Da Nang to Qingdao
It's day 9, Sunday 6th March, and I have just been told that it is Mother's Day - so 'Happy Mother's Day' to mum and all other mothers out there. I also remember Tom and Becca whose mother is sailing around the world and is absent from their lives at this point in time. This proves what an isolated existence I am living at the moment where events away from the boat have little significance on a day to day basis. I am cut off from the goings on in the rest of the world, significant dates etc and would be totally hopeless in a quiz in years to come where the topic was 2015/2016.
Having said that the other day we found ourselves in close proximity to the US fleet out in the South China Sea. We seemed to be an object of curiosity as we sailed north into a strong head wind. US warship 19, 'Blue Ridge', dawdled across our bow to the point we had to change our course slightly to avoid a collision. I am sure they were confident in their actions but a bit disconcerting for us. Their crew were all lined up along the rails watching our every move with only one of them returning our waves as we sailed past. We were then witness to the Chinese navy irritating the US navy as they both tried to get the other to change course. Channel 16 was full of 'USWarship 53 .....', 'Chinese Warship 169......', all on the public airwaves. We were also 'buzzed' a number of times by a fighter jet, nationality up for discussion, and on the horizon saw at least four warships as the sun set behind what looked like a Chinese warship heading in the opposite direction. I was waiting for the cross firing to start and for our main sail to be splattered with bullet holes - something that might have been difficult to explain away to Clipper when we eventually got to Qingdao.
So far this race has been one of contrasts and surprises. At the crew briefing in Da Nang we were
warned that it would be an uncomfortable ride up to Qingdao with strong head winds from the north
opposing a strong northerly current resulting in a very confused sea state with waves that would send
us crashing and banging our way north. Yes, this has been the case to some extent and maybe for a few days but generally the weather has been variable and totally unpredictable. Yesterday, day 8, I was on Mother duty and the weather was terrible. It rained for most of the day, the winds were gusting 35 knots and the boat was heeled over and bouncing around all over the place. Washing up was difficult and bread making even harder. The watches came down below soaking wet having put in and taken out reefs on a regular basis, and tacked back and forth in search of the right course.
It is now day 10 and yesterday and today the weather has been totally different. Winds have been light and variable and we have been alternating between the windseeker and Yankee 1 plus staysail depending on the strength of the wind. The sea has been flat and calm and progress has been frustratingly slow as we wallow ourselves north. Last night the phosphorescence in the ocean was magical as the boat rocked and rolled along. Every time we bounced there was a burst of 'dancing stars' lighting up the water and once we started to move through the water we left a trail of light
behind us. Beautiful, though it would be nice to have more wind so that we can get to Qingdao in a
timely fashion.
We are now in the East China Sea surrounded by dozens of Chinese fishing boats, some static and some moving in random directions. Not too bad during daylight but as night approaches and some have no lights moving amongst them can be a bit more of a challenge. Day time temperatures are hot though as we sail further north there is a noticeable chill in the air as the day comes to a close and the sun sets. It is not as cold as I had expected but we still have a way to go and when the strong northerly winds that have been forecast reach us over the next couple of days then temperatures may well plummet. A few years ago boats experienced temperatures below freezing in Qingdao with snow on the deck and frozen sheets and halyards.
I am going to have to sign off for the time being as the battery on my iPad is critically low and I am about to be disconnected.......
Time has passed and a lot has happened since I last wrote anything. It is now day 14, 11th March and my brother Andy's birthday. So 'Happy Birthday wherever you may be at the moment - Spain I imagine but I may be wrong'. We are currently motoring north with just under 300 nM to Qingdao having attempted to stop off in Shanghai to drop off one of the crew with an injured arm. Unfortunately it didn't work out, due primarily to Chinese bureaucracy, so we are continuing with the casualty on board. We have accepted 12th place so are now heading north as fast as possible under engine power which is not very fast due to northerly headwinds. There is a real sense of frustration on board along with frayed tempers and long faces.
Back to happier times and the fleet of Chinese fishing boats. As night approached and darkness surrounded us it became apparent just how many boats were out there. We counted over 70 boats around us and those were just the ones whose lights were visible. The lights were incredibly bright
and illuminated the surrounding water as well as the night sky. Not sure what they were fishing for but possibly squid. It was surreal as we sailed silently past and between them, each vessel intent on
it's own business.
Not long after the winds increased and we found ourselves being battered by 50 knot winds, gusting over 70 knots, as we put in three reefs on the main and hoisted the storm foresail. We eventually hove too, stopped actively sailing and waited for the winds to abate. They eventually did and we were able to start up again. Unfortunately this is when the arm accident happened and we haven't really been racing since.
The decision was then made to go into Shanghai to drop off our casualty as it was considered too rough for her to continue on the boat. Mistake.... We joined the long line of ships heading up the Yangtze estuary, a small sailing boat amongst giants plying their trade from around the world, as well as numerous fishing boats going in and out. It was a navigational nightmare as we also had to avoid
the numerous ships anchored outside the 60 mile TSS (Traffic Separation Scheme) which meant someone permanently in the nav station keeping a close eye on small icons moving across the screen.
Then the bombshell was dropped and, as I mentioned earlier, we were told to turn around and head for Qingdao. It was a bit like doing a U-turn on the M25 during rush hour, but we made it. The Yangtze is full of silt and the water very brown, useless for making fresh water with and not much better for washing up. I could feel the silt in my mouth when I inadvertently got a mouthful of water as waves splashed over the side of the boat. Not very pleasant!
As all of this was happening the temperature dropped and it became too cold to stay on deck for the entire watch. We split each watch into two 'sub watches' meaning we only need to be out in the elements for a maximum of ninety minutes during the day and one hour at night. Time started to pass by much more quickly and it is a great relief to get down below more often. Getting dressed to go on watch now takes twice as long as layers of clothes are added and my foulies have to be stretched over everything. I am now wearing a merino wool base layer, tee shirt, UNICEF thermal top, mid layer
trousers and jacket, with foulie dungarees and jacket on top. Not forgetting the two pairs of socks, sailing boots, neck buff (thank you Toddy and John), gloves and woolly hat. In fact my woolly hat is
now a permanent piece of clothing as I also wear it when I go to bed, sleeping bag zipped up right to the top and pulled up over my head. Warm head equates with warm feet in my current world.
What is it going to be like on the next leg as we cross the Northern Pacific? We will have Cloughy back as our skipper and will be racing hard, as well as having new crew members who will bring a renewed enthusiasm to the boat. I am now finding it hard to believe that I have sailed all the way to China and that I will be back in London in just over 4 1/2 months time, and once I get to Seattle towards the end of April it really is near the end of this 'adventure'.
I am 'mother' today and so time to sign off and prepare supper of egg mayonnaise or salami and cream cheese wraps before I can crawl into my warm sleeping bag for the next eleven hours. BLISS!
Also the egg wraps and hard boiled eggs went down a treat!
We eventually finished the race and were allowed to tie up alongside after waiting for about nine hours for our allotted time and for the VIPs to arrive. The welcome we got was amazing with drums, the crowd pushing and shoving to touch us, smiles, shouts, and hugs from friends as we made our way up to the stage. We are treated like celebrities which I find a little strange. All the VIPs were then introduced along with cheers and shouts from team UNICEF before Paul was presented with a fur lined red cape that made him look like Father Christmas and the rest of the crew got a lovely woollen scarf and toy monkey. It is apparently the year of the monkey this year and perhaps Paul could get a job at Selfridges next December.
I am now staying in a hotel about a 5 minute walk from the boat which is incredibly convenient.
Maintenance continues as there is always something that needs fixing. Tomorrow I will be back on the boat working on the main sheet and two spinnaker halyards - they all need end to ending
involving mousing lines, anti-chafe, blood knots and shackles. When I get back to my little boat on Frensham Pond I will now have a much better idea on how to replace halyards, repair sheets and fix sails etc. Today we had an 'Open Boat ' and were visited by four groups of secondary school children. The first two groups this morning were great in that they could all speak and understand English so it was relatively easy to engage with them. The two groups after lunch were the opposite and couldn't speak or understand English so were a bit harder work. Overall they were interested and the majority had come with prepared questions.
It is now only three days before we set sail for Seattle across a cold, wet and windy ocean. I am not sure what it is going to be like and whether or not I am adequately prepared but it will take around 30 days, plus or minus a few, and we should reach landfall towards the end of April. The weather will be
warmer and we will have crossed one of the greatest areas of water in the world. I will definitely have sailed half way around the world as we cross the International Date Line and have to repeat a day - a good day to have a birthday and maybe two cakes, double presents etc.
Qingdao is where these boats were built but I haven't had the chance to look around. In all honesty though I am not sure what there is to do round here. Tourist activities and sights are certainly not advertised as well as they were in Vietnam so maybe there isn't much to see outside the city. We are based in the Olympic Sailing Centre which I can imagine was a real hive of activity during the 2008 olympics. When I compare what is here with the building site in Rio it makes me question how prepared they are are in Brazil for the influx of foreign sailors, their boats and associated paraphernalia.
It is now time for a nap before I go out on the town to celebrate St Patrick's day with the Irish boat,
Derry - Londonderry - Doire. It could be a hard night! So bye for now and I will be back in touch in Seattle.
Kate xx
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