill or talent, the Big Brother House made her a celebrity. I am hoping that the same will apply to me, and that after three weeks on board the Gipsy Moth, I will become a yachtie.
Today, we once again had a quick dip in the ocean to cool off after many hours of motoring. Salty will not join us, as he refuses to abandon ship unless totally necessary. It is still rather difficult to comprehend swimming over 3 miles of water, some 300 miles out into the Pacific. Despite our cramp conditions, we must have more space around us than nearly any other human being in the world. But we are certainly not the only creatures out here. Moments ago we were joined by flipper and his friends, leaping and splashing their way out of sight into the horizon. But other than that, we are totally alone. Oily Rag occasionally looks up to the mast to see if his friend Freddie the Freeloading Frigate bird has returned. Alas he has not. It is just us and the sea.
RAISING SAILS AND DASHING HOPES
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Sue Strikes Again
MONDAY 20 MARCH 2006
1700 hours SHIP’S TIME (0200 hours UTC)
POSITION Latitude 3o 58.256 S Longitude 93o 52.544W
WEATHER Wind ENE 8 knots Visibility good Sea State slight (One metre swells.)
RAISING SAILS AND DASHING HOPES
By
A Buchan, Mate, Gipsy Moth
Last night flashes of lightning lit the sky as the Gods exchanged greetings. Fortunately they remained on good terms and it came to nothing. A full blown tropical electrical storm is one of life’s more moving moments. Then the rain blew in out of the black hole of the night. All that can be said is that it was warm. Hutch donned his lightweight, breathable oilies and discovered the wet gets everywhere. All in all it was a great start to the day.
For days, it seems like forever, we have been buoying our hopes up with the promise of favourable winds between eight and ten degrees south. On the morning radio net everyone was reporting wind and we could take our pick from north easterlies round the clock to south easterlies with strengths of eight to twelve knots. One boat even said they were experiencing twenty knot winds with squalls and rough seas but none had found the trades. Worse, the weather forecast showed a near lack of winds further south for the next three days which made it rather foolish to continue moving in that direction. So we are now more or less pointing towards the Marquesas and if the GPS speaks true we have around 2500 nautical miles to go.
It remained overcast all day with a long procession of rain squalls marching over us. Each comes with its own wind and Captain Bluto took the opportunity to exercise his crew in the art of hoisting sails. And a fine job we made of it. Twice! We even had Gipsy Moth sailing and began hoping that perhaps this would be the start of something great before the wind left Gipsy Moth rolling in the swell flogging the sails to death out of sheer frustration. No wonder crews on square riggers went mad in the Doldrums. Down they came and once again the engine was wound up.
Our fresh food is running out and tonight the Skipper cooked. After Sue’s gourmet meals the difference was apparent even to a gannet like me. However, I remain confident that when my turn to cook comes my signature dish will raise inedibility to new heights. Well it is something for the crew to look forward to.
COULD THIS BE IT
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Do I Look Like Bluto
TUESDAY 21ST MARCH 2006
2000 hours SHIP’S TIME (0300 hours UTC)
POSITION Latitude 6o 59.207 S Longitude 98o 54.798W
WEATHER Wind ENE 8 knots Visibility good Sea State slight (One metre swells.)
Could This Be It
By
Ray Nicholson (Skipper UKSA Instructor)
As I write this log the yacht is at last sailing. We have 16 knots of wind from the Southeast, however the sky is thick with squalls. I just hope that the squalls will give us enough lift to enter the trade winds, which at the moment seem to eluding the whole of the rally. It is so nice to be down below without the noise of the engine drowning everything out. Another facet now raises its head, and that is fuel management. If the trade has kicked in we will be fine, however if the wind dies we will only be able to motor for the next twelve to fourteen hours, as I would like to keep fuel for running the engine to provide water and power.
On lighter issues, Sue (mum) made two loaves of bread, which all the crew agreed, were fantastic. The bread tins seem to have vanished since I was last on the yacht, however Mum improvised by using the dog bowls. The fresh bread was served with a salad, which was rather nice.
I was then subjected to ten minutes of pleasure as Mum brought out the foot soufflé. Jokes were made about strange deserts, however it was no more sinister than a foot massage. I believe that Sue plans to treat the rest of the crew in the same manner.
I have been battling with the sextant and the sight reduction tables and my poor little brain cannot take any more. Hutch brought out a fearsome looking fishing rod, which has probably scared away every single fish in the area, however we keep out fingers crossed as some fresh fish would be most welcome.
Lucy seems to have conquered her seasickness. On watch last night she seemed happy and today she has had a big smile on her face. I just hope that this continues, as there is nothing worse than spending the next couple of weeks feeling horrible.
Alistaire still insists that I look like Pluto and all the crew have sided with him. I myself cannot see the resemblance, but then perhaps I am biased. I have posted a picture up so you decide.
PICKING UP ON THE PACIFIC
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 A Happy Day Sailing
Time: 1830 (local) 0133 (GMT)
Position: 07 28. 458 S 101 08.119 W
Wind Direction:143 degrees
Wind Speed: 15 knots
Barometer 1008
Distance to go: 2235
Picking up on the Pacific.
Lucy Scales
The engine is off, the sails are up and the skipper is smiling. In other words, we are sailing. For the first time, I have been able to see Gipsy Moth in her full glory as she cuts and slides her way across the waves and leans and curves with the wind. The mood on the boat has definitely lifted. This morning I found Salty singing Bavarian sea songs in celebration of the arrival of the South eastern trade winds. Shortly afterwards, Oily Rag was at the helm with the excitement of a small boy playing with his favourite toy on Christmas day. Even Mum has been released from the strap which normally attaches her to the kitchen stove. She is now adorned in glad rags and red lipstick. Bluto has come into his element and is making more pirate noises than ever.
However, the situation last night was entirely contrasting. Prior to our departure, I was informed that we would experience fine weather throughout the trip and we would see few, if any, other vessels. It therefore came as a great surprise when I found myself sitting in the cockpit in torrential rain with lightening streaking across the sky as we navigated our way between four large fishing vessels. Tensions were high, concentrations were focused and lights were switched off to aid night vision. Poor Oily Rag had to adorn his head torch in order to be able to cook our dinner. As I sat there in the rain, feeling like Postman Pat in a bright red anorak, I was informed that proper sailors never wear hoods since this reduces their ability to detect the direction of the wind. As the rain dripped off my nose and trickled down my legs I decided it was preferable not to be a real sailor.
Yet last night, I had a chance to escape from the Gipsy Moth and head back to sunny Ecuador. Being the member of crew with the most Spanish, I was designated to speak to one of the Ecuadorian fishing vessels over the radio transmitter. The fisherman, who was into his third month at sea, was obviously ecstatically happy to hear a female voice. The subject of conversation quickly changed from size and length of boats, to less appropriate topics. I was forced to terminate my conversation with my friendly fisherman as it became obvious that he would not stop talking. When I returned to the cockpit I could still hear his lamentable voice calling out into the night ‘Hello, my friend, hello.’ Twenty minutes later and he was still there. ‘Goodbye, boyfriend? Good bye.’ Oily Rag and Bluto considered handing me over to the vessel in exchange for fresh tuna and ice, but I eventually came to the conclusion that it was preferable to stay on board the Gipsy Moth.
With the help of my three sailing instructors (I shall refer to them as the three wise men), my knowledge of sailing is ever increasing. Yet despite being an incredibly fortunate pupil to have three such experienced teachers, it can at times be a tad too much. Yesterday, while I was at the helm, I had one wise man telling me to steer in the direction which put us off course, another wise man telling me to keep on course, and the third wise man physically moving the helm with his leg. However, with all this advice and tuition, I have recently discovered that I already possess one of the most important skills essential for sailing. That is, of course, the ability to talk a lot of rubbish for many hours during the day and night. Since everyone on board also seems to possess this ability, things are going extremely well as our mammoth journey gets under way.
SEA, SEA AND SEA
Time: 1415 (local) 0015 (GMT)
Position: 08 24.6 S 103 32W
Wind Direction:143 degrees
Wind Speed: 15 knots
Barometer 1008
Distance to go: 2085
Sea, Sea and Sea
By
Sue B
After a great drinks party last night to celebrate ¼ of our trip across the Ocean, rum punch & canapés , moral was at an all time low this morning Lucy & I have a tummy bug & struggled to do our watch last night but the lovely boy’s have decided to give us the night off tonight, yippee! A full nights sleep for the first time in a week, we love them !!.
Skip & Salty have spent most of the day in a very hot cabin mending the 2 ring Gas burner which is a very important piece of equipment unless we want to eat cold tinned food & uncooked rice & pasta, but fingers crossed it seems to be fixed.
The good news of the day is oily rag (Hutch) has caught his first fish of the trip, you can’t imagine what excitement this caused so that is the dinner solved for tonight.
We do love Gipsy Moth but the rolling over the waves is relentless and she rolls, let me tell you. I have already fallen out of my bunk twice.
The tradewinds are still with us and we are doing about 150 miles a day, since our encounter with the Ecuadorean Tuna fishing fleet we have seen nothing but sea and the odd flying fish . Roll on Marquises Islands & that first cold Vodka Tonic & juicy steak . We are all losing weight, which is good, apart from Lucy, who has a figure to die for!! .
A VERY SPECIAL DAY
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 10000NM
Position 09 01 713 S
106 08 963 W
Time 1805 (local)
0105 (Gmt)
Wind Speed :12 knots
Wind Direction : Southease
Average speed (ground) : 6 knots
A Very Special Day - Ray Nicholson (Skipper)
Where to start! The reason why today is a special day is because Gipsy Moth has now covered a total of 10,000 nautical miles. For a yacht to cover this kind of distance in less that a year is amazing. Of course Sir Francis had covered a lot more miles in this time frame, but then he was not stopping quite as frequently as before.
Yesterday we altered ships time back another hour (-8 UTC). This is coordinated by the Blue Water Rally so that all the yachts alter their time at the same time. This eliminates any confusion about what time the net is taking place (all the yachts listen in on a specified HF channel and give their position to the net controller of the day). If we were sailing without company then ships time would change -1 hour or +1 hour as you travel west or east every 15 degrees of longitude. I am pleased to say that the weather has cleared up. It has been rainy and squally for the last five days and it has been nice to be in the sun, however it is very hot and the wind does not really bring any relief. I love it.
After yesterday’s fun and games with the Primus stove, I came off my watch at 0600 and put on the engine to charge the batteries. Sue had come up to me in the middle of the night and in a very sheepish voice let me no in the kindest possible terms that it looked like the heads may be blocked. It was 0400 and I thought it can wait until the morning. One of my philosophies in life is you should never ask somebody to do something you would not do yourself. Anyway I got up at 0600, donned my battle gear (rubber gloves, shorts, rusty screwdriver and a sence of humour) and I commenced battle. Half an hour later I prevailed. I shall not go into detail. The look on Sue’s face said it all really. Two hours later, as I was gearing up to play on the computer and start my day job (video clips, e-mails, photos etc) Hutch casually wondered up and announced that the heads were blocked, again.
So, again out came the battle gear, with an even larger dose of humour I set to. Three hours later I emerged tired, dirty and triumphant. I will not go into detail and my initial thoughts of “Should I video this?” were left where they started, in my head. Anyway all the seals have been replaced and hopefully it will be as good as gold.
Another drama unfolded, as I asked Alistair to shut of the engine. He calmly announced that it would not shut off. I had images of bleeding the fuel system after using the emergency stop, of emptying the aft lazerett to try to get to the back of the engine control panel, all jobs which I really did not want to do. A piece of sage advice popped into my head “Always look for the simple solution first”. It was like Yoda was stood next to me. I looked down and saw that the engine battery was of!
There has been a lot of high humour on the boat today; I myself had to laugh when sorting out the toilet because there is nothing else to do. Another highlight to the day is Oily Rag caught another fish (not as big as yesterdays, but a fish none the less. All in all it’s been a bit of a special day
A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS FROM HUTCH
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 Thoughts from Hutch
Time: 2000 (local) 0400 (GMT)
Position: 09 37.6 S 108 26.9W
Wind Direction: 122 degrees
Wind Speed: 18 knots
Barometer 1010
Distance to go: 1825
Daily Blog from Hutch Wright (aka Oily Rag)25/3/06
Sorry folks, but you have got me again.
Well it’s been quite a week since I last wrote to you.
The good news is that Lucy is better (she is a tuffy)
Freddie the Frigate Bird found somewhere more comfortable, only to be replaced with a light dusting of flying fish who litter the deck every morning. I understand that they make a great breakfast fried on toast.
I think we have all slipped into a daily routine, but surprisingly kept very busy resulting in a good nights sleep. Gipsy Moth is like an old person who likes to do things her way. Try something new and you are in for a surprise….today the cruising chute (like a spinnaker to you and me) spectacularly came away from the mast. Obviously she wants to reach the Marquesas in her way and not ours.
Anyway every cloud has a silver lining, this gave skip an excuse to show how nimble he was by climbing up the mast to effect some repairs. Actually I wound him up and I had to recover with a stiff gin and tonic.
By the way, I have to share this piece of useless information with you, but we have five crew on board (including myself).Our ages are 22,32,42,52,and 62 ..How weird is that….OK guess which age matches which person.
I’m glad to say that my enormous investment into deep sea fishing gear has paid of with two Mahi Mahi (Dorada) Of course now I’m expected to produce the catch of the day every day
Now… personal hygiene on a yacht (which was originally designed for one) presently 5 on board, has become a major issue. Showers for us in the evening have become a major item to look forward to although some of us need a little more encouragement than others (no names, no pack drills)
When on watch on ones own, I have discovered a great way to make time pass quickly….. Plug in to IPOD and put on An Air Guitar concert using Gipsy Moth’s tiller as the guitar (she didn’t mind) but Skip did …I woke him with my rendition of Another Brick in Wall.
Anyway must go Mahi Mahi for supper again …….its a tough life!
As it’s a clear night I shall be performing in front of the Stars.
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE
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 Stuck in the Middle
Time : 1800 (local) 0200 (UTC)
Position : 10 29’4 S 110 30’2 W
Wind : 8
Direction : 140
Log : 10313
Stuck in the Middle
Lucy Scales
Although we are now thousands of miles away from the nearest form of civilisation (behaviour on board this boat cannot be classified as civilised) it was decided that as today is Sunday, we, the crew of Gipsy Moth, deserved a day of rest. As I speak Sue is snoozing on the bow, Oily Rag has put away his fishing rod and Captain Bluto, despite the last few manic days is now unwinding by catching up on this month’s ‘Good Housekeeping’ and familiarising himself with various women’s issues. Today, Gipsy Moth is sailing like a dream. Thanks to Captain Bluto’s daring display yesterday when he shimmied up the mast, the cruising chute is now up, along with the mizzen (that’s the one at the back on the boat, or the ‘stern’ if you’re a yachtie) so we are skimming along at some speed. The weather is beautiful, and bar Oily Rag’s legs, we are all going a nice golden colour. Previously I thought of the Gipsy Moth as being an old stubborn bag. But today, she is a real lady, moving with grace and ease.
I never thought I would be so poetic about this boat. In fact there have been moments when I thought that I would not feel better until I was safely back on dry land and Gipsy Moth was well out of sight. Oily has renamed her ‘the Vomit Comet’, after spending a few too many nights with me as his companion. Salty comforted me by telling me that in the army if you walked to the doctors you were categorised as being alive, and if you were carried there, you were dead. Under this categorisation, I was at times slightly more dead than alive.
But thanks must be given to Super Mum Sue for aiding my speedy recovery. I woke up yet another morning feeling awful, the situation not being helped by the broken heads and the entire cabin smelling of a nightclub toilet in Tenerife. Sue decided that enough was enough, and she was on that satellite phone tracking down the best known doctor in the western world, or at least in Sloane Square, known as Dr. Peter King-Lewis. I was then directed to drink four bottles of disgusting tasting liquid and not to eat for the rest of the day. By that evening I felt great and was begging Sue to let me eat some of the left overs from lunch. Whether it was that drink or the mysterious German seasickness pills I found, something has done the trick, for I am feeling marvellous. I am under the impression that some crew members preferred me being ill, for at least then I was quiet.
As we approach half way point, land is becoming a mere dream. Oily Rag hallucinates about seeing a ship’s mast on the horizon and Salty reckons that we are in fact travelling backwards in time, and it will be 1701 by the time we reach the Marquesas. Even birds are a rare sight. There are only the flying fishes who keep us company and occasionally join us on deck, getting stuck in the sails and causing a horrible smell. Captain Bluto has just found one dangling out of his swimming shorts which were hung up to dry. There is also talk of the ghost of Sir Francis, who apparently likes to keep an eye on his old boat. Mysteriously, things keep disappearing. The shower bags, a sail bag and Oily Rag’s favourite hat (although admittedly I am too blame for the loss of the hat). Perhaps he is watching us, for anything seems possible when you’re in the middle of the Pacific. If he is, then one thing is for certain. He will be wondering what on earth possessed us to bring old Gipsy Moth across the Pacific. But at this moment as I watch the sun slowly set in the west, there isn’t anywhere I’d rather be.
COMPARISIONS
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Comparisons
Time: 1800 (local) 0200 (UTC)
Position: 10 04’8 S 112 33’3 W
Wind: 10 knots
Direction: 178
Log: 10467
Comparisons.
Ray Nicholson (Skipper).
We have had an interesting couple of days, as you have no doubt read in the previous logs. Again, it strikes me how hard Sir Francis had to work this yacht. In the last couple of days we have changed from the running sail to the cruising chute, and working at the mast has so many challenges. There are lines in the way, it is very hard to keep your balance and there are numerous tripping hazards. The crew is still not used to the motion of the yacht and it is a strain to do anything, no wonder Sir Francis was so wiry and lean when he arrived in Australia. Today, after a tactical discussion with Salty, we decided to gybe and found ourselves on a heading of 330 degrees, when we needed to be going 270 degrees. This added a further four days to the voyage time! So, after a breather, we decided to pole out the headsail. This meant taking the pole down and re-rigging it on the other side of the mast. This task took Salty, |Lucy and myself with Hutch at the helm, almost an hour. I do not know how Sir Francis did it.
At the moment we are all feeling the constant demands of the yacht and are looking forward to landfall. Everyone is tired, however spirits are still high. We will be half way some time tonight and we are all looking forward to a half way party, if Gipsy Moth will let us. Hutch came out with an interesting comment today. He realised that nobody would have hand steered this yacht as long as we have. The self-steering weather vane is a little tight and will not work to self-steer the yacht.
Lucy has made a full recovery, thank heavens, and is full of beans. She keeps announcing that she is hungry so we have been feeding her lots of nuts. Sue, who insists on making the food, and has produced some fantastic meals, suffered sleepless night last night, however she is a very tough and determined girl and produced more fantastic food today. I am starting to wish we were there. The weather is superb, with fluffy little clouds, a nice amount of breeze and Good Company. The problems with the yacht are well documented.
Another interesting facet of this voyage has been the wildlife, or lack of it. We have not seen dolphins or whales in ages, very few birds but plenty of flying fish. Hutch has been terrifying the fish of the sea and had two bits today but did not manage to reel them in.
ANOTHER DAY ON THE GREAT SOUTH SEA
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 Another day on the Great South Sea
By
Alastair Buchan, Mate
We are now well over halfway on our journey to the Marquesas and everyone is counting off the miles until we arrive.
On a long passage like this one day becomes much like another and not much seems to happen. Today has been one of those days. Yesterday we turned Gipsy Moth around and poled out the headsail. Gipsy Moth began eating up the miles, and for a time even devouring them in the right direction. Then the wind swung round, not much but enough to take us off course. This did not slow Gipsy Moth’s rampage across the ocean and we chalked up our best day’s run of 177 miles although only 130 of them were towards Nuku Hiva .
There’s no moon when clouds cover the sky there is the feeling of sailing along in a black hole that might at any moment drop off the edge of the world. It does not help when the clouds bring squalls, Last night they were coming through at 25-28 knots and had Gipsy moth surging of he top of waves in great welters of foam. This morning we were far enough north to gybe the pole, quite an operation, and point the bows at Nuku Hiva. Long may they continue to do so.
On the morning radio net when all Blue Water Rally boats check in one boat complained they were experiencing problems with their self steering and had to hand steer for a while. Only for a while! The windvane shaft of Chichester’s original self-steering was bent in Aruba and it is on permanent sick leave. We hand steer 24 hours a day. Everyone puts in at least five hours, often more, each day. It does not help that Gipsy Moth has her own ideas where we should go and sometimes slopes off in any direction that takes her fancy. There’s no sleeping on this helm.
Sue continues to work wonders in the galley. As I write the smells of this evening’s dinner waft through the cabin, occasionally followed by Sue when an unexpected lurch throw her out of the galley. Lucy has fully recovered from her illness and is well on the way to becoming an old salt. This tack prohibits Hutch from fishing. A pity for yesterday he had two solids bites and our hopes of fresh fish for dinner were high. Tonight’s meal includes ‘ham in natural juices’ and the question of the moment is, ‘What are unnatural juices?’
ANOTHER DAY
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 Wednesday 29 March 2006
Position 9o 20.9S 117o 33.4W
Wind ESE 115 knots
Another day
By
Alastair Buchan, Mate
This is our fifteenth day at sea and it is another day of no particular importance. Life in the Trades is like that. The wind, minor variations apart, is pretty well constant, the sails need little attention; the Skipper and Hutch did some pole dancing as early morning exercise and poled out the headsail and we’ve not touched it since, and Gipsy Moth swoops along with very little help from us. If the self-steering worked we would have nothing to do. We only stand watches at night using a system that gives each of us three hours on and four and a half hours off. During the day the helm is taken by anyone who has nothing better to do, and as long as the wind stays like this that’s the way it will be.
On this point of sail, the wind is nearly dead astern, Gipsy Moth’s rolling is very nearly bearable (compared to what it usually is) and she is much, much easier to helm. The hatches are open passing fresh air through the cabin, making it less of a sauna and almost, but not quite, a home.
Like the weather we have settled into the daily routine of sailing Gipsy Moth and getting on with life. We are like marathon runners who have run through the ‘wall’ and know that they will finish. The only question is, ‘How long will it take and can we do better?’ The best guess is that we should arrive sometime next week, perhaps Thursday or Friday.
Of course we are not racing but the Skipper is keen that we should not arrive last. Gipsy Moth may be a thoroughbred but compared to modern boats she is slow. Some boats that left about the same time as us are within a day or so of arriving in the Marquesas. Happily there are a couple of boats still astern of Gipsy Moth (OK they left later) and we are hoping that our good runs of the last few days will see us overhaul some of the boats just ahead. Yesterday we ran 177 miles and are hoping for as much again today.
All this gentle, easy going routine presents the Skipper with the challenge of finding a theme for today’s video clip. Sue has twice seen a gull, bird life is rare out here, and is convinced it is the same gull following us. It was a possibility but it has gone now. In fact, today’s highlight and major talking point is when the Skipper carefully tied his carefully laundered shorts on the rail to dry and then, almost instantly, watched them flutter astern. It was surprising how quickly they disappeared from view. It was, he declared, a certainty for Captain Bhutto’s series on how not to tie knots.
GROUNDHOG DAY
 Thursday 30th March 2006
Position 09 33’3S 119 57.4W
Wind ESE 14 knots
Groundhog Day
By
Sue B
Two weeks at sea exactly, to the minute almost, and one day rolls into another. In fact we have to ask each other what day of the week it is.
Lucy and I have decided that night watches are a form of torture. Just when you are in a deep sleep it is time to rise for the watch, having said that we were gossiping so much last night Lucy suddenly realised that she had gone ten minutes over her watch. Time to hop back into her bunk as fast as possible.
Oily Rag (Hutch) may be a captain of industry, but when it comes to working the heads he has not got a clue. I have just taught him to pump out as he has been doing it wrong for two weeks! So we have found the culprit at last. What would they do without the girls I do not know.
I hope we are not all losing the plot, as Gipsy Moth has sort of became the sixth person. She is so happy at the moment, gliding over the ocean swell with all her sails up, maintaining a speed of eight knots, so we all hope to reach the Marquises Islands by next Friday, unless of course the wind suddenly dies.
I have decided for a taste of home cooking so I am currently preparing bangers (hot dogs), mash and beans. Lovely! So must dash.
THE BEAUTY OF THE OPEN SEA
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 Friday 31March 2006
Position 9o 20.9S 117o 33.4W
Wind ESE 115 knots
The Beauty of the Open Sea
By Ray Nicholson (Skipper).
We are now getting to the point when the end is in sight. We have crossed the barrier of thousands of miles and now we are merely talking of hundreds (990 at the time of this writing). Talk amongst the crew has changed now from days bleeding into other days. There is talk of a couple of nights in a hotel, of showers and of eating out with a couple of drinks. The inevitable questions of what is the island going to look like, what are the people like and will the food be good. The guides are coming out as we all do a little bit of research. It was noticed, in the Blue Water Rally guide, that Nuka Hiva (our destination island) has exceptional bread and croissants, much to the delight of everybody. There is an air of anticipation as we all start to watch the miles slowly reducing and as Alistair produces his note book at noon, to tell us our distance covered and distance made good from the previous twenty four hours. So far the day’s runs have been good, sitting on the 150 mile range. This will hopefully give us a land fall in about six days, the thought of less than a week to go is so tantalising.
This leg, which is the longest in the rally and must be one of the longest deep ocean passages, has given everybody time to think and contemplate. I often find myself thinking of my wife, who is only 300 miles ahead of us. Sometimes I find myself on the helm with only my own company and plenty of time to reflect. This is the true beauty of the open sea for me. It is not the waves, the fantastic sunrises and sunsets or the wildlife out here, but the time to contemplate and reflect. In this hectic day and age I think people do not make the time to stop and evaluate what is happening in their lives and I feel that this kind of sailing opens up the doors to our inner minds. It gives us time to plan and appreciate what is good in our lives rather, then dwelling on what is wrong. For some people this time may drive them almost mad. I feel this is where the single handed sailor comes into his own. Nobody to blame for mistakes made or items forgotten. The prospect of being completely self sufficient is a rarity these days. This is perhaps what drives the single handed and single minded sailors, like Sir Francis, on and on.
A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES
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 Flat Stanley!
Lucy Scales
A sight for sore eyes
“You better go and shave your legs” said Ray as I stumbled through the galley and made my way on deck for the early morning watch. I looked at him quizzically, for it is common knowledge that the momentous occasion of shaving my legs will not take place until land is reached and human contact is made. But when I followed his gaze I understood what he meant. There, only about one mile away was one of the most wondrous and amazing things I have seen in the last 2 weeks. It was nothing less than another yacht. Despite the magnitude of the ocean, we had converged on similar paths with this yacht, also part of the Blue Water Rally. It is difficult to describe the giddy happiness we all felt. We were not alone in the sea, human life existed and we were going to have contact with other people!!
Oily Rag, ever the tactician, decided that although it was not a race, we had better beat this other boat. We should go behind them, steal their wind, jump on board, check their freezer for any meat and then speed off into the distance. I suddenly felt like a pirate on the high seas. Unfortunately they soon disappeared from sight, and although we had a little chat with our fellow friendly yachties over the radio, my razor remains in the cupboard and there is no meat for dinner.
However, now that we have broken the 1000 mile barrier (we are now down to approximately 900 miles to Nuku Hiva) our remaining journey is now a manageable distance. 3000 miles is too great a figure for my brain to comprehend, but now our destination seems all the more within reach. In fact, I can almost hear the ice cubes tinkling in the gin n tonic which awaits me in the Marquesas. Sue has already booked me, Hutch and herself into a hotel on the island. We spend hours thinking of dry beds, clean sheets, comfortable chairs, hot showers and eating lunch without rocking backwards and forwards. Of course there will be the ultimate luxury of being able to sleep the entire night through. We are all getting fairly tired of the night watches, and I for one have started having very strange dreams. Last night, Madonna was telling me that this journey was just a practise run. I was to start the same trip all over again and to stop being such a drama queen.
The days continue to roll into each other. I wake up each morning and I am faced with the same eternal question. Which bikini should I wear today? Captain Bluto continues to remind me that sailing is not just about sunning oneself in one’s bikini. I have been attending the Bluto School of Sailing. Today I learnt to tie 8 knots, and very soon I shall be classified as a competent member of crew. I definitely pass the section which focuses on remaining relaxed in all situations. I even managed to sleep through a minor drama this morning, when one of the sheets broke and the head sail started flapping furiously in the wind. Thankfully Sue and the Skip were there to save the day.
Finally, I would like to introduce the sixth member of the crew. His name is Flat Stanley, he is about 12 inches tall, totally flat and comes from Inly School, Michigan, USA (see photos). Flat Stanley loves to travel, so he jumped at the opportunity of sailing on the Gipsy Moth. He is so far the only member of crew to remain totally mentally intact throughout the entire journey.
THE THINGS WE MISS
The Things We Miss
By The Lord High Cholesterol of Clipperton Island, Central Pacific Ocean, SEA 007
Well…where do I start? I guess this will be my last essay from G.M. Maybe I should recollect some of the high and low points of the passage so far.
Captain Bluto has been outstanding for most of the time. However, he does have his moments (as we all do of course). These are generally induced by his lover, the Primer Stove, which today finally refused to cooperate, even after Bluto caressed and kissed her all over. I fear the eternal flame between these two has gone out for good, (more to the point, it means cold food for the rest of us for a week)
I must own up to being a bit sparky myself last night, when being replaced by the next watch keeper at two in the morning in the pouring rain. He inquired whether the clothes line had been secured by “a round turn and two half hitches”. Of course I left him in no doubt how the line was fastened and went to my scratcher.
No more fish have been caught yet…my excuse has been that we are on the wrong tack. The mizzen boom interferes with the rod and line. However somebody switched off the wind today so fingers crossed frying fish tonight on the bar b q.
I have been conducting a casual survey amongst the crew.
THINGS THEY MISS THE MOST AT HOME, EXCEPT PEOPLE. Here are a few of the popular ones.
Curry or Thai meal accompanied by a cold beer.
Ice for the Gin or Rum
A proper flat dry bed
Dry clothes
Going for Walk in the Green Grass
Watching Rugby and Cricket
My Dogs
Ice Cream
Top Gear
Gossip
Long hot Bath
The next question:
THINGS THAT THEY DON’T MISS AT HOME
The TV and especially reality TV, quiz shows and soaps
Traffic jams
Visiting the bank
Boring dinner parties
Forms
Bills
News
Queues
Political Correctness
Ridiculous Health and Safety initiatives
Computers and mobile phones
Well …..Read into above what you will, but it I find it fascinating that none of the above involves any real material items.
As for what we might miss once back at home …
The Stars
The Climate
The Crew Banter
Loosing all this weight (without trying)
The achievement and anticipation of arriving.
Sue doing my laundry
Sue’s cooking
Lucy is now a well fit (I mean competent) Coastal Skipper thanks to daily evening classes on the foredeck with Skip. She has been a star. Imagine the very first time you ever put a foot on a yacht and its only GIPSY MOTH sailing across the Pacific…how cool is that.
Well there is plenty more time for any of you guys who are up for the challenge, cos that’s what it is. So don’t be shy. Ask your local teacher or parent to put your name up for the cruise of a lifetime. There is still a long way to go.
Post script by Lucy.
The author has now vacated the premises and is partaking in a wind dance on the deck. Otherwise we won’t be going anywhere.
A BETTER DAY
 Date 03 April 2006
Position 8o 44.4S 128o 20.6W
Time 1557 Hrs (Ship’s Time) 2357Hrs (GMT)
Wind SEly 8-10 knots
Sea about 2 metres
Visibility Good
Yesterday was a day of no wind, no sun, and as you will have read, no stove after the solitary working burner on Chichester’s original stove committed Hari Kari. All the obvious repair options failed, some more spectacularly than others, and by this morning we were, sort of, reconciled to a week of no cooked food and no coffee. Jokes about waistlines abounded and a search party was preparing to loot the emergency rations of goodies.
But Captain’s Bluto’s School of Mechanical and Primeval Engineering refused to admit defeat. ‘If necessary we will attack this problem everyday until we find a solution or arrive,’ declared a spokesman and in keeping with the company’s motto (All it takes is a spark of genius) it was discovered the wrong nipple had been fitted to the burner. Nipples are important to a Primus stove and once the correct nipple was in place we had a working stove, or at least, a working burner. An investigation is being conducted to uncover the saboteur who smuggled the wrong nipple aboard.
While all this is going on the wind returned, the cloud declared its protest meeting over, dispersed peaceably and we are bowling pleasantly along in the general direction of Nuku Hiva.
It’s a new moon phase. Down here a clear night sky is a truly wonderful sight. The only light pollution comes from us and masthead light apart we don’t make much. The result is that there are more stars (and planets), they shine with a greater than usual brilliance and the thousands upon thousands of stars that make up the Milky Way wind across the heavens like a white river. Sadly there is no one aboard who admits to even a passing knowledge of astronomy so these wonders remain a mystery. It does not help that most of the constellations are new to us. We are pretty safe on picking out Orion’s Belt and we think we have found the False Cross. We THINK we are too far north to see the Southern Cross. One familiar sight is the Plough swooping in its great arc round the sky. The Pole Star is below our horizon but we can follow the two stars called the Pointers down to the sea and have a good idea where north lies.
With the aid of the Star Finder we can with a fair degree of certainty, pick out half a dozen or so of the 57 stars and planets used in astro-navigation and the Skipper has announced his intention on evening to go forth with the sextant and take enough star sights to work up a fix. Watch this space.
WHERE'S THE WIND GONE?
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 Date 03 April 2006
Position 8o 44.4S 128o 20.6W
Time 1557 Hrs (Ship’s Time) 2357Hrs (GMT)
Wind SEly 8-10 knots
Sea about 2 metres
Visibility Good
Where’s The Wind Gone?
Ray Nicholson (Skipper).
Another day glides by on this vast Pacific Ocean. Sue and I were on watch in the early hours of the morning and we had a spot of light entertainment when a Booby decided to fly around the yacht. It looked for a little while to be eying us up as a rest stop, as the bird flew around Gipsy Moth seven or eight times it then swooped off the starboard side, dived into to the sea and had a light breakfast of flying fish. We had cornflakes.
During this trip we have seen very little wildlife and I think we are all a little disappointed, although some examples of famous sea survival stories seem to have originated from this part of the ocean. A famous example is the Baileys; they spent 118 days in a life raft. The vessel was hit and sunk b y a sperm whale, so I suppose not seeing wildlife has a little advantage.
The last couple of days have seen Gipsy Moth make slow progress as the wind has all but died. Normally, at this time of year the wind is almost guaranteed. Well I suppose it is the general lot of the sailor, there is either too much wind or too little wind and the perfect amount of wind normally comes from the wrong direction. Why do we do it? I ask myself.
Today has definitely felt like the hottest day, with absolutely no relief from the little wind, however during the last couple of days their have been very cloudy skies and lots of rain, so nobody is complaining at the moment.
As we speak the wind has slowly increased to about 10 knots, so we have poled out the running sail and we have hoisted one of the cruising chutes, to try to and drag us towards our destination. At our current speed, we should arrive in Nuki Hiva in about six days; however it feels like I have been saying we will arrive in six days for the last four. One thing is for certain, we shall arrive at some point.
DIET PLANS AND WIND PROBLEMS
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 Lucy Scales
Diet Plans and Wind Problems.
It was clear from the skipper’s cries of pleasure resounding across the Pacific that he had indeed kissed and made up with the primus stove. Now, their relationship has gone from strength to strength, with skip lovingly tending to her every need as she reciprocates with a burning hot flame.
There is of course a major down side to the stove now working. Once again Sue is expected to make bread and cook pasta. Every time food is served, sleeping bodies slowly emerge from bunks and like zombies, follow the direction of the delicious smell. Apart from Sue we have all proved ourselves totally useless in the kitchen. The climax of my culinary expertise was reached when I made peanut butter and jam sandwiches. This afternoon we had delicious ham and cheese canapés and this evening we will be enjoying the Gipsy Moth speciality, the ‘Whiskey tang.’ This consists of an orange powder, only available from Ecuadorian supermarkets, water, whiskey, orange and lime. For ultimate enjoyment, it must be drunk whilst watching a Pacific sunset.
Yet the times are a changing. The whiskey bottle is nearly empty and the cupboards are getting bare. We are therefore all getting put on a strict detox regime, with one meal a day, hot ginger drinks, no cigarettes and no booze. This is of course the lull before the storm. Once we reach the Marquesas there will be maximum amounts of consumption of every kind. But in the short run we are hoping that if some members of the crew manage to shed a few pounds, the boat will be lighter and hopefully go half a knot or so faster.
Other than food issues, there is of course the huge problem of wind. We seem to have had a bit of bad luck with the strength of wind, which is supposedly guaranteed in this part of the world. It was reflected on how women used to be considered bad luck on boats and perhaps this could explain our problem. Sue rightly pointed out the sex of the best yachts person in the world. Was he a strapping young lad, or perhaps an experienced man of the sea? Oh, sorry, I forgot, she is of course a woman.
Women or no women, Oily Rag’s French Polynesian style wind dances seem to be having some effect. We are now trundling along at around 5 knots and hope to be arriving in about 5 days. For the last week or so there has been frequent speculation as to when we would arrive at our destination. The conclusion was always the same. ‘We should be there in about 6 days.’ I was beginning to think that I was stuck in Ground Hog Day, and there would always be 6 days left of this journey. Fortunately we finally seemed to have crossed the 6 day barrier.
There are many things I will miss about this trip. The spectacular burning pink sunrises, the golden, turquoise sunsets, the luminescent moon and the flash of comets which light up the night sky. And of course, I will miss the people. Today Ray made me an awesome bracelet made of thin rope, which is now properly sealed on to my wrist. I’m sure it will always bring back great memories of this trip, though even without the bracelet, I doubt I will be forgetting it in a hurry! In a few days we should see land and the anticipation is immense. One thing remains certain. We should be there in about 6 days.
DOLPHINS IN THE MORNING AND DOLPHINS IN THE EVENING
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 Dolphins in the Morning and Dolphins in the Evening
Written by: Sue B
After a squally night,exciting at times, as we had the headsail poled out and the cruising chute up, I got off watch at 0500, only to be woken at 0630 by Lucy, as the yacht was surrounded by Dolphins, what a fantastic sight, the only time on this whole trip we have seen then close up. Their must have been forty of them, all playing with the wake created by the hull, having the time of their lives. They spent at least half an hour with us. It was definitely the best morning of the trip so far.
Lucy has been speaking in Dolphin language ever since. We have all been feeling rather tired today as we have spent 21 days and 21 nights at sea. It is like having jet lag all the time. Salty has worked out almost to the second, that all being well we will be in Nuki Hiva for lunch on Sunday. Yippee.!!
Lucy has decided that we will all be very emotional when we sight land. Oh dear I do not think I want to see grow men crying. The Lord High Cholesterol (Oily Rag) is still using the excuses that the mizzen sail is on the wrong side so he cannot fish. Skip is almost thinking of putting a gybe in so that we can have fresh fish for dinner, as supplies are starting to dwindle.
The dolphins came back at sunset to say hello and hopefully speed our journey through the night.
OHH, SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR AWAY
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 Position: 08 23’26 S 136 26’47 W
Date: 07/04/06
Tine: 17:30 Local 01:28(utc)
Ohhh, So Close, Yet So Far Away.
Written by: Ray Nicholson (Skipper, UKSA Instructor)
The day is drawing to a close, there are fluffy cumulus clouds all about and a couple of them are threatening to hold a little water in the form of rain later. We hope not. We have had rain showers almost every night, nothing to heavy, just enough to get you wet through on watch. Wearing the Henry Lloyd oilskins is an option, however it has been so warm during the nights that being cooled off is quite pleasant. I had a go at having a shower during one rain shower this evening and typically the rain decided to stop at the exact moment I had lathered myself up. Luckily the shower bags were full, so a quick rinse was at hand.
One thing that amazes me when you are out here, and it is something that is almost always taken for granted, is the quality of the air. It is one of those things that is not noticed when out here sailing, however when we all go back home we will notice our noises get bunged up, even flue like symptoms may appear. I noticed when I came back home from the Caribbean that within two days I was totally bunged up and it felt awful. In fact, being out here, on the ocean, I have not felt so healthy in a long time, away from the temptations of the land (chocolate, pork pies etc), although one thing is for certain, we would all kill for a bacon sandwich.
E-mail was received today regarding the shore excursions that have been arranged by those fine people from the Blue Water Rally. Unfortunately, we are missing a couple of things, however the one thing we have all been talking about is the pig roast that is to take part on the 10th. At the moment we are on target to arrive during the afternoon of Sunday 9th, so we shall all attend that evening which should be an evening to remember. We are all looking forward to making the landfall, but at the moment it seems the distance, a mere pittance of 200 miles from 3000, however two days seem so far away.
THE END AS WE KNOW IT
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