Jewel - Log 23 November

Leaving Pedro's Texaco dock to a blast of Spanish bullfighting music and punctuated by lots of horns and hooters we passed lots of spectators lining the marina walls and joined the other 220 or so boats to start the ARC.To avoid a messy beginning we started under white sails (half of the crew not being sure what a spinnaker looks like) and so were the last racing boat to cross the line but had a clear start and plenty of room to make our course, heading slightly east of south to give the island's acceleration zone a wide berth (as by this stage we were already looking for a peaceful night). By now, Sam is looking very green having already passed the grey and blue stage and by the time it got dark he started throwing upMore tomorrow,Kevin. read more...

Jewel - log 24 November 2008

Day 2 dawned and Sam by now is very ill. His greenish tinge of yesterday is positively luminescent in the early morning sunlight! Corinne is upset to find the six pack of beer (only allowed on board for an arrival salut) is now mysteriously missing one can but otherwise all was well.However, later when we gybed (and therefore swapped helm positions), the steering had gone on the port side. Phil having traced the problem to the quadrant, our first job was to empty the garage and the lazarette which we had so carefully store just 2 days earlier. My next job was to spend 2 hours filing away at the teak sole to get the access plate up and having eventually done that we found that the 30mm steering shaft had sheared - God knows how! So now we only have 1 wheel between 6 of us.By lunchtime we. read more...

Jewel - log 25 November 2008

Our third day at sea was dominated by natural phenomenons, a shark swimming alongside, a phosphorescent dolphin, a meteorite (everyone says it was a shooting star but I definately saw a meteorite!) and Sam, not just walking around but helming, and helming well, as well!There's a bit more breeze today and we are sailing well. We have started fishing but are now sailing too fast to catch one!Kevin. read more...

Jewel - Log 26 November

Dear log, so far as you can see the trip has been fairly intresting with steerage failure, and struggling to find a constant breeze taking president, there has been many good parts so far to say the least, Sam's sea sickness is over well and truly and calls of are we nearly there yet have started, but he is keeping me laughing on my watch and for someone who has only ever been in a yacht once several years ago for a short period is having a real good stab at it...The positives of today has been the wind has started to settle we held on to the kite for a second night running and I think this did us great favours as we started to crawl up our way back towards the front, although huge amounts of concentration is required whilst flying the kite at night but everyone seems to have a really. read more...

Jewel - Jewel log 27 November

It couldn't last. After 3 straight days and nights of the sweetestkite sailing you can imagine, we had a problem. At 0530 on Thursdaymorning a helmsman (who to protact his identity shall only be referredto as "Kevin"), got the spinnaker well and truly wrapped around theforestay. 3 hours later after a recovery operation involving the wholecrew, we were unwrapped with our undamaged kite flying again. 2 tripsup the mast and one along the pole, all by Corinne, gives some idea ofour shenanigans. All smiles again and "Kevin" eventually reinstated onhelm duties!Dinner was the normal culinary highlight, prepared this time (and againwe try to preserve anonymity) by "Sam". A bravura performance resultedin fish fingers, baked beans and jacket potatoes being presented to aspeechless crew. Unusually,. read more...