As I start my 13th week onboard CV25\/LBS, the weather has most continued to be relatively kind. The boat is starting to dry out which is making living conditions a bit better and my clothes are not getting wet with the condensation and moisture levels on board. However, the dampness has brought on a dry cough, which I have now been reliably informed by Gavin is what he calls \u201cboat cough\u201d. Most of the crew have been suffering with it, some more than others, but it is really irritating, and I\u2019ve had it for nearly 10 days now. I suppose we\u2019re living in a human petri dish and in this environment, bugs have a bloody field day <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We are continuing our race across the Southern Ocean at pace and still holding onto 2nd position, although there\u2019s not a lot of room for mistakes. We will shortly be entering the speed gate, GOSH have just entered, so we will be watching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re still seeing lots of sea birds and today I found out why. All of our biodegradable food waste is disposed of over the side and they\u2019re on it in seconds, so obviously worth the effort for a few birds to follow us for a free meal three times a day. We got hit by an albatross on the bow today, a very weird thing to happen. The Albatross was a bit stunned but flew off down our starboard side of the boat a little confused. I think I discovered why it happened. We\u2019ve had a couple of young albatrosses hanging around the boat for a few days and they come a lot closer to the boat than all the other birds. One of them came really close to the bow this morning and the main sail took its wind, the albatross stalled, couldn\u2019t understand why and crash landed into the sea a bit bemused. This time it didn\u2019t hit us and flew off a bit unsure of what had just happened, but it was funny to witness and we all know now that an albatross does land on the water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve now started our sprint and with the wind quickly building it\u2019s going to be an interesting night. Our watch picks up the mantel and it\u2019s full on, rotating on the helm every 30 minutes. We have the Yankee 2 up, the staysail is on the deck and 1 reef in the main. We are flying, hitting over 20 knots off the waves with 13 to 16 knots on the flat with the decks awash with sea water. Waves are breaking all around us and throwing the boat around. Gavin has asked me if we need a reef and I declined, \u201cwe can handle this!\u201d An hour later, the boat gets picked up and thrown 90 degrees off a wave, nearly broaching (I think we did crash gybe, but I managed to recover). Gavin has rightly ordered another reef to be put in the main. Maybe we should have done it earlier, it was light and the wind was manageable, but that\u2019s why Gavin\u2019s the skipper. We\u2019re now executing the reef in the dark in 30 knots of wind. I\u2019m on the deck with Leo, trying to pull the main down to reef two. I\u2019m being thrown around like a rag doll and Leo can\u2019t get the handy billy (basically a block and tackle) onto the reef tack. The wind is trying to fill the main sail and pulls the main back up the mast. I\u2019m now lying on the deck pulling as hard as I can on the down hall and thinking I can\u2019t hold onto this for much longer. My hands are numb with the cold and the power from the wind pulling on the main sail, when Maisie arrives to the rescue and adds another pair of hands and Leo manages to attach the handy Billy onto the reef tack. The tack is made, the reef is completed and it calms down. It took a while but eventually all done. A very good watch, putting a lot of miles on the clock but time for our watch to have a kip. Let\u2019s keep the pace up. Down below in my bunk, you can feel the boat juddering and I hear the water washing over the deck. We\u2019re still shifting, so ear plugs in and we\u2019ll be back on deck in three hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A new day and good news. We\u2019ve been travelling faster than everybody in the fleet by over 1 knot which is a bit special and a reward for all the hard work last night. We had another tough stint from 02.00 to 06.00, pulled in a gybe to miss the worst of a lull in the wind and we\u2019ve shook out reef 2 from last night. Sea state is a bit confused, so making it a bit difficult to hold course. The next race schedule should be interesting. We\u2019ve finished the speed gate and have a suspicion that we have smashed GOSH\u2019s time, but we won\u2019t know until the last boat has finished, which will probably be in 4 to 5 days as Warrant are long way back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This race is in its final stages, we\u2019re pushing hard and made some gains on GOSH and pulled away from Punta. Still a long way to go by my next watch 18.00, we should be under 1,000 miles to the finish and a cold beer. Still under 40 degrees latitude but the sun is shining and the crew upbeat after a good speed gate. The wind has dropped slightly, but more importantly, the sea state has flattened and with a less aggressive course, it\u2019s been a great day’s sailing. We\u2019ve taken the better weather to repair our Yankee 2 which has had a bit of a battering over the last 4 races. Led by Petra and assisted by Tony Gill (Gilly), the sail is pulled up on deck from the sail locker, reversed so the head and hanks face the stern. It is then pulled back to the cockpit, where we have un-flaked it and set about repairing the new damage from the last few days and also replacing some of the early repairs as they \u2018re looking a bit rough and tired. We had a number of damaged & worn hanks, we\u2019ve only got 5 replacements left, so we need to tread carefully. As it transpired, with a bit of Irish engineering and persuasion, (a big hammer), I only had to replace one hank, and repaired the rest, but we will need to keep an eye as they are all getting worn. Both Petra and Gilly did a cracking job, staying on after their watch to complete the repairs before going to bed. Another glorious day on the helm, good winds and flattish seas made for some great sailing. We also had a comedy gold moment. Maisie, our new 1st mate and great fun, made us all a hot drink and joined us on deck and showed me a blister she\u2019d gained from the coffee cup she was drinking from. After looking at the state of my hands, I burst out laughing and shared the conversation with the rest of the watch, fits of laughter and suggestions of amputation, call for the vet, etc., etc., etc. and everyone had a good laugh including Maisie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re into our evening watch and the wind has picked up, but the sea state is still moderate, great down wind sailing with white sails. We are expecting a softening of the wind later and with GOSH appearing to be in lighter winds, we need to helm straight and fast. I\u2019m enjoying my helming so much so, I keep going on a double shift, we\u2019re flying again, probably a bit too much main as the boat is not really balanced. We\u2019re expecting the wind to ease later, so will just need to muscle through the weather helm. We\u2019re getting long surfing of up to 16 knots, hitting over 20 knots on regular occasions. For the 1st time I\u2019ve decided to helm on the low side to see if I can get a better feel for the boat and it appears to be working, I\u2019ve got a better view of the water on the low side, it just washes the deck and my feet more often. The stance is similar, but I find out the hard way, the stance is not as strong. I\u2019ve picked up a gust on top of a large wave, as we head down the wave and pick up speed to around 21 knots, a 2nd big wave hits us from the side and the rudder lurches to the port. I wasn\u2019t ready or balanced and I nearly get thrown out of the helm, but more importantly I lose my grip on the helm and the boat spins up into the wind. I\u2019ve managed to just grab it back and quickly try and get control, the boat then spins down to windward and with a few expletives, I\u2019ve just managed to stop a broach. Phew, that was close, but as I\u2019ve found so far these boats are built to take it. Big Tony, David, Leo and I are all at the back of the boat taking our half hour slots and the banter is great. Before watch change over, Dom, our resident professor from the other watch, told Petra to go down below and took over her last half hour of watch as a gesture of thank-you, for Petra spending extra time on deck repairing the sails. More signs of a great crew. The Schedule is in and we\u2019ve taken another 6 miles out of GOSH\u2019s lead, but it\u2019s not nearly enough if we\u2019re going to catch them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another good watch, lots of banter as the team has really bonded well. We got to see the Australian \u201cBorealis\u201d. I didn\u2019t know it existed! I was on the helm, so it was behind me and luckily, we have some photo evidence to prove it. The wind has dropped as expected and with the sea state also flattening, we\u2019ve put up the Code 1. But we\u2019ve found more damage to the Yankee 1 with holes caused by the hanks rubbing on the sails when they flog. It\u2019s a problem across the fleet. I\u2019ve been talking about the Hank issues we\u2019ve been having since we where off the coast of Brazil and now, eventually, solutions are being sought. We need to do something as the sails will not last the duration of the race. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s been a long watch and glad to be off to bed. I hear we\u2019ve got pancakes for breakfast to look forward too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rumours were correct, the pancakes were great and we\u2019re now up on deck to see the damaged Yankee has been dragged back for Petra and Gilly to repair, leaving 4 on deck to drive the boat. Big Tony\u2019s not feeling well so it\u2019s down to David and I to helm the boat. Not too much pressure on white sails, but when you’re flying a kite, it adds a bit of spice and pressure. You don\u2019t want to be on the helm if the kite gets wrapped, not a badge of honour you want to have on your resume. So, it\u2019s an hour on and an hour off and it\u2019s been a long watch, so 3 hours each on the helm. We also ran out of gas, so bottles have had to be transferred from starboard gas locker to port gas looker. Easy to do alongside a pontoon, but not so in the Southern Ocean. That\u2019s our last bottle of gas. We carry 4 so we\u2019ll need to use a little less in the longer legs. We\u2019ve also had a problem with our wind instruments, suddenly stops updating, the wrong readings or the readings stick, which makes it really difficult to helm. David and I watched a large black gull try to land on the top of the mast a few days ago and wonder if that\u2019s damaged it. No doubt when we get into Fremantle, we\u2019ll discover the cause and be able to fix or replace it. We\u2019ve also noticed, that as we\u2019ve risen above 40 degrees latitude, the number of sea birds has significantly dropped, or maybe they just don\u2019t like our food. Still not that much in the world of whale watching, fleeting glances, was it or wasn\u2019t it a whale? \u201cDid anybody else see that?\u201d And we see distant blow holes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The wind has dropped off again and looking to fill in from our stern. The fleet will start to compress and we can\u2019t really do much more. It could be Punta Del Este all over again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My last mother duty, with Anna, and last mother duty for this race. It\u2019s been good fun keeping the troops fed, getting to know Anna and the crew appear to be enjoying what we\u2019ve been putting up for them. Food is a real moral booster for the crew. If they eat well they work well and the boat is happier for it. However, it\u2019s also important that the galley and its contents are kept clean and I\u2019ve had to wash a number of pots that had not been cleaned properly! \u201cThat will do\u201d attitude is not part of the LBS culture and everybody needs to complete their duties to the highest standards. It\u2019s been mentioned, well, I had a bit of a rant, and hopefully that nips it in the bud. As mother I\u2019ve not been on deck at all today, but I can see the sun is out. The wind has strengthened a bit but we had to gybe last night as the wind had backed and Punta has made some gains on us as a result. We believe we have the better wind angle for Fremantle. GOSH have gone into stealth mode to keep us all guessing over the next 24 hours. But it\u2019s all very close at the end of 4,500 NM miles, in fact astonishing that there is so little between the top three boats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 1st Christmas decoration is up! A blow-up Santa, who has a remarkable likeness to one of my fellow Northern Ireland crew mates, has appeared in the galley. Time seems to stand still whilst you’re on a boat. Being cutoff from media sources, sports results, even the daily news, makes you forget that life is cracking on at pace back home. Things are happening out there and you\u2019re not part of it. Christmas decorations drive that home with a bit of a punch. I\u2019m sure more decorations will appear as the festive season roles in and I\u2019ll just have to get used to it and find my own coping mechanism\u2019s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Saturday and less than 450 NM miles to go. GOSH has come out of stealth and we\u2019ve closed in on them to 50 miles! They can see we\u2019re faster than them with better wind, we\u2019ve left that message, then gone into stealth ourselves, just to play with their minds. Punta has closed in on us, but we\u2019ve held them to 50 miles. We\u2019ve travelled nearly 4,500 NM miles and the top three boats are now within 100 miles of each other. It\u2019s nuts. The wind has shifted and during the night whilst I was snoring my head off, we\u2019ve dropped our code 1, raised our Yankee 1, wooled the kite and put it away for the next flight. I didn\u2019t hear a bloody thing. Ear plugs are definitely one of the best investments I\u2019ve made! So, we\u2019re now making good speed under white sails. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s great to be back on deck after Mother watch. The sun is out, sails are filled and we\u2019ve just been visited by a pod of 20 or so dolphins. They\u2019ve been playing around our bow, jumping and flipping over. The main pod has moved away with a few juveniles hanging about, but eventually they\u2019ve all headed off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Up again for our 10pm watch. Good news is that we\u2019ve secured 1ST<\/sup> spot in the ocean sprint, by some distance. Bad news. Punta have followed GOSH and gone lower, we assume, with their spinnaker and taken another chunk out of us and down to 45 miles. We\u2019ve now got our code 1 up, but do we cover them off and drop down low, or do we remain high and hope the wind stays true? It\u2019s a crucial call with pros & cons for either. If the wind stays with us, then it\u2019s a no brainer, but I have a feeling there could be another twist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Its the last full day with the news that GOSH and Punta have headed south of us. We\u2019ve gained on GOSH and Punta has gained on us. The code 1 kite is up and flying well but not much wind about, so approx 80 miles between 1st and 3rd<\/sup>. Bloody incredible, with a grandstand finish on the cards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On a secondary note, just to make sure we\u2019re on track, Gavin and Maisie are trying out their sextants. Andy\u2019s trying to figure out how they work, but he\u2019s still looking through the wrong end. The conclusion is that we are approximately in the right place and that Gavin\u2019s kit is better than Maisie\u2019s kit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve been up on deck getting ready for border control, shaving my head to the bemusement of the crew. I mean, how weird is it for an old bugger dressed only in a pair of shorts and a lifejacket with a bucket of hot water, shaving foam on his head and a razor in his hand. You won\u2019t get better on Netflix. On a more serious note, according to Australian customs, we are carrying half a ton of contraband. The restriction list takes a week to read. Lucy, bless her, has been cleansing our provisions, including flour, honey all meat products and even gummy bears! Seemingly, the gelatine is not allowed and all the secret stashes of Haribo are turning up to be either eaten or binned! The crew has agreed to take one for the team and stuff our faces with as much Haribo as one can stomach, so much so, I think we\u2019ll all have to be treated for type 2 diabetes by the time we arrive. Other food stuffs we need to off-load and this is not the full list – All peanuts, all rice, South African Billtong, pepperoni, salami, hot dogs, fruit, all our tins of South African corned beef, all spices (Lucy is not happy), opened tea bags (Andy\u2019s not happy) and vegetables (not all crew members have agreed to eat the vegetables). In fact, this may be the 1st leg in Clipper history where the crew arrive heavier than they left and I don\u2019t want to see another fizzy cola or gummy bears for at least a year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Up early in anticipation for our Last Sunday sundown of the race and an update of where we are in the race! No real change, so we just need to sail hard and make no mistakes along the way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 75 miles to go and we\u2019ve been catching GOSH all day, bit by bit, but not quickly enough. Whilst we\u2019ve got closer to GOSH, we\u2019ve also pulled away from Punta, the wind is due to back and strengthen and we\u2019ve made the call to drop our code 1 and raise our Yankee 1 and finish the race on white sails. There is no point in risking our position as we haven\u2019t got enough water to catch GOSH, unless they make a mistake and we\u2019re still fast enough to be able to take advantage of any mistakes they make. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the home straight. It\u2019s early in the morning and we can make out land ahead, with various navigation lights in the distance, but it\u2019s still dark. Every port we go to is unfamiliar and so extra care is required to ensure we\u2019re following the correct course and both understand and recognise the various navigation lights blinking in the distance. The majority of navigation lights have an individual flashing sequence to help sailors recognise each light. To add a bit of tension, we also need to be a certain distance off the shoreline, otherwise we\u2019ll get a time penalty, so tensions are running high. We\u2019ve rounded Rotness Island into a strong head wind, time to remind ourselves how to tack. It\u2019s been a while! All the crew are on deck so a bit crowded, and for some, this will be the last time on LBS. So, I go up on the foredeck with David to set trim and stay out of the way. As suspected by Gavin, we\u2019ve got too much sail up, so we drop our Yankee 1 and pull up our Yankee 2. Nothing like a headsail change early in the morning, coming into the finish line. A bit of extra graft for us all but gets the blood flowing and everybody is now fully awake for our arrival into Fremantle. As the sun rises, Anna, who hasn\u2019t helmed that much on this race, takes LBS and herself home to Australia. She\u2019s Australian and a local girl from Perth and a really nice ending to her journey to bring LBS over the finish line. We dodge around a few anchored ships in the bay before spotting the Clipper rib, a sure sign we\u2019re heading in the right direction and a few other boats have come out to greet us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With a big cheer from the crew, we cross the finish line in a very strong 2nd spot, another 9 points in the bag and another ocean completed. Big hugs and handshakes all round as the Clipper rib circles the boat for some photo opportunities. Then it\u2019s back to the routine of dropping the sails and putting up our sponsors banners and flags. We\u2019re getting fairly efficient at it now. Once completed and with the Sun shinning brightly, we head into Fremantle marina. My 1st time in Australia and leg 3 completed. Time for some beer (after we clear customs) and some R&R<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Coughing and Crash\u2011Landing Albatrosses As I start my 13th week onboard CV25\/LBS, the weather has most continued to be relatively kind. The boat is starting to dry out which is making living conditions a bit better and my clothes are not getting wet with the condensation and moisture levels on board. However, the dampness has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":566,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"\nHaribo Smuggling and a Podium Finish<\/h6>\n\n\n\n