Race 1 - Day 26
Crew Diary - Race 1 Day 26: Liverpool to Punta del Este
15 September
Hello landlubbers,
As Fran Baker mentioned in yesterdays blog, life at 45 degrees is a challenge at night, so I will fill you in on the day time life on the rails (rails being the sides of the yacht and where our ten strong Watch- one is on Mother Duties - spend the day, adding our combined weight to the righting moment).
Night shifts are 4 hours so its eat, sleep, sail, repeat. Day shifts on the other hand. are 6 hours, so there is time for other pursuits!
Off shift:
The 6 hours of off shift starts at 0800. After watching the sky grow lighter from 0400, we are now seeing amazing sunrises sneaking through the clouds at 0610, so we enjoy 2 hours of heart lifting sunshine while we tidy the deck and run checks on safety equipment. By the time the other watch appears after their breakfast, spirits are high. The off-watch then heads down to strip off. Eleven people battling to get wet 'foulies' off and into the wet lockers is a bit of a ballet in the confined space, but soon we are seated and braced for breakfast.
Cereal and tinned or dried fruit, and every few days porridge, are the staples now the fresh eggs have run out. Brush teeth, "shower" (wet wipe towel downs), and rush to bed to get sleeping before the grotto heats up with the new day. Trevor Taylor (Coxswain) spends some time with Skipper Roy analysing the weather files and fleet positions to reconfirm the course for the day.
After a few hours kip, the early risers appear. I spend my time leaning into walls with my yoga ball massaging knots in my shoulders. Keepers of diaries (Cait Lisle and Martyna Lubecka on my shift) beaver away committing memories to paper. The chatty people find their way to the saloon to regale the prior night's heroic feats. The competitive types will move to the Nav Station for the latest position updates, and the technology people can be seen rummaging through the tech locker with a spaghetti of chargers and power packs that is constantly meet with bewilderment.
Lunch is served at 1315 so we all cram into the saloon. The poor Mothers are centre stage in the galley with hungry mouths surrounding them, the predictable bowls at the ready for seconds for the big eaters makes this job tough! Meals eaten mostly in day clothes of underwear (we got to this level of attire remarkably soon into the journey) due to the tropical latitudes, gas cook top adding to the 13 bodies making it 5 degrees warmer below deck. After sweating through meal time, there is a rush to get the correct gear on, with the 'foulie' ballet resuming.
Happy hour is 1400, when both watches are on deck and Roy gives us his daily jokes and race updates. A normal run down would include DTB (distance to beer) and race position update. The crew responds accordingly with "yeah!" or "ohhh..." This is also the open forum time for the crew to pass on knowledge, discuss issues, and give compliments.
On watch:
Michael spends his spare time trying to improve his plank record. This is just as one does in the gym, on your forearms and toes holding a straight body off the ground, however with limited space, on an angle and the rocking motion, the challenge is far greater. Within the days a 15 second improvement puts his PB at 4 min 15 sec.
Washing of clothes is another key task, a bucket on a string to collect salt water and then hand washing on the deck. James Hetherton has devised a new method where he simply ties his clothes to a sail tie and hangs them off the back for 10 minutes - James is always looking for shortcuts, hence his ability to achieve high speeds on course at the helm.
Mike and John are the entertainers on our shift, regaling stories one after another, a competition of banter abilities might be more accurate and entertaining. People and their stories slowly build firm friendships and we pass many hours in private and public chats about life, family, politics, business, but the most often discussed topic is what we will do in Punta! Shower, loved ones, beer, food (steak and fresh vegetables), lie down on any flat surface and sleep, and use dry toilet paper and happily flush it down the loo with the push of a single button!
David Greer, our RTW maintenance guy, is often seen stalking the deck with screw drivers, spanners and sikafelx. Watch Leaders David Kemp and Michael Hampson check the deck looking for wear, chaffing ropes, twisted halyards, anything sharp. Stian TØnnesen, Cait, Trevor and others often spend time whipping lines.
Jules Spicer, our team Victualler, always knows where the best snacks are! These are passed about to keep spirits and sugar levels high. Cups of tea are a luxury, this is due to the kettle being gas (when generator is not running) and any additional heat below deck is avoided (except when the off watch are asleep...).
We do also sail, but it is a marathon and not a sprint. Helming is rotated frequently to keep concentration fresh and all the team are building their knowledge with time behind the big wheel. Checking course and trimming sails, this was less often but now we are 1500nM from Punta Del Este and can see GREAT Britain on the horizon, we are stepping it up a gear!
Ben Acland