SKIPPER'S LOG
Adventure_iceland
Sat 2 Aug 2008 01:40
|
52,39.77N; 13,59.26W
I think it is Saturday today - not that it matters
really! That being the case I must be 45 and 2 days now and Adventure and
her crew must be on Day 5 of the passage to Greenland already. I thought
it must be time for me to provide my short assessment of how things are
going.
12 months ago we started serious planning for this
trip. Selection took place in the latter part of 2007 with short-listed TA
personnel called forward for a selection and training weekend in January and
February 2008. Those selected returned for a number of
training weekends and a week's exped in March either side of Easter.
Further training weekends took place until July. Behind the scenes
all this time there was lots of administration and planning to complete.
Captain Mark Giles and I worked with Major John H-W and Capt Cath Stephens
to make the best of what was on offer from BT and its ERT. Staff at JSASTC
worked hard to ready the yacht for us and a team gathered to complete last
minute preparation during the week immediately prior to sailing. We
secured money from the Royal Signals Yacht Club and MAG Projects Ltd sponsored
some items of clothing. Several adventurous training expeditions
were organised and completed, finances run and monies accounted for and training
conducted by myself, Windy and MJ. Much of this was done so as to
maximize availability for the TA personnel.
Some of our number dropped out along the way -
for a host of reasons - and we recruited some last minute
replacements. These people did not receive the same amount of
training so were at a disadvantage initially. But then all the crew
less skipper and mate were sick to begin with on this leg. As I write
now, the sickness has passed and everyone is better. Touted by me as
the Day 4 effect, it has worked again on this trip (we started out at 1730 hrs
or so on Tuesday). We have charged along on a beam reach, covering a
staggering 190 M in a 24 hour run - staggering because that was along the south
coast of UK where we are usually thrashed by wind and tide, We rounded
Bishop's Rock at 11.7 knots and bore away to a broad reach with a beam sea to
close SW Ireland near FASTNET Rock. I was attempting to sail north of the approaching low pressure
system so as to harness following winds. But the low pressure filled and
became complex. After a day of lighter winds, the breeze filled in again
from the west (generally) and since then we have been able once again to lay our
Great Circle route north west from Bishop Rock towards Cape Farewell, 1600 M
away. When we get there we will have another 600 or so miles to sail up
the west coast - but more of that another day.
The weather has been good - southerly at first
followed by a lull - at present we have a consistent 20 knots from the
west. Whilst that means we are beating, at least it is in the direction we
want to go - north west, So morale is boosted by that. At
present Ireland has just slipped off the chart plotter so now it only shows
sea. And we have been through our first time zone change too at 7 1/2
degrees west. We will have a few more to do at 15 degree intervals as we
make westing. We have sailed over 500 miles so far and had breeze up to 32
knots but mainly 18 to 20 knots which is perfect, The light wind day
caused us to use the engine at 1500 RPM to induce sufficient apparent wind so we
could motor-sail. This is much earlier than I had hoped -
expecting to motor for several hundred miles when we reach the high pressure
around Greenland I was hoping to save fuel til then.
The yacht is in good order. We have fixed a
few bits as we sail. Nothing dramatic wrong. The HF is working; I
even managed to get a fax from the Weatherfax - a near miracle in itself.
Windy has been making little improvements along the way and I have been fixing
the odd thing too. The food is improving now that appetites have returned
and I no longer feel as if I am on an enforced diet! The air is still
warm, the Azores High has brought a warm air circulation up to meet us. It wont
last though as we are bound for arctic air and seas.
Anyway I hope that gives you a feel from my
perspective. I will write again in a few days to describe how we are
getting along,
Richard
 |