Day 14 – Saturday 22 February

Day 14 - Saturday 22 February. By Cathleen Hughes. The crew had an early awakening to celebrate BP’s birthday with the sunrise on the fore deck. The crew all put on their crew shirts and made their way onto the fore deck where we huddled together showing the scout flag for a picture. Renier kindly offered to take the photo as he isn’t a scout and wasn’t too sure what the celebration was all about. Once the photo was taken, it was uploaded ... Read more

Day 13 - Friday 21 February. By Cathleen Hughes. After many nights of cloudy skies, it was wonderful to finally be able to see a completely clear sky again. Trillions of stars are crammed into what we can see of the night sky with the occasional satellite and shooting star. It is the ultimate chance for star gazing because once anywhere near civilisation, the light pollution blocks out more than half of the stars. Some might even say that the crystal clear night ... Read more

Day 12 - Thursday 20 February. By Cathleen Hughes. The crew all had a great night of sleeping last night since they managed to get their bedding dry and some fresh air into the cabins. The lightning storms still linger on the horizon all around us. During a rain squall at approximately 09h00 Chris and Ashwyn took the opportunity for a fresh water shower. The grabbed their soap and lathered themselves up when all of a sudden the rain stopped. They were now ... Read more

Day 11 - Wednesday 19 February. By Cathleen Hughes. The lightning carried on throughout the morning shifts and even when daylight broke through. It was only when we began sailing towards the gaps in the clouds, which exposed the beautiful baby blue sky, that the thunder began to subside. Eventually we emerged from the darkness of the clouds and we watched, mesmerised as the sun began to creep above the horizon. The warm rays of light reached out and caressed the skies above. ... Read more

Day 10 - Tuesday 18 February. By Cathleen Hughes. Editor’s correction: In the previous blog towards the end of the first paragraph a description of the GRIB files was incorrectly described as “North America.” This is incorrect and must be corrected to South America as we do not have any intentions of going that far north in the near future. After the high winds and rough seas, it was a relief to find that the early hours of the morning brought calmer seas. We ... Read more

Day 9 - Monday 17 February. By Cathleen Hughes. After a night of motor sailing there was no improvement in the weather. Every ones foulies were wet, beds were wet and the saloon was like a sauna with steamy hatch windows and very humid air with a lack of ventilation. The crew needed to make a decision about which direction to travel in or to travel at all. The GRIB files showed the storm as a giant band of strong winds and high ... Read more

Day 8 - Sunday 16 February. By Cathleen Hughes. The first night through the storm was a rough one. Some of the crew members had to spend some time getting their minds into the right place and try to think about positive things. There is a constant battle between the comfort of the cockpit and the saloon. The fresh air from the cockpit is gratefully greeted with open arms but the sight of the waves approaching the boat as well as the sea ... Read more

Day 7 - Saturday 15 February. By Cathleen Hughes. At 01h00 the wind died for a moment, shifted and increased again causing the boat to completely heel over and almost broach. This wind movement was exactly what Chris told us would happen in last night’s team weather briefing. The weather continued throughout the day almost exactly as explained. During the 05h00 shift the rain was coming down in sheets so thick that it was difficult to see the ocean surrounding us. It is ... Read more

Day 6 - Friday 14 February. By Cathleen Hughes. In the early hours of the morning the sea had calmed a bit which gave cupid a chance to do his duties. A slab of Brazilian chocolate was placed in the arms of the two slumbering princesses on board. Each slab was creatively decorated with masking tape and a heart drawn on with a red permanent marker. When Lorraine and Cathleen awoke they were surprised at the effort that was made and immediately began ... Read more

Day 5 - Thursday 13 February. By Cathleen Hughes. Early morning shifts are always the most difficult because it’s dark, you’re half asleep and boredom is always lurking around the corner. As the previous crew learnt, a cup of tea usually takes the edge off things. During the 3am shift, Lorraine very kindly made herself and her watch partner a cup of tea. She took a sip of her tea and told Rory that hers tasted a bit salty and wanted to know ... Read more