15:12 14:56.793N
57:21.249W
We are on the home straight the computer says 1
day and 12 hours that puts us at an arrival time of sometime after midnight
Sunday, so we've slowed down to arrive Monday morning. We could pull out all the
stops and go for it, just in time for last orders. But the sea is a tad frisky
and we are getting gusts of 30 knots, so we are still hard reefed and still
doing an average of about 6 knots.
So I will take this time to go over the points on
the boat that we have found have made a difference in our lives, and if you're
thinking of doing a crossing like this? What wise words of wisdom can I impart
to you. Here's 10 in no perticular order.
1) The Hydrovane (www.hydrovane.com) as Kevin said the other
day. It has proved a great piece of equipment. When you're being thrown around
and need to keep an eye on course, when you need to take shelter from the rain
but still need to keep an eye on course. A self steering system is a
must. The fitting is relatively straight forward, it just goes against
the grain to drill several holes in your boat. Contact Jerry the Rigger at
Gosport if you need a hand, we installed mine on a Saturday and through some
near 40 knots of wind has not squeaked once. We did come across someone who had
installed one themselves and reported that it had come away from their boat.
2) The 3 Minute Rig Check (Jerry the Rigger at
Gosport) Jerry was more than happy to help prevent things going wrong. Changing
ring pins for split pins and taping up so as not to let the water get trapped.
Believe me it's not just sea water that gets dumped on you it's buckets, there
are buckets of rain water in a very short space of time to.
3) Food, Why is it at Christmas the supermarket
trolleys are packed so high, we all know the same stuff will be available the
next day (they only shut for Christmas & Boxing day). The same
line of logic applies here! your only going for 3 weeks. You don't need as much
as you think, we will be arriving in St Lucia maybe 350 kg less than
we started. We still have enough canned food to feed the 5000, we have enough
half bake bread, dried bread, rice (brown and white) and cous cous to
feed that 5000 again. Water I'll touch on in a minute. Fresh vegetables and
fruit, do you really need to take all that? Yes it is nice to have, but you need
to eat it otherwise it's more to throw over board. When it's rough you don't
have time to make a lovely meal, just chuck it in a pan. It's only 3 weeks,
you can rough it without roughing it for 3 weeks. Chocolate well that's a
different matter.
4) Water. We were very worried about this! There
is no need to be, on a small boat there's not allot of room to keep bottled
water but we managed. So with the water tanks 200 litres and another 150 litres
we have survived, yes I'm so looking forward to a shower. But you're only going
for 3 weeks. Washing and cooking has been in salt water, Barbara has used the
salt water shampoo and it works well. We did have a watermaker called a
'waterlog' after months of misery trying
to get it back from them as it wasn't working when we bought it. Not
forgetting their total lack of customer service and support. Another ARC
boat has one and it didn't surprise me to hear that his didn't work properly
either. Less said the better.
5) Energy consumption. We started off being
very careful, we have LED lights in everything. The lights in the cabins,
head and galley are all small battery operated LED lights. Worked
great, but for the last few days we have had the Raymarine E80 on with the Radar
(the radar is on to dodge the squalls and look out for abandon boats, I think
there are 3 in this area) and the battery is still very full. We have had DVD's
on most days and the water pump running (when we had water in the
tanks).
6) The DuoGen (www.duogen.co.uk) This piece of
equipment has allowed us to keep the batteries topped up full nearly the whole
way across. (I only say nearly as my ships computer eats AMPs and if it's on too
long you need to start the engine otherwise the inverter gets upset). For long
journeys with the DuoGen in water mode it's great!
7) Don't make too many modifications to the boat.
I purchased a second hand head sail, attached it top and bottom but not in
the gulley up the forestay, and we have used it the entire journey. It was
the cheapest thing I have added to the boat and I have used it 100% of the time.
Other more expensive equipment has not even been touched. The main sail has
not been up once.
The chandlers in Spain don't really exist,
but in Las Palmas there was Rolnautic (www.rolnautic.com) who were very helpful
and took a lot of my money. They are a lot cheaper than buying in England.
Also gas is a lot cheaper in France and Spain so
don't start getting everything before you leave the UK, also don't get small gas
cans, you can't get refills in Spain.
8) Crew, I wished I'd not been rushing so much to
get the boat ready before we left. Or said 'no' to helping others. More time
needs to be spent with the crew going over what they want and what you want of
them. What you want out of the trip on 'watch' and general running (cleaning,
cooking etc) of the boat. Yes, you will get to spend lots of time with them
going forward, but you must agree before you let the lines slip. There are lots
of people trying to get passage over, so don't just say yes to the first
person.
9) Going back a couple of years I must say that
the training from Hamble School of Yachting (www.hamble.co.uk) set me up well for the
passage. So to the instructors Jacky, Jimbo, Sian, Greg, Matt etc Not
forgetting the office boys Rob and Chris. I have applied everything that
you instilled in me and that I have done you proud.
10) And what of the ARC2007 or World Cruising
Club? There are many things to consider before answering this one; the
organisation that has gone on behind the scenes, hand outs/Manuals, courses on;
'Provisioning, Weather & Routing, Downwind sailing etc etc' where to
buy what you need. The parties, the weather and news updates on a daily basis
while out at sea. Making new friends and helping out each other along the way.
This year the ARC2007 competitors have had many problems to contend
with from mast, booms, spinker poles, fridges, rudders and just about everything
you can think of breaking break. ARC2007 competitors have had the
courage to help people who have abandon their yachts and take on the
responsibility like the RNLI and rally round to help others motor home due
to some problem or other. The ARC2007 have had serious
burn injuries and very sadly we have had death. The World Cruising Club has
handled all these areas proving support to all. I say it's the best 700 pounds I
spent in a very very long time. Thank you to World Cruising Club and all it's
staff, thank you for all your hard work and support from all on Little
Blue.
