steve's yachting tv blog

Filming with the enemy?

2008-05-08T11:22:00.002+01:00

It has been a little while since my fingers were set to work describing what we've been up to. I'd like to blame it on the weather but as it's now a beautiful, sunny and windy day that excuse isn't valid. Although I am jealous thinking about those lucky people sailing during the week.

I suppose I should explain the photo, me filming on a boat without a mast? It's not some new design where the sails appear majestically from beneath a secret compartment, it is actually a motor boat and it's a clue to a few new big developments for the website.

We have been working very hard to update the look of Yachting TV, to make it easier to use and incorporate some of the changes that have been suggested to us. One of the major changes is that we will be allowing you to watch again all of our previous content. So, if you missed the item on reefing, lifejackets or a boat show, you'll be able to watch them again online and of course for free.

Hooray, I hear you all cry, but what's that got to do with the motor boat? We are going to be expanding our horizons to include stories and features on motor as well as sail. The great divide between sail and power has been reducing and quite clearly we all have a lot in common for our love of being on the water. We will still be making all our usual features about sailing but simply adding more content.

We'll obviously be making a big noise about the new website when it's ready, so standby for all of us to broaden our boating horizons...

Steve

Forget size it's the passion that matters

2008-03-11T20:20:00.003Z

On the weekend of the 1st and 2nd March I was filming at the RYA Dinghy Sailing Show for the next episode of RYA TV. Another boat show I thought, it seems like they never stop. But this one did stop me, right in my tracks. I got the feeling that every single person who came to the show was a passionate sailor or about to become one.

The exhibitors were a mix of professional companies and amateurs manning club stands. And there was a great buzz of energy wherever we went. I suppose I should confess that I own a GP14 dinghy, lovely wooden example that needs a bit of TLC if I'm honest. But there really was a great feeling of sharing a passion. This is an intimate show at a small venue, but the bigger show organisers should take note and look at the mix of content and specialists available to talk to the visitors. We had a busy weekend but really enjoyable, and it has motivated me to get out the varnish and sort out my dinghy...

Dinghy sailors aren't afraid to get wet and that's a good thing with this week's weather set to continue for another couple of days. What kind of weather are we going to get this year I wonder? February had a record of dry sunny weather, last year we had plenty of sunshine in the first quarter too. I'm no expert on global warming but I'm sure it's becoming much more of a lottery as to what kind of season we get.

We're currently finishing our next episode which will be my ARC crossing. What great memories the footage brings back. I really hope that we manage to get across the fun that we had even through the tired watches. It still seems remarkable to me how 10 strangers shaped themselves into 2 efficient watches that managed all the tasks needed and at the end were all still smiling.

I hope all your preparations for the coming season are going well and you also make some great memories too this year.

Happy sailing

Steve

2008 - The Year of the sail...

2008-01-24T15:50:00.000Z

The title of my last post was "memories are made of this" and the last year has been one of the most memorable for me. We started Yachting TV in January 2007 and from that month onward it feels as though we haven't stopped for a moment. We've sailed some lovely parts of the UK coast with Tom, looked at some great boats under the watchful eye of James, and Tracey has been out and about meeting loads of people working in every sector of the marine industry.

This year looks like it's going to be another memorable one too. We'll still be doing our usual items but they'll be some surprises too.

Back to this year and January is the month of the London ExCel Boat Show, however, this year it is the second London show. So what has been the Earls Court effect? Feedback from ECBS (Earls Court Boast Show, I can't keep typing that!) was good, there was a friendly atmosphere and the venue looked great. I wasn't there myself (as I was mid-Atlantic at the time) but Tracey filed a report for us which will be in the next episode. James Brooke, who organised the show promised many more visitors than actually turned up, but it's not clear whether he just had his numbers wrong or the boating fraternity had already made up their mind which show to go to. The ExCel Boat Show visitor numbers were down by 2% from last year and they are claiming very positive feedback too. Does it all matter to the general boating public? I think boat shows are the perfect place for all of us to share our passion, get jealous looking at the big boats but then feel please when you chat with someone who has the same boat and can share tips.

If I had to choose just one boat show in the year, it would be Southampton every time. You can't beat seeing all those boats on the pontoons with full masts up and they actually move when you get on board. The downside may be the weather but we're sailors aren't we? Surely a bit of rain won't put us off? Luckily we all have a breather now until September, and I'm sure most of the marine companies deserve a rest too, so let's hope we have a great sailing season with some fine weather to make the most of the fantastic opportunities we have here in the UK and foreign destinations on our doorstep.

So let's get on with it...ready, steady....hold on can I see some rain heading our way?

Steve

memories are made of this...

2007-12-12T22:11:00.000Z

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...

2007-12-11T22:12:00.000Z

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...

2007-12-10T23:56:00.000Z

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!

2007-12-09T22:31:00.001Z

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...

2007-12-09T08:28:00.001Z

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...

2007-12-07T19:50:00.000Z

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...

2007-12-06T23:49:00.001Z

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...

2007-12-06T23:48:00.001Z

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...

2007-12-05T01:14:00.001Z

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?

2007-12-04T00:12:00.001Z

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...

2007-12-02T23:42:00.000Z

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...

2007-12-02T10:12:00.000Z

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

2007-12-01T14:33:00.000Z

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

The joy of sextant,,,,,,,

2007-11-30T00:47:00.000Z

DAY FOUR BLOG

DAY 4 - 28th November 2007

Position: 25º 11' N 24º 00' W
Bearing: 260º
Distance to go: 2190 Nm

2 minutes into our 02.00 watch and we carried out our first gybe...with the wind shifting a bit further to the East our heading was edging towards 300º rather than the desired 270º. With Julian and Kate both on deck we made short work of a difficult manoeuvre with the genoa still poled out. As we settled into the watch talk inevitably turned to ghost stories as it was dark and we are currently in the middle of nowhere. My attempts at passing the time with some knot practise didn't quite work out as the rest of the watch felt that none of my masterful knots were any use to anyone on a boat!

The good news is Jeremy is feeling much better and we now have some more great humour to contend with when we're on watch. I've been impressed with the way he hasn't complained but worked hard to acclimatise bit by bit and it's paid off, so welcome to the watch Jeremy.

We changed watches at 06.00 with a more favourable wind shift which gave A watch their first taste of sailing with a spinnaker. They worked very hard for a couple of hours even in the slight drizzle which accompanied the low cloud. They also kindly gybed at the end of their watch as we came on deck for our afternoon shift.

The afternoon was spent continuing our on/off relationship with celestial navigation. Kate (2nd mate) and myself were assisting Mark with ongoing calculations. Our conclusion was two-fold, the first being that sailors 200 hundred years ago were very, very clever, and the second that we should have done the five-day clelestial navigation course before we left the UK. Undaunted, we persevered and finally concluded we were in the Atlantic. At least we weren't on dry land. Stand by for a position any day now.

We are keeping our position in the head of the fleet really well and are continuing to open a lead over many boats close behind us. The rhumb line is still delivering the goods.

The gourmet kitchen, ably run by Susie is continuing to produce some fantastic food and tonight's Thai Red curry was received with gusto.

As we all get more used to the sleeping patterns both watches are beginning to mix in the afternoons and we're getting to know the guys on A watch quite well. No doubt resident joker Billy will appear more than once in this log.

We had some really consistent winds from the evening giving us an average 8.5 knots in the right direction. It's quite exciting to be speeding along in the pitch black just trying to feel for the swell as it comes up behind you.

No ghost stories on the watch tonight. Scaredy cats.

From the left, Tim, Marc, Steve with the camera, Jeremy helming and
Dave the watchleader on the right.

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

3 star sailing with a 5 star menu

2007-11-28T16:34:00.000Z

DAY 3 - 27th November 2007

Position: 26º 04' N 21º 09' W
Bearing: 260º
Distance to go: 2381 Nm

On watch at 06.00 very, very, very tired even after a good, deep sleep. How do these professional sailors sail solo such huge distances on so little sleep?

We had some low cloud first thing in the morning with the wind dropping. Time for more sail so we put the No1 genoa up aswell. With the No3 genoa already flying we put the new sail on a spare groove on the roller furling gear. By putting the second sail on the same halyard we would be able to furl them both together. With the 2 sails now goosewinged we reaped the benefits immediately bringing our average speed up to 8 knots. Steering a course of 260º we were sailing on the rhumb line.

The sun came out and we were living the high life. Even when you're sailing on coastal passages there will be times when you're out of sight of land, but when your world shrinks to a 4 or 5 mile horizon it takes some getting used to. At times you feel you could reach out and touch the edge. We spied one or 2 boats during the morning and the definition of a sailing race being "2 boats on the same ocean" Dave proposed we give chase. As they disappeared ahead of us we consoled ourselves with thought they must have been a lot bigger than us.

There is a great mix of backgrounds on our watch and today we reaped the benefit of Mark's software/IT background, not in fixing the computers but reading the celestial navigation book I brought with me. His mathematical brain made short work of the process and so we took our first sights. At present we are finishing the calculations so stand by for our first reduction. We would be pleased with anything in the Northern Hemisphere.

Although Jeremy was feeling better throughout the morning he went downhill again later in the day. Everyone on board is hoping he'll be up and about soon and most of us just feel lucky we've escaped so far...maybe we should call him Nelson as it's said that the famous captain was often seasick.

With the boat sailing well in the sunshine what could be better...Susie's lunch of course...homemade bread, cherry tomato and goats cheese tart with salad...how does she do it? I'm just glad the other watch were on washing up duty!

We were back on watch for the 18.00 to 20.00 shift. With the sails still goosewinged there wasn't much to do but as the wind dropped and veered it made for some frustrating helming.

A quick handover to the next watch, followed by a dash for my bunk and 4 hours sleep felt like 10 minutes.

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

No sleep 'till Rodney...

2007-11-28T01:35:00.000Z

DAY 2 - 26th November 2007

Position: 26º 56' N 17º 49' W
Bearing: 260º
Distance to go: 2542 Nm

We feel like we're really on our way and making good progress. We had the 12.00 to 18.00 watch and luckily for us not too much to do. There was a noticeable difference in the sea state as it got a lot smoother at times making the helm easier. It takes practise to second guess the swells coming up behind you and steer gently down, great fun.

Jeremy was perking up and hopefully on the mend, at least able to join in the watch with us. It's always difficult to know what's best when someone is seasick, the most frustrating thing is that he's missing out on some good sailing. Dave, our watch leader, is the most experienced sailor and a definite racer, we have to keep correcting him and reminding him the ARC is a rally not a race...he is definitely our expert at sail setting.

Tiredness was starting to kick in and when we swapped watches I couldn't get to my bunk quick enough, incredible how a space 6ft by 2ft can be so cosy. It's even more incredible how quickly four hours can fly by and I can't really remember getting up again at 02.00 for our next watch. As the moon appears from behind a cloud it's just like turning a light on, although we got concerned with some ominous looking clouds from our stern and starboard quarter. Like coiled springs we were ready for 2 reefs to go straight in and of course it all came to nothing. We haven't experienced any squalls yet and hopefully the first one will come during the day so we can learn how to spot them.

Julian got news that Pindar, an open 60 has had to turn back with damage to either the boom or the vang. Once they fix it back at Las Palmas they'll head out again. So it could be that we beat one of the racing division boats and the only time I will ever be ahead of an Open 60.

The other watch are having all the luck when it comes to marine wildlife having seen flying fish, a turtle and some sparkling plankton. It could be that they are just far more awake.

Just 2 days in and the crew are all settling into boat rhythm but my requests for longer sleeps are falling on very deaf ears, perhaps we could all have a joker to play once during the trip.

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

2700 nm to our next beer...

2007-11-26T15:49:00.000Z

DAY 1 - 25th November 2007

Pos: 28 06 1.8 N 15 24 0.8 W

After a lot of briefings and anticipation we're off. We slipped our lines a couple of hours before our official start time of 13.00 so we could spend a bit of time sailing together. I think we woke a few people up as we were leaving the marina with Rick on deck playing the bagpipes. The alarm call went down well and we left the breakwater with a round of applause, probably the first time Northern Child has been clapped for leaving a marina (although I can't confirm that!).

With a few tacks and gybes under our belt, Julian the skipper, took the helm and we crossed the startline in a great position in the head of the fleet. We stayed quite close to the Island as we headed South watching the majority of other boats head further out. A few spinnakers went up but as the wind crept over 17 knots they soon came down again.

The rest of the day was a mixture of winds from 10 to 20 knots. We now have 2 watches and I'm in B watch whose illustrious members include Dave (watch leader), Tim, Mark and Jeremy. More to come from all of these guys during the crossing, although Jeremy has our sympathy at the moment as he is still finding his sealegs and being sick.

We had 2 watches on the first day, 18.00 to 22.00 and 02.00 to 06.00. We are definitely getting better at putting reefs in and taking reefs out and putting them back in taking them back out. Unfortunately by the time we finally got in our bunks our speed was down to 3 knots. The only saving grace was that we were heading in the right direction.

Overall a great first day spent getting the know boat and getting to know the crew. Full marks go to Susie, our cook and second mate, for a fabulous lasagne that went down very well.

We were reaching most of the day as we sailed clear of the Canary Islands. No downwind tradewinds sailing just yet.

5...4...3...2...1

2007-11-24T23:11:00.000Z

This time tomorrow I will be trying to write the blog on a rocking and rolling boat. Weather guru Chris Tibbs has predicted 15-20 knots of wind for the start increasing to 30 in the acceleration zone down the side of the island. This will be a great start for the fleet and please the racing division no end. It also means that we won't be using the spinnaker for the start on Northern Child! Due to arrival times our first sailing time together will come approx 3 hours before the start.

We finished our briefing sessions yesterday and today was put aside to shop for the last minute items we may have missed or couldn't do without like chocolate or stugeron!

The past week has been a great mix of parties and preparation but there's no mistaking the quiet atmosphere as sailors prepare for an early night. The racing division starts at 12.40 with the main cruising division heading over the start line at 13.00. Our skipper Julian talked us through his plans for the start and a stategy for the crossing but unfortunately we are sworn to secrecy so I can't repeat any of it here for fear the other boats in our division are scouring the internet as I write...

I'm ready for my last full night's sleep in a few weeks...

tomorrow brings a great adventure...

Steve

2 days and counting..

2007-11-23T23:13:00.000Z

As we had our first full crew brieifngs today, it has started to hit home that in just 2 days we will be on our way.

It's great to finally get to know the other guys on the crew and yes, they are all guys! Apart from Kate and Susie who are full-time onboard Northern Child. Kate is Julian's "first mate" and Susie is cook and all round helper. Judging by the smells form the galley today the omens are good for our taste buds.

There's a real sense of anticipation now as we walk around the pontoons with supplies arriving from many different shops. Quite clearly there are some astute shopkeepers who plan for a busy November each year.

It doesn't matter whether your boat is big or small, everybody is keen and willing to share ideas, although I wouldn't want fashion tips from some of the crews after seeing them at the jungle fancy dress party the other night.

It was the farewell party tonight as Saturday evening will be an early finish for most people in preparation for Sunday's departure. One last repack from me and we're off....it seems no matter how much I try to reduce my clothes or equipment my bag keeps on growing...

Just 2 more nights of good sleep before the watch system kicks in..

So goodnight...

Steve

5 days to go

2007-11-21T12:11:00.000Z

Here we are in sunny Las Palmas waiting for the start of the ARC.

I've been here for a few days doing some prep and getting everything ready for our start on Sunday. All the boats are here now and it's a great sight seeing all of the flags flying. Throughout the week there have been seminars covering everything from rigging, weather, provisioning and first aid...a lot of info to take in but all of it well presented and thought through.

A lot of crew are arriving day by day and the rest of the crew on our boat Northern Child should be arriving today. As it's a charter boat none of us know each other which can be a good thing as there won't be any close groups to try and break into. I sat down with Julian, our skipper, the other day and talked through all the things I would like to film and I'm sure that he will offer up some great ideas too as this is his 10th ARC crossing.

A key reason for joining the ARC is to take part in the organised activities and parties. Tonight's event is a fancy dress Jungle themed party. Unfortunately I left my Tarzan loincloth at home and so will have to go in my civvies....

I listened to Chris Tibbs' weather seminar today and he said at present it's unlikely that we will encounter any hurricanes...I'm sure you're right Chris...remember you heard it here first.

So more prep and filming and we'll soon be off...

Bring on the ARC

2007-10-28T19:43:00.000Z

As announced on the latest episode this time next month I shall be taking part in a new adventure, crossing the Atlantic.

I will be taking part in the ARC, the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, organised by the World Cruising Club. I will be joining Northern Child which is a Swan 51 owned and sailed by skipper Julian Sincock.

Now I'm sure there will be lots of you reading this blog who will have done more than one crossing but I would ask you to take yourselves back to the few weeks before your first crossing and recall how you were feeling. The longest I have been at sea non-stop is 6 days so straight away there is a huge learning curve and secondly that was a mostly coastal passage. This means quite clearly that I am NERVOUS, but in equal meaure EXCITED.

As I am doing this crossing on behalf of Yachting TV I will be filming the build-up and the crossing. I will do my best to convey the day-to-day experiences, including working in watches with people I have never met before, the physical aspects of the sailing and what it takes to mentally cope with the crossing.

Crossing an ocean for the first time is a big challenge and one that I have looked forward to for many years. But of course it always seemed far away...with just weeks to go I keep wondering have I done enough prep, do I need to do any prep? what do I need to bring? what will I have space for? etc etc...so if any of you have any advice or experiences you would like to offer please get in touch...

I will be sending back a daily blog during the crossing and if possible uploading some video as we go...so I suppose you can expect a mixture of emotions, but whatever my mood they'll all be honest...

Steve

Show me the boats...

2007-09-26T21:08:00.000+01:00

Hello again

It's been too long since I last updated this blog so many apologies although my excuse is that I have been busy making some great new content.

We've had some great feedback about the Classic Malts show from people who have thought about sailing there and form those who are regulars.

September is of course the month of the Southampton International Boat Show. This is one of my favourite shows because when the weather is good there's nothing like wandering down the pontoons and looking at boats on the water. The show was very busy this year, some days we could hardly get along the pontoons. One of my most unusual conversations of the week was with the captain of The Bounty which was at the show. This is the replica ship built for the original Mutiny film and star of lots of films since then. I tried to chat with the captain about the history of the original Bounty etc and how exciting it was to have this ship here, when he quietly sat me down and explained that "visitors are only really interested in the movies that the ship has been in." Well, I'm sorry but I completely disagree and I'm sure that the majority of people queueing to get on the ship knew about the mutiny and were looking forward to experiencing what it may have felt like to be living on this vessel, before we even get onto the subject of perhaps the most amazing feat of navigation ever when Captain Bligh arrived at Cape Town.

Rant over, however, I must admit my 3 year old daughter enjoyed having her picture taken with Jack Sparrow!!

One of the most popular sailing yacht displays was the Bavaria stand. Whenever I walked past there were always queues of people waiting to get a look at the range and in particular the Bavaria 31. Since Peters Opal went into liquidation a new company has been formed called Clipper Marine who are now sellimg the Bavaria range. In the next show we have an interview with Richard Hewett one of the directors of the new company.

So as my feet recover from miles of walking we're putting the finishing touches to the next programme. There will be the usual mix of pilotage, news and skills.

Keep sailing

Steve