Foxy Lady - Log Day 16 - 6/12/11

Very little wind today – 6th December so we fired up the engines that we haven’t used for over a week and motor-sailed the last few hundred miles arriving at St Lucia around 4pm today. The whole adventure seems to have gone quite quickly even though its been nearly a month since we departed from Puerto Banus.  We’ve all got on incredibly well as a team and I cannot recall a single incident when the high morale on board has broken.  There has been a lot to learn about this boat and sailing in general and Brendan and Lois have been consistently fantastic in managing the whole trip and ensuring a smooth voyage.As we cruise into the calm waters of St Lucia,  I just have one regret.  I had hoped the expedition might expose us to certain circumstances that. read more...

Foxy Lady - Log Day 15 - 5/12/11

Just when we were feeling assured of a trouble free voyage, disaster struck around 2.30am when Sam and Lucci were on watch and the Autopilot failed. We have all grown to rely on this device; you set your heading and the electro-hydraulics do the rest.Their watch diligence and awareness of a 'change in wind and conditions' saved the situation and avoided a  damaging gybe.They woke me immediately as the heading changed without proper control and my first instinct was to start engines and take the autopilot from 'wind vane mode' to 'auto'.Having regained the proper course I was alarmed that we continued to yaw and then realized that we had an autopilot issue. Go to 'Standby' ! The weather at the time was kind to us.It could have been a lot worse with a Force 7 running behind us and the. read more...

Foxy Lady - Day 14 - 4/12/11

Subject: Foxy Lady Day 14 - 4/12/112 weeks at sea; no big dramas. Only 2 days to go. What can go wrong in that time?I woke this morning to excited shouts on deck:  another yacht - Luna Bay  in sight!  David (Wildpig) was immediately on the VHF radio, anxious to break the radio silence experienced over the last week at sea.David:  "Luna Bay, Lunar Bay - this is Foxy Lady, Foxy Lady good morning!" No response. Foxy Lady Crew to David: 'Maybe they are German David - try speaking in German' David: "Luna Bay, Lunar Bay - achtung, Foxy Lady, Foxy Lady guten morgan!" No response. Crew: 'Try your French David' David: "Luna Bay, Luna Bay - zis iz Foxy Lady, Foxy Lady, Allo, Allo, Allo!" Response: "Good morning Foxy Lady, this is Luna Bay"so Wildpig's Rosetta Stone lessons have. read more...

Foxy Lady - Log Day 13 - 3/12/11

We are running under a consistent stream of squalls that slowly overtake us causing wind shifts and sometimes long strong gusts of up to 30 knots plus wind speed. The sea is now up to 28.7C and the warm trade winds evaporate the water to form these rain clouds. This moist air condenses into dark clouds which eventually become saturated and discharge their contents as rain which then displaces the surrounded air causing local wind gusts. These are exhilarating as they passover us, sometimes showering us with warm rain, whilst the wind rushes us forward with noisy vibrating inertia. I am on night watch again as I write and one such squall has just passed and it now seems quiet, almost calm as we drift along again at 7 knots.We have maintained around 200 miles per day with these extra. read more...

Foxy Lady - Log Day 12 - 2/12/11

Overnight the winds increased enough for us to attain by 5am our first 200 nautical mile 24 hour period!I was on watch at that time and earmarked a bottle of Moet for our celebration toast which was later accompanied by Sam & Lucci made pizzas for lunch. Cheese, pineapple, ham, anchovy and olives were amongst the selection.Most of today we have had consistently strong trade winds, sometimes up to 25 knots.We are getting used to the reverberations as our hull shoots down one wave to another.On deck, we feel a rush of wind to the back of our necks, sense the yacht crest on a swell and wait as she comes surfing down.Then wait momentarily to anticipate the speed on the instruments reaching sometimes 17 knots.At these times the whole boat shimmers and vibrates as we push onwards, some. read more...