Daily Logs

Aztec Dream - Log day 1 to 6 - Biscay Crossing

 An Ode to the Rally – Two miserable gits, a comedian and a nutter (aka “Team Portugal”) To Mayflower we went at the end of MayTo commence our crossing of the Bay of Biscay.Mervyn, Amanda and the Rosses times two,The autopilot played its part too.The start dawned fine with wind aplenty,Plymouth Sound and Eddystone Light were soon out of sight, the watch commencedAnd we sailed day and night.......  Many a story there is to be toldAs our journey began to unfold.The success of the water generator and AIS,Sometimes more wind than less and from where, one can only guess! The fishing boats that freaked “Mazda” out,Their use of radar sometimes in doubt!Watching the dolphins antics while dinner we ate,Photos of sunrise and sunset fit for the. read more...

Fri Flyt - 6. Desember: Sjømannskost

Hva lever man av når man skal være 2-3 uker til sjøs, og skal holde 6 til dels sultne folk i kosten? Når man i tillegg må regne med at kjøleskapet har høyst begrenset evne til å holde 4 grader og bare gulper etter frisk luft, og fisken heller ikke biter (eller lar seg hale ombord...) måtte man legge planer som om man hadde verken det ene eller det andre. Boksmaten fra Norge var etterhvert blitt mindre til å stole på - delvis pga rustanløp og medfølgende skroting når de sprakk, og delvis fordi jo varmere det blir, desto mer er boksmat akkurat hva det var ment å være for vår del: Nødproviant for ENKEL tilberedning når forholdene krever rask mat.Vi hadde bl.a med oss. read more...

Stealaway - Log Day 8

Last night was drinks aboard Nova Star with Bob & Lincy, the skipper and crew of Aztec Dream followed by prizing giving at the yacht club.We won a prize, not for the position in the sailing but for the blog.John was really pleased with his ashtray and I was given a tart from Santiago.We haven't tried either yet!After the wine and tapas at the prizing giving it was back into town for some food and further fortification. Ross & Ross were on good form having been practicing heavily since our arrival. The more careful gave the Irish bar a miss.Slow day this am with boat cleaning followed by a pm circumnavigation of the castle ramparts and a look at the Pinto that sailed from America. Best if you to Google it as you will no doubt get the whole story.Weather has changed with the wind. read more...

Fri Flyt - 4. Desember: Hval på seilbåtsafari

Det var konklusjonen på hvalens oppførsel etter 3t - den må simpelthen ha forelsket seg i Fri Flyt og opplevd oss som en spennende variasjon i havlivet! Klokka 10 så vi den for første gang gli opp på styrbord side av båten, bare 10 meter unna, midt i kapteinens takketale til mannskapet fordi vi hadde klatret ytterligere 6 plasser på resultatlisten siden dagen før. Den var ca 8 meter lang og slank, grå på oversiden, hvit på undersiden og på styrefinnene og med en relativt liten finne på ryggen. Har ikke en god hvalbok ombord, og er ikke sikre på hvilken art det kan være. Først trodde vi det var en stor hai, for den svømte hele tiden under overflaten, og vi så den ikke. read more...

Fri Flyt - 2. Desember: Tallenes tale

Det er 5000nm fra Averøya til et punkt i Atlanterhavet vi passerte i går i 20-tida - riktignok med en del krinkelkroker underveis. Det er ganske langt, synes vi, rundt regnet 9260 km. Det var Gerhard som fikk æren av å stå til rors da det magiske tallet kom opp. Og nå er det under 1000 nm igjen til St. Lucia av over 2800 da vi begynte. Det har blåst "hatter og høy" de siste 2 døgnene, men med vinden i ryggen og seil som skapt for forholdene har vi hatt det helt upåklagelig ombord. Noe mer krevende å operere i byssa enn vanlig, men siden seilene er formet som en gammeldags drage som står opp-ned fremst på båten, dras vi framover uten av båten krenger noe særlig. En noe vuggende. read more...

Fri Flyt - 28. November: 1.søndag i advent

Trass i manglende kulde og kronisk ukedagforvirring klarte vi å identifisere 1. søndag i advent i går. Den falt sammen med feiringen av at 1. uke til sjøs er gjennomført med stil, og vi feiret med ferske sveler og tenning av adventslys. Stearinlys er det veldig lite av ombord, og det blåser jevnt, så mens Fri Flyt blandakor sang "Nå tenner vi det første lys" så det ljomet utover havet, holdt jeg en lighter brennende i le av den andre hånden. Måtte tennes flere ganger underveis, men det ble adventsstemning god som noen. Bortsett fra at det var helt malplassert på en måte...Hvis resten av turen forløper like smertefritt som denne første uka blir resultatet helt strålende. Det har. read more...

Stealaway - Log Day 9 & 10

Two days in one report today as I have fallen a little behind as a result of our busy schedule.We we sailed from Bayona at 09:30 (local) in the forecast SW wind rain and poor visibility for the 50 miles trip to Povoa de Varzim. Povoa is about 20 miles north of Porto; more on that later.Our leader Andrew from WC had tried hard to convince us that the wind would be NW at the skipper's briefing. But even with his best connections could not obtain the impossible. Anyway the rain stayed with us for most of the day on and off. The wind dropped light 45 minutes after the start and teased us all day by being around 5 knots from the SW, S SE. Lots of fuel consumed by the fleet to get to Povoa in time for the reception.  As the fleet arrived the wind strengthened to F6 and the rain became. read more...

Aztec Dream - Days 13 to 16 - Figueira da Foz

Figueira da Foz, our next taste of land,We have rarely seen so much sand!Like sardines the yachts were packed,Ask ”Manatees”, that’s a fact!Many a story there was to be toldOf fun with spinnakers, halyards and folds! The sardine BBQ we gave a miss,Poor Mervyn’s tummy in a bit of a tizz.Next day a trip to Coimbra the university to explore,The library gold, red and green,The bats amazingly keep it clean.Tales of students at their graduation,Stripped of robes and suits ending in degradation. Then to the medieval fayre, donkeys and syphilitic gummas to see,Much food being sold from small marquees.Lunch Italian we ate,With another Vinho Verde that was great.Moorish Montemor Castle our next stop,Endless panoramic views of the rice fields we got. Dinner at. read more...

Fri Flyt - 30. November: Over halvveis!

Cirka klokka 18 UTC i går passerte vi punktet der vi er halvveis på veien til St. Lucia! Vel og merke hvis vi seiler snorrett resten av tiden... Men vel verdt å feire uansett, og vi syntes det passet å sprette en sprudlende flaske! Med vinden rett i ryggen og seil som er skapt for akkurat det, er muligheten til å seile snorrett bedre enn for de fleste av medseilerne våre. Vinden har blåst friskt og ganske jevnt de siste dagene, og vi raser avgårde i 14-15 km/t. Merker at skuta er tung - vi utnytter vinden dårligere enn vi er vant til, så vi gjør vårt beste for å spise og drikke mest mulig hver dag for å flyte lettere :) De beryktende squallene (avgrensede, kortvarige byger med regn og markant. read more...

Fri Flyt - 27. November: En uke i havet

Nå er natta på hell og det er snart 7 døgn siden startskuddet gikk i Las Palmas. Dagene har gått fort, og vi har kommet inn i en fin rutine. Først og fremst dreier rutinene seg om å stå rorvakt, sove og lage mat/spise. Vi kjører 3 timers rorvakt og så langt har det gått veldig greit. (Første natta hadde vi 2-timers vakter for å "kjøre oss inn", men det blir for mye ut og inn av køya på sikt). 3 timer på 4 voksne gir oss 2 vakter i døgnet, og det er luksus! På dagtid er vi mer eller mindre våkne alle mann, og på natta sitter vi alene. I forgårs var månen tom, så det er temmelig svart på natta. Til å begynne med føles det uvant. read more...

Aztec Dream - Notions of Nazare

On a beautiful day, we surfed all the way to Nazare.Blue was the sky and the waves were rather high! Peniche had no dock, so Nazare was our next stop,Another marina full to bursting, we rafted to ‘Footloose’ after our surfing. We took the vernicular to the top, to sees views that would make your heart stop.A majestic church we visited in the square, with pictures in tiles that were very fair. Walking back through lanes down the hill, it felt very stillBut once on the front no more it lasted, our legs were sand-blasted! Our new crew, Ross and Sue, due to join us the next day,So a cleanup was needed to keep the dirt at bay. Up at 5am we sailed with the fishermen, Oeiras we were heading for,Sailing as the sun came up, who could ask for more!. read more...

Fri Flyt - 26. November: Dolhins under my bed

Det var tittelen på en bok skrevet av en langturseiler, og jeg bestemte meg der og da for å spare den tittelen til en Atlanterhavsblogg. Kunne tatt den i bruk allerede første natta, så historien er allerede 5 dager gammel - dagene går på en merkelig måte veldig sakte i rasende tempo... Jeg hadde sovet et par timer i påvente av den første nattevakta, da jeg bråvåknet kl 23 av at noen gråt - slike lange hikst på innpust som kommer når noen har grått lenge. Jeg sto fort opp og ventet å finne en av guttene i salongen med alvorlig anfall av hav-nerver. Men der var det ingen, i lugarene var det ingen, og gråtingen bare fortsatte i et kvarters tid. read more...

Manatees - Figueira to Nazare..

If the sea had a voice, What would it say?“Shall I be happy, shall I be vicious;Or shall I just be playful today?” If the sea had a mind, What would it think?“Should I blow on that boat;Or just let it sink?” If the sea had some thoughts,What would it know?“Shall I let them all die;Or let them all go?” If the sea had some feeling, What would it sense?“Should I roar like a lion;Or sleep in silence?” But it does have all of those, As we all know so well,It is rude; has a mood;And can play up like Hell. But when it’s on form, It may never offend,A considerate lover,A petulant friend! Barrie. read more...

Aztec Dream - Log day 20 to 22 - Oeiras Overture

Off to Oeiras we go, poor ‘Stealaway’ needed a tow,‘Pearl Fisher’ and ‘Casamara’ had a go, in this sorrowful tale of woe.All ended well I’m delighted to say, when Lisbon MRCC joined in the fray. The sea was of turquoise and blue, ‘Fire Dragon’ and ‘Serendipity’ were enjoying it too,Discussing lunch and what to eat, what ‘Fire Dragon’ were having sounded a treat.Oeiras a lovely marina they had, for some crew it was time to leave and they felt sad,Sue and Ross joined us....are they mad? Lisbon we visited the next day, only a short train ride away.We got a tad lost and ended up by the motorway.Having got back on track, we found the tram, which started rather packed,Views of Lisbon we enjoyed from the back and tram surfers we did not. read more...

Fri Flyt - 24.November: 4.dag har startet

Vi har nå nettopp ferdig med vår 4.natt på havet. Den første natta lå vi med lite vind og 60-80 båter bak/på siden av oss. Et utrolig syn med alle lanternene spredt over et stort område.  Natt nr 2 hadde vi ca 10 båter innen synlig rekkevidde, mens 3. natta var det enda færre. I natt har vi passert en båt, sett en lastebåt og skimter såvidt en båt fremfor oss. Dette er stor kontrast i forhold til første natta. Morilden lyser opp i kjølvannet, foran baugen, på bølgetoppene, i klosettet og på tauverket. Når delfinene tar en tur omkring oss på natta så ser vi stort sett bare delfin-spøkelser: Store lysende objekter som. read more...

Aztec Dream - FW: Log day Final - No more sardines!!

 The end of the rally is here,We celebrated with yet more wine and beer.To the restaurants of Lagos we did flockTo eat lots, including steak on a hot rock. An excellent final prize-giving and dinner,For the walking quiz we were a winner.Nicks photos entertained us allAs they were projected onto the restaurant wall. The next day and many a sore head to be had,A BBQ we planned to avoid feeling sad.Gordon proved his expertise at cooking And the pontoon seemed to sink as we were looking. And so the day arrived that people and boats started to leave,Thankfully we were given a reprieve.Sue and Ross did stay until SaturdaySo we day sailed and lunched in a bay. Having said farewell,With many stories to tell,We planned our next move,After the Rally it will be tough to. read more...

Fri Flyt - 21. november: Første døgn er unnagjort

Da har det gått 25,5 timer siden starten av ARC2011. Vi hadde en fantastisk fin seilas sydover langsmed Gran Canary, og var en av de båtene som gikk nærmest land hvor aksellerasjonsvindene regjerer. Dette er områder hvor det pga landskapet blir forsterkede vinder, ofte både 2 og 3 ganger så sterk som vinden utenfor disse områdene. Med våre spridde forseil suste vi avgårde i til tider over 13 knop, mens de fleste gikk langt ute fra land og dermed fikk en omvei. Senere på kvelden, langt ute på sørsiden av Gran Canary mistet vi vinden og det gikk vesentlig tregere. I natt har det vært ujevne vinder, og de siste timene nå har vi tydd til motor. Akkurat nå skal vi dra. read more...

Diamonds Are Forever - Blog - Day 21 - 11/12/12 - Mid Ocean Swimming!

Diamonds Blog - Day 21 - 11/12 - Mid Ocean Swimming   Hi all,   Yesterday was our last day in the wind-hole and during the baking heat of a hot and still afternoon, when the final breath of wind had finally disappeared, the crew of diamonds gathered, took down the sails and dived in to the deep blue sparkling ocean.  Over 350 miles from land and in an ocean that was over 5000m deep - I'll let the crew explain how that feels...   Kirsty: "Swimming 350 miles off any shore line suddenly seemed like a daunting prospect, but once the decision was finally made it was definitely worth it.  Very salty, very aware that it was very, VERY deep and, judging by yesterdays minke whale sighting, very aware of the amount and size of the wildlife.  Yet it cooled us. read more...

Aztec Dream - Log day 7 to 9 - Bayona

Ballad to Bayona In fair Bayona we stayed, visiting Santiago de Compostella filled one of our days.Lola our guide had the boys terrified. Green brolly aloft, she shepherded her flock,Showing us the cathedral magnificent and a market resembling a medieval pagent.Her tales of witches and cheeses and other interesting wheezes,Had us all laughing out loud amongst the pilgrim crowd. Back in Bayona, the crew took on a new persona,Partying until after three, they visited every bar in the city.After everything from beer to grappa, there were a few fracas!Trying to get up the next day, it was clear a few had lost their way.A siesta they needed to recharge, they ceded and to do it all over again. Laundry, refuelling and provisioning were a pleasure under the rays of the sun. And. read more...

Aztec Dream - Log day 10 to 12 - Povoa's Poetry

From Bayona to Povoa de Varzim it did nothing but rain,Cup-a-soup and Ovaltine helped to ease the pain!Dolphins arrived to play with the yacht,Their acrobatics entertained us a lot. The town in sight, fishing pots appeared,Avoiding them essential, for our prop we feared.Prize giving in the yacht club, a chance to dry out.Eat, drink and be merry whislt the guitarist sang and danced about. A trip to Porto where around Taylors wine lodge we ambled,Much knowledge was gained and white port we sampled,A new aperitif was created by adding  tonic, lime and ice,We bought two bottles, which should suffice. A lunch of salted cod and vinho verde,Followed by a trip to the cathedral passed the day.The weather continued grim into the eveningBut in the morning the sun came out which. read more...

Annie - Blog 20

Well, what an eventful 48 hours we've had and what a sense of humour failure I've had! The scene: Thursday 1700. The winds died down and became flukey. Then we hit a squall and thought good this will keep us going. Much merriment as we decide to have our celebratory drink a little early. Then, as the light faded, and I've now learnt that fading light is always the time when if things are going to go wrong, they will, the wind completely died and we were left wallowing around. The sea was oily calm so we thought we would motor on to try to find the wind.. Switched on the engine - nothing. We took it in turns to see if one of us would be lucky. Nothing. Graham then thought as we weren't sailing the hydrovane should be disabled. He found that in a short time of lolloping around it had been. read more...

Porto Santo - Porto Santo10/12

Fizemos 120m nas ultimas 24h,sempre á vela.Vento na casa dos 15n,mar com pouca ondulação.Agora á noite parece que refrescou um pouco,vamos ver se andamos um pouco mais depressa.Fomos ultrapassados por outro barco,com rumo paralelo,que foi detectado no AIS de madrugada,e que agora está 6 m á nossa frente;não houve comunicação.E continuamos,já ultrapassamos metade da distancia até Sta Lucia,tudo bem a bordo.. read more...

Avalon - getting ready for Rally Portugal

Monday 23rd May  Location Office  trying to work ! Looking forward to departing to Plymouth on FridayThink I have everything organised  Looking forward to meeting fellow rallyersFair winds and good sailingJonathan and Jackie. read more...

Libertas - Departure Nieuwpoort Belgium

Today we left Nieuwpoort at 10.15 LT. All crew present and ready for a Westerly 6. See you in Plymouth.Kind regards.Luc. read more...

La Palapa - Fish ho! 10 Dec 200nm to St Lucia

apparently someone else did think the red squid was attractive although the fish did bite a good deal after sunset so its not clear how well he saw our perfect lure.aimee and i where happily below finishing of a plate of meat and cheese and "bang" i heard the shock cord snap.i went on deck and low and behold there was a fish still attached to our line.i had the presence of mind to remove my sarong and grab the one fish glove we still have before i started realling the guy in hand over hand.i yelled for aimee to grab the gaff and as i pulled this nasty looking guy onto the swim step and before i could say anything to aimee she gaffed it right through!ok so thats done i thought.i decided to go with scotts method of tying a line around the tail to gain control of the thing (which was still. read more...

Spindrift of Jersey - ARC Log - Day 21

100 miles to go. No wind and we have been motoring continuously but then at lunchtime today the engine alarm started and we were overheating as the cooling water pump had failed. Exactly the same problem as we suffered in the Med at Messina which is supposed to happen only every 10 years or less!!!**%$! Maybe we have motored the equivalent to 10 years for a normal weekend and annual holiday yacht? After 5 hours of very hard work by the whole crew to try to jury rig a pump from the manual bilge pump without success I looked for a spare domestic water electric pump in the spares box (this wouldn't be able to run for very long but is better than nothing) and, whoops, I found a spare engine water  pump that I had forgotten was there! After 5 hours of fruitless work this was taken in. read more...

Yemanja - Friday 27 May

Friday 27th May.Left Mylor @ 0430 this morning with a NW 5 to 7 with little sea, boat speed 7 to 8.5 knts most of the way. Hope the rest of the sailing will be as good, only warmer!!David Tippett. read more...

Halcyon of Hebe - What a welcome!

Pos: 14:04.47N60:56.94W What a welcome!We're now in Rodney Bay, St Lucia, gradually returning to earth both literally and metaphorically after successfully completing our crossing of the Atlantic. Going back 48 hours, we were about 70Nm off St Lucia in very light winds.During the night we alternated between engine and sail as the wind rose and faded between about 4-8knots.Anything over 6 knots allowed us to get 3knots towards Rodney Bay - which was about the threshold at which it was worthwhile from a competition point of view. Unfortunately, we needed to motor the last few miles across the line and finished shortly after sunrise.  We crept into Rodney Bay marina feeling as though we were entering a different world.Different people, different. read more...

Dragonfly GB - 28 May

Left Ispwich 11 May for passage to Plymouth for start of Rally Portgual and arrived 24th May evening. Our first planned port of call was Dover but we ran out of time and, not wanting to arrive in the dark, went into Ramsgate instead.  Other stops were Portsmouth, Yarmouth, Poole, Torquay, Weymouth and Dartmouth.  Most of the time we had a W/SW wind.  Had some great sailing from Portsmouth onwards.   Dragonfly behaved well and we are getting to know her.  Some bits fell off on the way - a reef pully, the bi-colour lens and a sail batten.  Also, David will hate me for telling this - but he motored off from a pontoon with the shore electric supply still connected so we've been without for quite a while but Dave from Fox's was a. read more...

Watergaw - DAY 21 – Saturday 10/12/11 - So near yet so far....

  Chris Tibbs, our weather forecaster is a really impressive guy, who has written the RYA weather guides, has sailed the world’s oceans in racing yachts, and does the seminars for the ARC on weather. More than that, he is really good company, willing to share his experience with you and give you positive advice. We have greatly appreciated his input, and reckon that his routing was largely responsible for getting us back up with the fleet, despite leaving a day after everyone else. In short, we like him a lot….but not this morning! We pick up his forecast at about 0900 UTC, and we are always on tenterhooks for the latest words of wisdom. Today’s epistle, however, concluded with the following: “I have not seen the trades fail this badly (…) in the 8. read more...

Yemanja - 29 May

Should be out past Rame head at the moment but start delayed until this afternoon so nursing a sore head after a bash at 'Jolly Jack's' last night. Will have a walk and a Sunday roast.....David Tippett. read more...

Hoedic - dressing overall in Plymouth

Your message is ready to be sent with the following file or linkattachments:plymouth 003.jpgNote: To protect against computer viruses, e-mail programs may preventsending or receiving certain types of file attachments.Check your e-mailsecurity settings to determine how attachments are handled.plymouth 003. read more...

Saltwhistle III - Day 20 - We've arrived!

Greetings from sunny St Lucia! We arrived in Saturday morning at 8am and were greeted with a fruit basket and ice cold rum punch, very nice.We had a really easy crossing and got some good sailing in for the first two weeks before the wind left us and we motored the final three days.Highlights included catching a giant Mahi Mahi (about 5.5 foot long!)It was great to be welcomed into the marina by friends from the UK and Las Palmas.We were the 143'rd boat in over all classes and should get our final placement on Tuesday once the other boats have arrived. It's hot here so we have put the sun awnings up, mosquito nets over the hatches and wind scoops to guide the wind into the boat.This evening there is a jazz event and we will go along and enjoy. read more...

Psyche - To travel hopefully is NOT better than to arrive.....!

It seems a long time since we last saw a Rally Portugal boat, Dragonfly slowly being obscured by fog heading South out of Plymouth on Sunday night.  We sailed through the night, ending further south than I would have liked, and crept West through the next morning's mist and drizzle. Things cleared before the Ushant TSS and we had some lively sailing in rough F6 conditions through the evening. Around midnight Andy cracked his head in the saloon as Psyche continued to bounce around.  He had a prety bad gash, Susannah had earlier cracked a rib(s) - 2 crew down, 2 to go? Andy needed stitches and Susannah needed checking out. We decided to go to Falmouth some 85 miles North. We berthed in Falmouth at 17.30 on Tuesday 31st May, the marina (Port Pendennis) manager met. read more...

Diamonds Are Forever - Blog - Day 20 - 10/12/12 - Wind holes and Blowholes!!

Diamonds Blog - Day 20 - 10/12/12 - Wind holes and Blowholes!! Hi All, So its day 3 of living in a mid-atlantic windhole - the heat is up and the breeze is down! A whopping 51 miles has been sailed by the good ship Diamonds in the last 24 hours and my hat go off to the crew for their perseverance in what little airs there is to keep her moving along.Washing and preening continue today as the sun beats down on the small boat in the ocean.We are hoping for a pick up in the winds tomorrow - fingers and toes crossed!  Every evening we open a 'treat' from our goody bag - last night's treat was 4 brand spanking new toilet rolls!!!!!! Very very happy and excited crew!Our evenings entertainment consisted of watching another amazing sunset and gazing. read more...

Glass Slipper - 10 Dec 2011

Saturday, 10 Dec 2011 We learned yesterday around noon for the first time about the untimely passing of Andrew Nash. A very sad and tragic event our deepest sympathies to his family and fellow crew members. I looked at Tom and he said to me we’ve got some extra diesel – an email was sent to rally control offering our services – we were not the closest – I believe we are a bit behind, but if there are further developments – we stand ready to assist.   Yesterday was Ben’s (our first mate) 27th birthday. It pays to have your girl friend aboard for an event such as this – especially since she’s an excellent cook. We had a wonderful meal – even a Birthday Cake and an ice cream bar (it’s wonderful to have a freezer at sea).. read more...

Yemanja - arrived in Bayona

Biscay bites.......First couple of days were brilliant with 163 miles on day 1 and 187 on day 2. However, after Mary poked here thumb into the electric winch things went downhill (she is ok now and sitting on the back of the boat collecting sympathy from passers by). After this we motor sailed until Finisterre then spent 24 hrs in a force 10 (47 knts of wind over the boat) with waves breaking in the cockpit. Things calmed down and we eventually got to Bayona about midnight local time.Now on the terrace at Bayona marina, the sun is shining, a light breeze and lunch imminent.....Ps Saw a whale 100 meters off the boat yesterday. Will look up to see what it was.David Tippett. read more...

Minaxi - Counting the Days In instead of Days Out

So we are now in day 6 after leaving Cape Verdes, however we've stopped counting how many days we've been out at sea, simply because we had a 1 week stop over for repairs and don't really count that as "Under way" it was more "under the influence"! What is more important to us is our ETA and if we arrive in St Lucia in time for the Prize Ceremony on the 17th because what's the point of coming in last if you can't collect your "last place" prize. And we still have a chance of winning a prize in the Basil plant competition. Since Heidi has taken over Valerio's job of looking after Sybil, she has grown a few more inches and is even sprouting new tops, we think it is all the tea bags and coffee grinds she keeps feeding her. Heidi also takes her for walks on the deck every day for fresh air. read more...

Yemanja - in Bayona

Been here in Bayona for a couple of days now, a very chilled place with good food and wine. Went to Santiago de Compostela yesterday but didn't come back with any religious fervour. Highlight of the day was the 'Compostela Jazzman', a white bloke with a black stocking over his head and a set of fat red plastic lips playing jazz guitar. Sat and listened to him for a bit and bought the cd, which didn't work. Natalie commented on the wisdom of buying something from a man with a stocking on his head.......David Tippett. read more...

Berserker 2 - Day 1 - Into the fog

Started well, 2nd off the line heading south before the fog started to close in. Then no idea where anyone was. Stayed on the same tack for a long time wondering when to start heading west and whether we were going to encounter any shipping. The wonders of AIS meant we picked up Avalon on the plotter and we decided to stay with them as long as possible under the cover of their tranceiver and safe from ships. Eventually tacked away west when the fog lifted and picked up Jansen. The wind died a bit and we couldnt point high enough so we started motoring and tried to catch them up. Went about 3 hours under motor then it overheated and Jansen disappeared off the AIS. By then the wind shifted and picked up so we through up the sails for a nice day of sailing.. read more...

Aniara II - Dec. 10

10 December 15.00 (local Aniara time) LAND IN SIGHT!  (We think and hope). It´s a strange feeling to see land after 20 days at sea. We know there is a party on the marina boardwalk tonight, but we might be a little bit late joining. We have started some cleaning and other housekeeping activities onboard. Today we emptied our fresh water tank onboard, yesterday evening we ate our last spaghetti carbonara with fresh bacon. We have had only one can of Bullens sausages served during the crossing, i.e. the provisioning got an OK. Tomorrow we might have access to our own Wi-Fi-network and will than relay some photos from the trip so far. A big hug from all of us to Erik, who kept our web-page alive during the past 20 days.. read more...

Porto Santo - 09/12

        Hoje á tarde,pelas 16h00 avistamos uma vela no horizonte! De inicio de forma intermitente,que exigiu a confirmação palo radar,estava a 6 m por bombordo. Depois com a aproximação,tornou-se evidente.E pouco tempo depois ouvimos o VHF,o catamarã LY,de bandeira alemã chamava o "sailing vessel at 15ª17`N 40ª50W"Eraa para nós!Claro que respondi,vão para Guadalupe,nós para Sta Lucia,talvez nos encontremos na Martinica em janeiro,queixas de pouco vento,esperança nos aliseos prometidos pela meteo,mas que ainda não chegaram.E agora ,noite,temos a companhia das luzes de navegação de outro barco com rumo paralelo.. read more...

Berserker 2 - Day 2 - Going fast in the dark

Lots more wind and we reefed down the main and furled up a bit of head sail before heading into the night. Big black clouds forming and no moon made it very difficult to see racing down waves and often getting it a bit sideways. Very wet rainy night and after twelve hours on the helm Craigs hands looked water logged. Pam had also been quite sea sick and couldnt keep anything down, we were getting concerned she would get very dehydrated, but she put on a brave face and carried on helping control the boat feeling as rough as she did.. read more...

Berserker 2 - Day 3 - Pam on the helm

After the previous night of fast sailing Craig needed some sleep so we dropped the main and despite being quite ill Pam sailed the boat for a good 4-5 hours. Later got the main back up and had some good sailing on a nice reach right through the rest of the day into the night which was nice and clear. Pam was still quite ill but got a good nights sleep. Luckily Pam had made masses of bacon & egg pie before we left and it was Craigs staple diet for the first few days as there was no way Pam could rustle up anything.. read more...

Nostra Vida - Ed har en lang tur over Atlanterhavet

Ed har nå, siden 1. desember, vært med å lese en bok som heter “Julemysteriet” av Jostein Gaarder. Denne boken leser vi i hver ettermiddag. Ed forstår såpass mye norsk nå (han hadde lært litt av Gaute ifjor) at det går helt fint. “Julemysteriet” er som en julekalender; vi leser ett nytt kapittel hver dag. Både Ed og jeg liker denne boken veldig godt. Det går jo litt saktere mot St. Lucia enn det vi hadde beregnet. Vi har hatt noen uheldige ting som har skjedd med båten (sprekken i bommen ble større slik at vi mistet kicken, vi revnet storseilet og vi har mistet propellen). Ed er flink til å holde humøret oppe! Når Torger, som er mannskapet vårt, spiller opp på. read more...

Grateful Red - day 20

missed day 19 - so slow that sun and moon came and went.Stupendous night last night - full moon, clear sky and crystal smooth seas.flew the spinnaker in very light winds - more for show than sailing progress.Hoping for the full moon wind phenomena - as the moon pull increases so does the wind speed (also known as the Sunnyside effect).Didn't happen - as in the Odyssey - the contrary winds were stored in the bag never to be opened but with the caption tied to the mast to hear the voice of the sirens the crew opened the bag of contrary winds and didn't return to their home port for three years.Not wanting to take this chance with my crew and the local winds I decided to motor the last fifty miles. Oh contraire. Daiquiris at noon in st lucia. ken. read more...

Berserker 2 - Day 4 - The dodgy motor

Early hours the wind died right away. Then Craig thought he was halucinating when streaks of phosphoressence zoomed past and around the boat like torpedoes, before realising it was dolphins. Totally becalmed and lolloping about we decided to take a look at why the engine was overheating. Loosening off hoses we could tell water was getting to the motor but nothing was coming out. Pulled off a plate where the water exited the motor and could see alot of corrosion yet still the water came through. However noticed that what looked like a return valve component had come loose and was blocking the exit tube. Decided to remove the valve and plugged up the hole with a bit of blue tack. Also plugged up the return hose with an old peice of rigging and a jubilee clip, and it worked. So off we went. read more...

Berserker 2 - Day 5 - Nice fast sailing

As the motor died the wind picked up and we had a nice gentle sail overnight. The wind increased more the next day and Pam got on the helm and was surfing the boat down waves like a pro, she was also over the sea sickness and really starting to enjoy the sailing. However we got some texts on the sat phone from Craigs brother saying wind was expected to pick up to 35 knots, and it did, steadily increasing through the day, but still some nice fast sailing.. read more...

La Palapa - Does this not look delicious? 9 Dec, 340 nm to St Lucia

today was meant to be another compete relaxation day and it basically was.around 830 am i was hungry and started rummaging around in the kitchen foraging for food.just as i was doing this aimee pocked her head out of the "cave" and shooed me out of the kitchen promising another egg stack breakfast with one of our last eggs, perfect timing.  i took the time to get our new high power dust buster wired up for palapa power.aimee picked up the dustbuster in las palmas just before we left and it is more like a mini vacuum with a hose and everything.it takes 18 volts 200 mamps and the wall wart provided only works with 220 volt.i rummaged around in our electronics gear and found a targus computer adaptor that put out 19.5 volts and even found the right plug so we are in business.just as i. read more...

Jacana of Ardmay - 9/12/11

Hi Everyone,   With only just over 100 miles to go we are ready to see and enjoy the comforts of St Lucia, we could certainly do with some wind here, we only got 6 to 7 knots and we have had to motor all day, like the rest of the ARC boats. A lot of boats have overtaken us now as they started their engines a lot earlier than we have. As there appears to be no wind forecast for the next couple of days either it looks like engine on to the finish line now. It has been so hot today ( I am not meaning to rub it in really!!) and we have had no sea breeze to cool us down, no time for swimming either as we have to get in to Rodney Bay before Lucy and Nick to protect our credit card, although we have missed them so much we would probably let them have whatever they wanted anyway. We have. read more...

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