memories are made of this...

DAY 17 – 11TH December 2007

Position: 14º 14’ N 60º 43’ W
Bearing: 255º
Distance to go: 15 Nm

During the night A watch had done a great job which just left us to head to St Lucia in sunny style. Unfortunately the rain gods that had been “looking after us” most of the way wanted to say goodbye in style. We managed to catch the edge of a revolving tropical storm called Olga. Away went the sunshine, out came the rain and along came 35 knot winds. We battled for four hours to make up the remaining distance to St Lucia. Nothing could dampen our spirits though, and anyway we were used to getting wet. Reaching in 30 knots is also a lot of fun and we were surfing our way to the Carribean. It’s exciting and strange to be heading for land, but it’s also weird to be able to countdown precisely when you get there. The modern electronics which we wouldn’t have done without on the crossing almost took away the mystique of landfall as the digits patiently counted down.

At last the island was in full view. The rain eased for a while but there was no sun to shine on this beautiful green island that just sits in the middle of nowhere. We reset sails, smartened the boat, changed clothes and looked reasonably clean as we headed round Pigeon Island to the finish. Smile everybody for the photo boat! Just metres from the finish the rain started again and lashed down on us as we cheered, we were way beyond caring and Rick piped us into the lagoon.

We had the traditional St Lucian welcome with fruit and cold rum punch. Then we took turns to gingerly step onto the pontoon and try walking. Of course anyone staggering had a good excuse after a couple more drinks and the bar was only a hundred metres away.

Northern Child was first in its class but on handicap we may not be class winners. That will depend on other boats and whether they take a penalty for using their motor. At the outset of this passage Julian said he hoped we would sail the Atlantic, no motor and no autohelm. Thirteen strangers managed to sail this lovely boat every single one of the 2,724 Nm. Everyone had steered, set sails, got wet, laughed when absolutely tired and most of all worked as a team. This is the adventure that sailing offers. It can be dangerous, and some yachts have had problems, but it also gives you the opportunity to test yourself, to let you step up and support others. No-one can take away from us the memories we have all made together. A big thanks to everyone on board. I’m now off to find a bed that doesn’t move so that I can sleep for ever, and ever, and ever…

NOTE
This blog has been written as calendar days, not boat days. Our actual finish time was 16 days, 01 hours, 34 mins and 23 secs.

Daily positions and tracks were recorded at mid-day ship’s time.

our ocean...

DAY 16 – 10TH December 2007

Position: 14º 51’ N 57º 33’ W
Bearing: 275º
Distance to go: 207 Nm

At last we had a reason to enjoy the 02.00 to 06.00 watch, the wind has come back to say hello and it’s come back in force. This boat loves to reach and the wind on the port beam is blowing her along beautifully. Perhaps someone on the crew sent a prayer explaining how we wanted to reach dry land sooner rather than later.

Late in the afternoon we watched as a boat was catching us up from astern. At 72 ft long “One too many” didn’t take long to reach us. They came abeam of us and we both took some pictures and video to share later on. It seemed strange to be sharing “our ocean” with someone else, it’s surprising how you get used to looking at an empty ocean. It wasn’t long until they headed off to starboard and we set up for our last night’s sailing.

The mood on our last night watch was upbeat but very tired. The amount of squalls we had dealt with recently had taken their toll. We had expected to be dealing with some squalls, but the occasional ferocity and duration had taken us by surprise sometimes. We are used to the rhythm of sailing the boat but I think all of us are ready for the final adventure; landfall.

A watch were punctual as ever to relieve us at 06.00, but the wind had been forcing us higher and higher over the last hour and so we stayed on deck for another 40 minutes to help gybe the boat. As much as you practise this manouvre during the day, it requires concentration and patience in the dark after being on watch for four hours. The last thing any of us would want is an accident this close to our destination.

We left A watch to hunt down the remaining miles and they did an admirable job. It’s surprising what kind of incentive an ice cold rum punch can be. Tomorrow we should be arriving and finishing a great adventure. One careful push should see us in St Lucia proud of a good job well done.


You can track the progress of Northern Child, which is updated every hour, on their web site at: northernchild.com

Starry, starry night...

DAY 15 - 9TH December 2007

Position: 15º 23' N 54º 39' W
Bearing: 280º
Distance to go: 372 Nm

Our favourite watch of the day is the 06.00 to 12.00 shift. This morning the sun slowly came up and gently filled our horizon with light. At first orange and then a brighter blue. With not much wind we were able to relax for a while and enjoy the quiet boat while most of the others were still asleep. This is the time of day that I will remember the most. Our immediate seascape feels like we are in a large 360º bubble. It's not a lonely feeling, more of a large private space belonging just to us.

We wouldn't want to enjoy other people's misfortune, however, today was the turn of A watch to get wet while on shift. Hooray. We didn't leave them alone on deck though as we took the opportunity to have a shower and wash our hair in the rain. As we changed watches the wind died prompting another swim. This was a quick dip though as the wind soon picked up. I'm not a bad swimmer but chasing the boat at 6 knots is definitely beyond me.

There were 2 changes during the afternoon, we swapped the headsails round as what wind we did have was now off the port beam and we adjusted our local time to GMT -3 hours. The final time change will be done when we land in St Lucia.

Just before dinner another cry of "whale" was heard. Rick spotted a whale within 10 metres of the boat. We're still looking through the whale book to identify it, snub nose and up to 15 metres long. It blew some water at us and swam away. This was a much more friendly approach than our last encounter.

After our gourmet pork chops in mustard sauce we played hunt the wind. Unfortunately it was hiding away.

We were joined on our 18.00 watch by Julian, Kate and Susie. With the wind making a guest appearance and the miles tumbling, the mood was relaxed and there was some great laughter under a bright starry sky. A wonderful start to the day and some good fun to end it. Perfect.


You can track the progress of Northern Child, which is updated every hour, on their web site at: northernchild.com

Fish Attack!

DAY 14 - 8TH December 2007

Position: 15º 47' N 52º 39' W
Bearing: 280º
Distance to go: 492 Nm

We took over from A watch at 02.00. They had seen a boat approaching for a while which came within 100m before it gybed away. By the time were on deck it was on the distant horizon. The wind was moving all the time and finally we realised we would need to gybe in the dark. And right on cue came the biggest squall so far. Horizontal rain, confused winds and an ever changing sea state made each movement around the deck quite tricky. And then it happened, whilst winching in the roller reefing out of the darkness it came, heading straight for me, with jaws open wide. A flying fish had chosen just this moment to leap aboard and take a direct line to me. The other crew on watch will say I screamed like a girl although I beg to differ. All I remember is a flapping fish laying beside me as instructions were sent my way to carry on winching. I did try to pick it up but between my squeamish nature and the rolling of the boat it escaped my attempts to get hold of it. Looking back now, I would guess it was at least 1 ft long, again there is some discrepancy and the others on watch say it was less than 3 inches. I'll leave it to you to decide which is closer to the truth! We finished the gybe successfully and finally the rain finished and hot chocolate was served.

After a little sleep we came back on deck to be told we had under 500 miles to go. Another milestone that we had all been waiting for. There is a lot of talk now of what is the best drink to have at the bar when we arrive. Hotel rooms are being dreamed of and hot , long showers are imagined. This talk is a lot of fun, but it also brings home the fact that our adventure is entering its final phase. Time to reflect and concentrate on enjoying the last few days.

The wind may be helping to prolong our trip as it is doing its best to play havoc with our plans. Coming and going, changing direction and driving some of the members of the crew mad. The best approach is to remember we are a sailing boat and we can only do what the wind will allow. At present it is allowing us to bobb around this rather large ocean. The only upside is that it makes it a lot easier to eat, and once again or chef supreme came up trumps with a homemade cheesecake and "the best bolognase in the world".

Early evening was spent watching lightning away on the horizon as the wind lazily came and went.


You can track the progress of Northern Child, which is updated every hour, on their web site at: northernchild.com

Wet, wet, wet...

DAY 13 - 7TH December 2007

Position: 15º 52' N 49º 47' W
Bearing: 285º
Distance to go: 655 Nm

We're still chasing the 20 kn trade winds some forecasts had promised, unfortunately they have heard us coming and disappeared. It had been frustrating sailing during the night with a confused swell and light winds. Once again our watch were given a free shower as the last of the night's squalls said goodbye. One hour into our 06.00 -12.00 watch we brought the twin headsails down and put the spinnaker up. It took until the afternoon to get the best out of it when the other watch managed to average over 8 knots.

The downside of sailing downwind is the lack of breeze from an apparent wind, and once again the sun was burning hot for the whole day.

The lighter conditions did have their plus side and so I took the opportunity to get some shots from the spinnaker pole and up the mast. There's a lot of trust in your crew as they gently control your descent from 40 feet in the air. The horizon looks vast and empty from that height as for the first time you are able to see above the waves.

I'm convinced the "Northern Child Cookbook" will be a bestseller, out here food is a big subject and something to look forward to each day. It's a good time for both watches to get together and chat, and after a soaking it's a great pick me up. Tonight's delight was a lovely green chicken curry.

Suitably refreshed and fed we were ready for our 18.00 to 22.00 watch. And you guessed it, down came the rain! I'm going to read the terms and conditions on the holiday brochure as I'm sure it said "Bluewater downwind sailing; just bring your t-shirt and shorts".


You can track the progress of Northern Child, which is updated every hour, on their web site at: northernchild.com

birthday surprise...

DAY 12 - 6TH December 2007

Position: 16º 26' N 46º 55' W
Bearing: 285º
Distance to go: 824 Nm

The dreaded 02.00 to 06.00 watch was helped by having the clearest and brightest starry night of the trip so far. We pooled our limited knowledge and spotted a few constellations. What was more obvious than ever before was how the Earth moves in relation to the stars during the night. We tracked Orion's belt as it twisted and climbed through the sky. There wasn't a lot else to do as we were waiting for more wind to come our way. The forecasts of strong 15-20 kn trade winds hadn't lived up to their promise. The other watch had gybed in the night which headed us further South than we would have liked from the rhumb line.

Today was Kate-the-mate's birthday. She won't tell us her age and of course we are much too polite to ask. She had brought some presents form home and Susie cooked 2 meals of her choice. We're very glad she chose fajitas for lunch and bangers and mash for dinner. It felt like our birthday! Rick gave her a present of a bagpipes lesson. It is much harder than it looks. I had brought a cake with me and it was time to eat it. The lovely Mrs Swan had baked a cake especially for the trip which survived the flight from the UK and mid-way across the Atlantic. But once opened, it survived approximately 2 minutes as the hordes laid waste. Katie and the whole crew loved the cake so thanks again Mrs Swan, we're just waiting to see if we can get another one airlifted out before St Lucia.

If Birthday celebrations weren't enough, we had some special visitors during our afternoon watch. 2 whales swam alongside and even under the boat at one point. We are still trying to identify what type of whale they were but they were certainly interested in us for a good 15 minutes. Julian was worried that they could damage the rudder, so we had a tense cat and mouse run for a while before they eventually carried on their course. We let them head off for a mile or two before we resumed our original bearing.

Our first birthday on board and our first whale sightings. What a day. We have been very lucky so far on this trip with the weather and the sea. A few more days to go and we will be able to look back on a unique and wonderful experience.


You can track the progress of Northern Child, which is updated every hour, on their web site at: northernchild.com

1000 miles to the nearest bar...

DAY 11 - 5TH December 2007

Position: 17º 40' N 44º 04' W
Bearing: 255º
Distance to go: 997 Nm

The day started on the 06.00 to 12.00 watch. As the sun came up we were greeted to a great display of cumulus clouds. All around us the horizon was surrounded by huge white towers. It's slightly weird to think that if weren't here none of these clouds would be seen by human eyes. Kate gave us some good news at 09.30 to say we had1000 miles to go. How quickly the time has gone and the miles passed by.

We put the twin headsails back up as we began to pick up the stronger tradewinds again. As soon as these winds start it creates the famous Atlantic roll. The swells gently pick you up put you down, pick you up and put you down again. The rhythm is quite regular and relatively comfortable. I didn't think that we would experience such distinct types of seas and they all have their own characteristics. Visually they all look different too, sometimes you can see the horizon as the small swells come and go and at other times you can see the larger swells gradually build and reach your stern. Whatever the state, the sea is always mesmerising.

As we have headed South we are starting to experience some very hot weather. For the first time we put the bimini up at the stern to protect the helm. As we are still waiting for the stronger winds there is little breeze to cool us down. Of course we're not complaining as it is early December and the reports of weather from home are of cold and wet days.

The quiet afternoon was a good time to tidy and clean the decks. The teak decking must have been feeling as hot as we were and happily soaked up the water as we scrubbed. The weather hasn't reduced our appetites though and the lamb chops served with potato gratin was well received. The cold beer was the only thing not made by Susie from scratch!

We get a daily report from the ARC organisers and we have heard of other boats having some problems. These range from generator failure to boom problems and the total loss of headsail and forestay. It reminds us how vigilant and careful we need to be with the rigging and the boat. This mixture of ropes, metal and wood is our home and we need to constantly monitor its performance. So far it is doing us proud. A strong, fast boat that has become home to 13 complete strangers.



You can track the progress of Northern Child, which is updated every hour, on their web site at: northernchild.com

The biggest swimming pool in the world...

DAY 10 - 4th December 2007

Position: 18º 39' N 41º 43' W
Bearing: 255º
Distance to go: 1139 Nm

I'm beginning to think that the weather knows when we're on watch! We had been on deck from 02.00 when a huge squall arrived scattering us onto the foredeck for reefing lines. Our well-oiled teamwork became very damp teamwork as horizontal rain encouraged us to work even quicker. It was nice of Julian to offer words of encouragement from the dry of the companionway, and after about 10 minutes he suggested we hove to as the wind couldn't decide which point of the compass it liked best. The squall passed after about 15 minutes leaving us in calm waters and little wind. The racket had woken Kate up too and we were very thankfull for the hot coffee she whipped up.

It wasn't hard to fall asleep at 06.00 when we finished our watch, but we were woken by more noise at 08.30. This time is was laughter rather than wind. The sun was up and the sea was calm. Time for swimming! I had been hoping that we would get the chance to have a swim so it didn't take much encouragement to get me in the water. The talk of sharks wasn't too encouraging though. We streamed a fender aft so we could all hold on, but it was a special experience to let go for a while and know that I was swimming freely in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Of course the other bonus was that it saved a shower.

With the winds staying relatively light into the afternoon we put the spinnaker up for the second time. Under the experienced eye of Dave, our watch leader we were trimmers, grinders and helms. Considering most of us hadn't done much spinnaker sailing before we made some good progress and learnt loads.

In the early evening we think we saw a racing class boat on our port beam just on the horizon. If so, we should be really pleased with our progress and how we have all sailed the boat to its maximum. Tomorrow's position reporting should reveal if we were right.

For now, it's time to hope for the end of this trough and the trade winds to pick up back to 15-20 knots.


You can track the progress of Northern Child, which is updated every hour, on their web site at: northernchild.com

Neither here nor quite there...

DAY 9 - 3rd December 2007

Position: 19º 46' N 39º 42' W
Bearing: 255º
Distance to go: 1274 Nm

We spent the 06.00 to 12.00 watch waiting for the wind to drop, and drop it did. Julian had made the decision to head South as we approached the low ahead so we were expecting the decrease in wind. What we can't predict is how much it will drop and whether we can just touch the edge of the low.

During the night we passed the halfway point. A small milestone for the boat, but a huge one for all the crew as it marks the longest distance most of us have sailed before. As you can expect, the conversation during the day was based around guessing our arrival time, with Dave organising the sweepstake. If we have got the slight detour right, there is a possibility that Northern Child may make its fastest crossing yet.

With the decrease in wind came some lovely sunshine and out came the ipods. Its not surprising that modern technology is creeping into all aspects of sailing including downtime. What is also great is the ability to receive emails, not cheap, but it's such a boost to hear from family and know they are following our progress.

Tonight we had a mini celebration after passing the midway point. A couple of bottles of champagne and some beer complimented some party food rustled up by Susie. No party games but a real sense of sharing amongst everybody on the crew.

It's at this point that you start to think about your arrival, but we mustn't forget that the memories will be made by the laughter, friendship and even the hard times during the trip. Stepping ashore will be easy, saying goodbye to an adventure will be more difficult.


You can track the progress of Northern Child, which is updated every hour, on their web site at: northernchild.com

Why does it always rain on me?

DAY 8 - 2nd December 2007

Position: 21º 28' N 36º 49' W
Bearing: 250º
Distance to go: 1446 Nm

The dreaded 02.00 - 06.00 watch passed relatively quickly although we're running out of games. Helming the boat at night is like driving a car on an empty motorway without lights on. You know you have the room but sometimes you scare yourself when a swell catches you and the speed picks up. No record speeds tonight though.

After a brief sleep we joined the other watch on deck and shared some small qualls. This mixture of light rain, unsettled wind and sun continued until we were back on watch at 12 noon. For once our watch started quietly until Dave said the magic words "this is boring, I want some action." Cue the biggest squall yet. As all other spare crew fled down the companionway we put 2 reefs in the main and rolled away some headsail. The rain came hard and horizontal flattening both us and the sea. I managed to get some footage until the rain was threatening to soak my "waterproof" camera cover. And as soon as it had arrived it waved goodbye leaving some very wet B watch. We had heard all about the squalls and what we could expect and this was a textbook example. Dave is now banned form uttering those words again.

Susie gave us some sympathy with a fantastic morrocan lamb stew rustled up without fuss as we were rushing about on deck. How does she do it?

The squall had set the mood for Mark and the news getting worse. Leeds lost and were down to 5th. We need to keep an eye out for him on night watch as we don't want him to do anything silly. Encouraging words are in order, at least he doesn't support West Ham (Darren!).


You can track the progress of Northern Child, which is updated every hour, on their web site at: northernchild.com

Come on United...

DAY 7 - 1st December 2007

Position: 23º 10' N 34º 02' W
Bearing: 260º
Distance to go: 1623 Nm

One of my favourite watches is the 06.00 to 12.00 shift. It starts out quite difficult as you are still tired but once the sun comes up it has a miraculous effect. As the sky lights up, the warm air brightens everyone's mood. The only problem this morning was that the sun made a late appearance to allow some squally rain to come through. Our latest watch game is to go through the reefs from 1 to 2 and then 2 to 1 and then 1 to 2 again. So much fun! The wind did offer me my best helming speed yet with 11.2 kn as my personal record, although Dave beat me almost straight away with 1.4kn.

We were on course to beat the boat's daily mileage record until the wind dropped. Final result was a near miss by 1 nautical mile.

The sun made an appearance later in the day and we had some steady trade winds unfortunately from the wrong direction leading to a gybe and a sail change. We took down the twin headsails leaving just the No. 1 Genoa on port tack. Sounds easy? That's a lot of sail to depower and control, which required teamwork, effort, co-ordination and of course someone to film it!

There were 2 uncertainties today and they both concerned Mark from our watch. The first was his cooking abilities as he volunteered to help John cook the dinner. Our fantastic food has been well documented and the two guys were attempting to fill Susie's big shoes. As they say in football...the boys done good. Football was Mark's other worry as he spent the evening watch worrying about Leeds United's results. In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and I'm sitting next to a Leeds fan!

Our final watch change resembled a stamped as we flew down into our bunks. Sleep, sweet sleep.


You can track the progress of Northern Child, which is updated every hour, on their web site at: northernchild.com

Haggis at Sea...

DAY 6 - 30th November 2007

Position: 23º 42' N 30º 00' W
Bearing: 275º
Distance to go: 1814 Nm

02.00 to 06.00. We're convinced that A watch have a friend above as each time we swap shifts the swell or the wind picks up. Ten minutes into our watch and we were surfing down some great swells. Record of the night was 11 knots. By now we are a well oiled reefing machine, put them in and take them out in seconds. Good job too as were living on the ragged edge of adhesion! Is that the Volvo 70s team coach on the phone? We're available at a very high price.

3 hours of deep, dark sleep and I was woken by Kate to tell me Rick was about to play the bagpipes to welcome in St Andrew's Day. Strapped to the bimini surrounded by his Saltaire it was a splendid sight for our select audience.

Susie marked the occasion with Thai peanut noodle salad laced with...you guessed it...haggis! Very nice it was too.

We had a new ingredient for Susie today, a flying fish that landed on the deck during the night. Unfortunately it wasn't seen by the crew and so ended its days on the deck of Northern Child. It really is the most peculiar sight, a fish with wings. We're waiting for a bigger catch before fish soup can be served.

Our afternoon watch was much more relaxed with some lovely sunshine, time for another attempt with the sextant. I think Mark would be better off without Kate and I hampering his maths. We are getting closer to our gps position each time. Best news is that we can confirm we are in the Northern Hemisphere in the Atlantic.

The boat is performing really well, despite the best efforts of our motley crew. Julian described it as an ocean going boat and it proves its pedrigree as it dances on top of the swells.

With Jeremy fully on the mend our watches are full of chatter. Tim is our strong silent crew and sometimes I feel sorry that he has to put up with some of the worst jokes heard at sea. Luckily for us we haven't seen another boat for 3 days.


You can track the progress of Northern Child, which is updated every hour, on their web site at: northernchild.com

Atlantic cookbook

DAY 5 - 29th November 2007

Position: 24º 16' N 27º 14' W
Bearing: 260º
Distance to go: 2004 Nm

It's difficult to get up and start the 06.00 to 12.00 watch and today was no exception, but for the first time we had a fantastic sunrise to wake us up. It's almost as if it was our personal sun rising gently from the stern. Within a couple of hours the classic trade wind clouds were on the horizon. Lines of white, puffy cumulus clouds that delivered some consistent NE winds throughout the day.

The sun had brought both watches out on deck which made it a perfect photo opportunity. Julian was feeling creative and decided a bit of height was necessary. Cue the bosun's chair and a trip up the mast. There's nothing like putting your trust into others but I had no qualms as I was hoisted by strong hands and winches. Despite a mostly photogenic crew we had some special visitors arrive right on time, a school of dolphins, much prettier and better swimmers than anyone on board. They swam with us for about ten minutes dancing under the bow. This was becoming a special day. Before I came down I managed one shot of the crew, after all that was why I went up.

Susie's "bistro sur mer" delivered the best lunch yet with universal praise for her beef fajitas. Watch out for her Atlantic cookbook to be published soon. And she doesn't even swear like Gordon Ramsey.

The afternoon was spent chatting and mixing with A watch, or the "Inernational Crew". Their mix of Scotland, USA, Germany and England is working really well and they are always laughing.

We changed ship time to GMT -1, the first of three changes to make as we cross. The fourth change will most likely be done on arrival in St Lucia.

Today was a record breaker with 190 miles covered. Well done everyone.


You can track the progress of Northern Child, which is updated every hour, on their web site at: northernchild.com