'From Skipper and Mate - Nikki and Alice'
We have spoken regularly in our ARC blog of daily duties, menu choices and
events on board. We feel we have skimmed over the single most important part of
this vessel and the people on it and that is the overwhelming sense of team work
that is present.
In case it has not been made clear just how much of a challenge this is -
let us give you a few daily scenarios:
3.00am, watch change...
With head torch firmly in place, very sticky and salty female crewmate
clambers out of steam room (cabin) having barely slept. Said female attempts to
put salopettes on with one hand - the other stabilizing her. She fails and falls
over as a wave smacks the side of the boat. At that moment head torch slides off
head. She will then spend all night looking for this invaluable piece of
equipment. Head torch is however replaced by two potatoes or if she is lucky - a
tangerine - which have fallen out of their hammocks to join the commotion on the
floor: half naked sweaty crewmate, two legs in the air - on bare, one in
salopettes.
Meanwhile, another crewmate is attempting to make coffee to welcome the new
watch. It is chaos. Cups sliding everywhere, coffee granules galore in every
nook and cranny you can imagine. Oh and there go the mugs with hot water in -
start again!
These tasks are intermittently interrupted by the inevitable yell from the
helm, "Get those bloody torches off!" Only to be yelled at once again when up on
deck they naturally sit directly in front of the key wind instruments the helm
is using to steer with in the pitch black.
So, they made it on deck - coffee in hand, kit firmly on.
Then, the dreaded appearance of our faces on the stairs and the words
of.... "dropping, gybing, hoisting or reefing" IN THE DARK! They may as well
have come up naked with a bottle of water; after half an hour of winching,
bulling, balancing, falling over again and again, they are soaked from sweat and
need to change. As for the coffee - well let's just say the morning watch are in
for a full cleaning session!
9 women - all strong characters - to say the least - have been thrown
together on this tiny boat. They have been sleep deprived, had to compromise on
nearly every aspect of daily life - cooked at a 30 degree angle, fallen over ALL
the time, shared small cabins with two others - to name a few things.
Despite this, we have not once heard a grumpy word from any of them. They
care for each other, support each other, and work together in a way most people
would have thought impossible for nine strangers.
It is just incredible to us how on top of all the effort of sailing the
boat they still manage to complete all the daily chores without a breath of
complaint. They cook, wash up, scrub the decks every morning, perform daily rig
checks, clean the heads twice a day, the saloon, the galley, they pack the
spinnaker after EVERY drop without us asking, fill the waters - the list seems
never ending. And they even find time to clean themselves every now and
again!
These women are an inspiration to us all.
Not only have they challenged themselves to the limit by undertaking this
adventure, but they have transformed from nervous and excited wrecks to an
extremely competent crew, more than worthy of the task in hand. We are so proud
of them, and so proud to be part of this ARC 2015
crew.