Friday, 15 April 2016
Arrival in Seattle
Just to let you all know that we have arrived safely in Seattle. Further details of our amazing journey will follow once I have it all sorted in my mind.
Saturday, 19 March 2016
Last minute in Qingdao
Qingdao and my final thoughts
It is the night before race start and I am sitting in Starbucks, Marina City, Qingdao, having a quiet time before all the excitement and celebration that is inevitable tomorrow morning. I think it could all be even more manic than our arrival one week ago as we will be twelve boats in total, all leaving at three minute intervals. We are due to slip lines at 1100 but before that there will be speeches, the skippers parade with all of them in their red cloaks, and processing down to our boats behind our boat banner. Whether or not we get to hear our boat song on departure is open to debate as earlier during a rehearsal the UNICEF song was wrong.
Due to the permanent change of skipper and because nobody liked our previous song we have changed it to 'The Bare Necessities' from The Jungle Book. Now, maybe Clipper are too embarrassed to admit that the UNICEF song is from a Disney film, or perhaps the Chinese authorities don't agree to it, but it will be interesting to see whether or not it is played. The whole ceremony is going to be shown on live TV so quite a big thing for Qingdao and perhaps we are not being serious enough.
Earlier during the mass crew briefing we were told about the big waves and strong winds that could be experienced as we cross the Pacific. During the first few days out of China the winds are expected to be light and variable and not due to increase until we round the southern tip of Japan when things could get a bit more bouncy. I don't know if the wind and sea conditions will be any worse than those we have already experienced but I am sure it will be colder and possibly wetter. I am just hoping that the work that has been done on the boat to improve its leakyness has worked and that the top bunks stay dry and the cave lockers remain empty of water.
It has been quite foggy on occasions since we have been here and a very foggy morning could have
quite a severe impact on the parade of sail and race start. As it is we will be taking part in a 'pretend'
start to amuse the locals as for the first 30 +/- nM we won't be racing due to the profusion of fishing nets in the coastal waters around Qingdao. The plan is to 'start' and once out of sight of the spectators to continue under motor for about 35 nM. If still daylight when we get to this point there will be a Le Mans start, otherwise we will continue motoring until around 0800 the following morning (Monday) and then have the Le Mans start. All very complicated and for us not helped by the fact that we don't have a working generator on the boat for this Leg so will be having to use our main engine to charge the batteries etc. This in turn means greater fuel consumption so extra fuel will be needed and Cloughy is considering asking for a tow out to the start line to preserve fuel. Will our bad luck never end.
On a brighter note we won the media prize for best video clip for Leg 5. I don't think anyone could believe it when it was announced but we now have our first pennant that can hang in pride when all the battle flags are raised. Well done to Tzen and Henry!
What will be my memories of Qingdao - warm sunny days, thick fog, police marching in line one behind the other, the Olympic Rings, fireworks, red cloaks and scarves, hotel staff taking part in group exercises to loud music outside my room window, having a horrible cold, beautiful children, a modern city, fishing nets, waiting nine hours before being able to come alongside, lots of phone calls to friends and family, jumping the firewall and being able to use facebook and, I think finally, welcoming a new set of Leggers who will all be an asset to the boat. The atmosphere on the boat is much more positive that it was in both Airlie Beach and Da Nang and hopefully with the confirmation that Cloughy will be taking us back to London we will be able to put all our energy into racing the boat rather than worrying about what might happen next.
Only a few hours to go before we set sail and I am both excited and a little anxious about the journey ahead. There are going to be times when the conditions will be challenging - cold, windy, 45 degree
heel, seasickness, grumpiness, tiredness etc, but by the time I get to Seattle I will have crossed the
International Date Line, repeated a day, be closer to coming home and seeing all my very precious
family and friends, be looking forward to warmer climes and be visiting a part of the USA that I haven't been to before. And this is what this 'Adventure' is all about - highs and lows, bad and good times. The crew is possibly one of the strongest we have had, Cloughy is back as Skipper and we have nothing to lose. SO - watch this space, follow the race and I will be back in touch when I get to Seattle.
Lots of love
Kate xxxx
It is the night before race start and I am sitting in Starbucks, Marina City, Qingdao, having a quiet time before all the excitement and celebration that is inevitable tomorrow morning. I think it could all be even more manic than our arrival one week ago as we will be twelve boats in total, all leaving at three minute intervals. We are due to slip lines at 1100 but before that there will be speeches, the skippers parade with all of them in their red cloaks, and processing down to our boats behind our boat banner. Whether or not we get to hear our boat song on departure is open to debate as earlier during a rehearsal the UNICEF song was wrong.
Due to the permanent change of skipper and because nobody liked our previous song we have changed it to 'The Bare Necessities' from The Jungle Book. Now, maybe Clipper are too embarrassed to admit that the UNICEF song is from a Disney film, or perhaps the Chinese authorities don't agree to it, but it will be interesting to see whether or not it is played. The whole ceremony is going to be shown on live TV so quite a big thing for Qingdao and perhaps we are not being serious enough.
Earlier during the mass crew briefing we were told about the big waves and strong winds that could be experienced as we cross the Pacific. During the first few days out of China the winds are expected to be light and variable and not due to increase until we round the southern tip of Japan when things could get a bit more bouncy. I don't know if the wind and sea conditions will be any worse than those we have already experienced but I am sure it will be colder and possibly wetter. I am just hoping that the work that has been done on the boat to improve its leakyness has worked and that the top bunks stay dry and the cave lockers remain empty of water.
It has been quite foggy on occasions since we have been here and a very foggy morning could have
quite a severe impact on the parade of sail and race start. As it is we will be taking part in a 'pretend'
start to amuse the locals as for the first 30 +/- nM we won't be racing due to the profusion of fishing nets in the coastal waters around Qingdao. The plan is to 'start' and once out of sight of the spectators to continue under motor for about 35 nM. If still daylight when we get to this point there will be a Le Mans start, otherwise we will continue motoring until around 0800 the following morning (Monday) and then have the Le Mans start. All very complicated and for us not helped by the fact that we don't have a working generator on the boat for this Leg so will be having to use our main engine to charge the batteries etc. This in turn means greater fuel consumption so extra fuel will be needed and Cloughy is considering asking for a tow out to the start line to preserve fuel. Will our bad luck never end.
On a brighter note we won the media prize for best video clip for Leg 5. I don't think anyone could believe it when it was announced but we now have our first pennant that can hang in pride when all the battle flags are raised. Well done to Tzen and Henry!
What will be my memories of Qingdao - warm sunny days, thick fog, police marching in line one behind the other, the Olympic Rings, fireworks, red cloaks and scarves, hotel staff taking part in group exercises to loud music outside my room window, having a horrible cold, beautiful children, a modern city, fishing nets, waiting nine hours before being able to come alongside, lots of phone calls to friends and family, jumping the firewall and being able to use facebook and, I think finally, welcoming a new set of Leggers who will all be an asset to the boat. The atmosphere on the boat is much more positive that it was in both Airlie Beach and Da Nang and hopefully with the confirmation that Cloughy will be taking us back to London we will be able to put all our energy into racing the boat rather than worrying about what might happen next.
Only a few hours to go before we set sail and I am both excited and a little anxious about the journey ahead. There are going to be times when the conditions will be challenging - cold, windy, 45 degree
heel, seasickness, grumpiness, tiredness etc, but by the time I get to Seattle I will have crossed the
International Date Line, repeated a day, be closer to coming home and seeing all my very precious
Lots of love
Kate xxxx
Thursday, 17 March 2016
Da Nang to Qingdao, China
The second race in Leg 5.
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
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
Saturday, 27 February 2016
Da Nang
Time has been really short but here are some notes on memories I will take away with me -
Memories of Vietnam
Small chairs at plastic tables in many of the local bars
Motor bikes everywhere
Running across the road to avoid the numerous motor bikes and bicycles
Narrow houses
Blue boats
Chocolate fondant - must most evenings as we sat in the Luna Bar setting the world to rights
After party pool party - jumping into the pool fully clothed after too much wine and beer
Gala dinner - amazing food, long speeches and local dancers
Paddling in South China Sea - cold but refreshing
Walking along beach - very fine,soft sand
Paddy fields
My Son UNESCO world heritage site - Hindu temples 9th - 11th centuries
Yellow flowers - chrysanthemums all over the place,both time and countryside
Visit to the boat by the day care centre children
Hoi An and the many lights
Friendly people
Night sail past up to the Dragon Bridge and back
The welcome and departure ceremonies
Hopefully more time in Qingdao.
All the best and love to you all
Kate xx
Memories of Vietnam
Small chairs at plastic tables in many of the local bars
Motor bikes everywhere
Running across the road to avoid the numerous motor bikes and bicycles
Narrow houses
Blue boats
Chocolate fondant - must most evenings as we sat in the Luna Bar setting the world to rights
After party pool party - jumping into the pool fully clothed after too much wine and beer
Gala dinner - amazing food, long speeches and local dancers
Paddling in South China Sea - cold but refreshing
Walking along beach - very fine,soft sand
Paddy fields
My Son UNESCO world heritage site - Hindu temples 9th - 11th centuries
Yellow flowers - chrysanthemums all over the place,both time and countryside
Visit to the boat by the day care centre children
Hoi An and the many lights
Friendly people
Night sail past up to the Dragon Bridge and back
The welcome and departure ceremonies
Hopefully more time in Qingdao.
All the best and love to you all
Kate xx
Tuesday, 23 February 2016
Highs and lows
Some thoughts on the highs and lows of sailing around the world......
Just back from the 'pub' having celebrated skipper Paul's birthday so here goes. Lows include seasickness, crashing into waves as we sail upwind, the relentlessness of the vast expanse of ocean that goes on and on for mile after mile, the boredom on watch when the boat is on the same tack for up to 10 days at a time, feeing lonely and excluded, being scared during squalls when the wind whips the sail and the boat is heeled over at some ridiculous angle, missing family and friends, falling over and being hurt (though not seriously in my case), struggling to get dressed, being wet all the time and having to put on damp clothes before going on watch at 0200 ......
The highs include the brilliance of the stars and the Milky Way, a full moon, sea life, the phosphorescence in the water - looking like tiny stars - , the kindness of other crew as we try and look after each other, the changing colours and moods of the ocean, good food (especially chocolate brownies), a warm sleeping bag after a cold, dark and damp watch, a hot shower after 32 days at sea, a flat and dry bed, the sounds of water rushing past the hull as I try and go to sleep, helming in the Southern Ocean, completing the Sydney Hobart race, recognising the enormity of having sailed from London to Vietnam via Australia, crossing the Equator and taking on the role of King Neptune, laughter, smiles, and the closeness of the RTWers as we face the trials and tribulations of this epic adventure........
There are so many highs and lows and the above is just a random selection as I sit here waiting to go to bed.
Just back from the 'pub' having celebrated skipper Paul's birthday so here goes. Lows include seasickness, crashing into waves as we sail upwind, the relentlessness of the vast expanse of ocean that goes on and on for mile after mile, the boredom on watch when the boat is on the same tack for up to 10 days at a time, feeing lonely and excluded, being scared during squalls when the wind whips the sail and the boat is heeled over at some ridiculous angle, missing family and friends, falling over and being hurt (though not seriously in my case), struggling to get dressed, being wet all the time and having to put on damp clothes before going on watch at 0200 ......
The highs include the brilliance of the stars and the Milky Way, a full moon, sea life, the phosphorescence in the water - looking like tiny stars - , the kindness of other crew as we try and look after each other, the changing colours and moods of the ocean, good food (especially chocolate brownies), a warm sleeping bag after a cold, dark and damp watch, a hot shower after 32 days at sea, a flat and dry bed, the sounds of water rushing past the hull as I try and go to sleep, helming in the Southern Ocean, completing the Sydney Hobart race, recognising the enormity of having sailed from London to Vietnam via Australia, crossing the Equator and taking on the role of King Neptune, laughter, smiles, and the closeness of the RTWers as we face the trials and tribulations of this epic adventure........
There are so many highs and lows and the above is just a random selection as I sit here waiting to go to bed.
Sunday, 21 February 2016
Airlie Beach to Bouganville
Something I wrote earlier........
Airlie Beach to Da Nang
I am sitting up on deck, the sun is shining, the temperature is unbearable out of the shade and we are travelling at the impressive speed of about seven knots. We are in the Doldrums just to the east of Papua New Guinea and north west of the Solomon Islands. If it wasn't for the heat life couldn't get much better than this. Sunrises and sunsets are stunning and the moon will be full in a couple of nights time. It does mean the stars are sometimes indistinguishable but it is a privilege to be a witness to it all.
The stopover in Airlie Beach was quite stressful in the Clipper world of UNICEF. No one really knew what was going to happen with respect to Jim and there was lots of talk around the crew not wanting him to get back on the boat. In the end he made the decision not to continue and we were told ninety minutes before we had to slip lines. Not ideal and, for me, came as a big shock as I had accepted the fact he was going to take us to Vietnam. Along with this we had one crew member who became very anxious about getting on the boat and there was a great deal of indecision as to what she was going to do. We were told that Paul A and Drew were going to join us as Skipper and First Mate respectively and would be taking us to Qingdao where Cloughy (Martin) would come back as our Skipper for Legs 6, 7 and 8 and take us back to London. At last a decision and plan for the rest of the race. Paul was Mate on my Level 3 training back in Gosport in June last year and never did I expect to sail with him again - so a lovely surprise. Drew is based in Australia and does quite a bit of Clipper training out of Sydney. Both great sailors/trainers and I am looking forward to learning from them.
Cloughy then came back on board for the parade of sail during which Anne, Andrew and Christopher (cousin plus sons) followed us in a yacht sailed by a local Yacht Club member. The weather wasn't very nice - wet and windy - but we went round a cruise liner anchored just offshore from the marina before heading back to pick up Paul and Drew and dropping a very anxious and tearful new Legger. It was then catch up the rest of the fleet who were motoring 150 nM to the start position on the eastern side of the Great Barrier Reef.
A Le Mans start the following day saw us all line up and then race of in various directions. Unfortunately we had trouble hoisting the spinnaker due, we found out later after Henry had climbed the mast, to a random sail tie that had got caught in the halyard block at the top of the mast. How that happened we will never know but it probably took a couple of hours to sort out before we got under way again.
We are now on Day 7, it is hot with light and variable winds and we are sailing through the Solomon Sea to the west of Bougainville trying desperately to go north towards New Britain and out into the Pacific. Travel is frustratingly slow and the heat is becoming difficult to deal with. Crew are sleeping in the sail locker where a temporary 'wind scoop' has been rigged up using a pole and random sleeping bag that has been on the boat since St Kats - probably the coolest place on the boat at the moment. I have been lying on my bunk, as still as possible and have been able to get a reasonable amount of sleep. At the moment it is my off watch (10:00 - 14:00), the hottest part of the day and it seems a good time to try and write something rather than try and sleep. Only another couple of hours and we are back on deck. We have changed the hours of the watches so that the six hours on watch are over night (18:00 - 24:00 and 24:00 - 06:00) and we eat our main meal of the day at midnight which seems to be working though it is still early days.
The deck is too hot to stand on in bare feet and the wheel gets too hot to handle, while finding somewhere to sit in the shade can be difficult when the sun is virtually overhead and every shady spot is taken up with someone else. One way of cooling down is to sit or stand with both feet in a bucket of seawater! It reminds me of living in the tropics as a child when I had to run across the sand or drive so that my feet didn't burn. And the time I burnt my feet running across the hospital car park after standing on a bee. Not sure what was the most painful, bee sting or burning feet.
Having Paul and Drew on board is really good as it means we have access to training most of the time. Paul is always up to date with race positions and has introduced 'Happy Hour', a time each day when we all try and get together to be updated on what is going on across the fleet, weather etc and a time to air any concerns, gripes etc. We seem to be a reasonably content boat and in the main get on with each other. There are always going to be those individuals that are 'different' but they seem to be assimilated into the crew without too much difficulty. We had a big change of crew in Airlie Beach with eight leaving and eight new Leggers joining, though having said that one didn't join due to her anxiety attack and another due to illness with Trudi hopefully being OK to come on board in Da Nang. The dynamic always changes with these changes but we somehow seem, so far anyway, to be able to manage it all without too many fall outs.
While the conditions are flat and calm,and the boat is reasonably flat, I am going to try and keep this blog going. Hopefully it won't turn into an incomprehensible ramble but is an opportunity to share thoughts and concerns as we journey forwards.
Someone has just turned the generator off and now all I can hear is the gentle lapping of water against the hull. It would be better if the boat was going faster but for now there is relative peace and quiet. Time for a one hour nap before going back on watch again at 14:00........
It is now many days later, day 17 in fact, and Jean and I are back as 'Mothers' for the day. Chilli con carne and rice for lunch, apple crumble for tea at 18:00 and tuna mayo or chilli wrap for supper at 22:00. All is now prepared and cooked so we can relax a bit before the onslaught of hungry sailors hits the galley.
Since writing earlier we have sailed through the Solomon Sea where winds were light, across the Equator and are now heading up the east coast of the Philippines. The fleet is going much faster than predicted to the extent that a couple of days ago it was announced that it was not possible to get to Da Nang earlier than the 17th February so the race was going to be extended by up to 1000 nM. You can imagine how that went down with the crew as we were all looking forward to a ten day stopover. Still, we just have to get on with it.
I was volunteered as King Neptune again and after a short delay due to some inclement weather and sailing conditions I arrived on deck to a trombone fanfare and duly met with the crew of both polywogs (those who haven't crossed the equator by sea) and shellbacks (those who have). A simple ceremony where polywogs were asked 'talent or forfeit' the later being a taste of what looked like dog food. Unfortunately it was to some people's liking so not much of a deterrent. There was lots of laughter and by the time we had all toasted the crossing with a tot of rum it was time for a watch change and back to the serious job of racing the boat.
In crossing the equator we went from summer to winter almost immediately with temperatures cooling, the winds picking up and the occasional squall and rain shower. The conditions up on deck became very wet with most of us suffering 'yachts botty', a very unpleasant condition brought on by being continually wet. Lots of sudocrem does help to alleviate the pain but I can't wait to get of the boat and into a drier environment. All clothes are wet, either with rain, wave splash or sweat as temperatures have risen again and the conditions are hot and humid. It can be difficult to sleep and tempers become frayed.
We are in 9th place at the moment and could be overtaken if we don't get a move on. We have be sailing with the Code 2 spinnaker (medium weight) for the past 24 hours and have been averaging around 12 knots so hopefully can keep ahead of the others. Only time will tell.
I need to break off now to serve the apple crumble to port watch - hope they like it.
Airlie Beach to Da Nang
I am sitting up on deck, the sun is shining, the temperature is unbearable out of the shade and we are travelling at the impressive speed of about seven knots. We are in the Doldrums just to the east of Papua New Guinea and north west of the Solomon Islands. If it wasn't for the heat life couldn't get much better than this. Sunrises and sunsets are stunning and the moon will be full in a couple of nights time. It does mean the stars are sometimes indistinguishable but it is a privilege to be a witness to it all.
The stopover in Airlie Beach was quite stressful in the Clipper world of UNICEF. No one really knew what was going to happen with respect to Jim and there was lots of talk around the crew not wanting him to get back on the boat. In the end he made the decision not to continue and we were told ninety minutes before we had to slip lines. Not ideal and, for me, came as a big shock as I had accepted the fact he was going to take us to Vietnam. Along with this we had one crew member who became very anxious about getting on the boat and there was a great deal of indecision as to what she was going to do. We were told that Paul A and Drew were going to join us as Skipper and First Mate respectively and would be taking us to Qingdao where Cloughy (Martin) would come back as our Skipper for Legs 6, 7 and 8 and take us back to London. At last a decision and plan for the rest of the race. Paul was Mate on my Level 3 training back in Gosport in June last year and never did I expect to sail with him again - so a lovely surprise. Drew is based in Australia and does quite a bit of Clipper training out of Sydney. Both great sailors/trainers and I am looking forward to learning from them.
Cloughy then came back on board for the parade of sail during which Anne, Andrew and Christopher (cousin plus sons) followed us in a yacht sailed by a local Yacht Club member. The weather wasn't very nice - wet and windy - but we went round a cruise liner anchored just offshore from the marina before heading back to pick up Paul and Drew and dropping a very anxious and tearful new Legger. It was then catch up the rest of the fleet who were motoring 150 nM to the start position on the eastern side of the Great Barrier Reef.
A Le Mans start the following day saw us all line up and then race of in various directions. Unfortunately we had trouble hoisting the spinnaker due, we found out later after Henry had climbed the mast, to a random sail tie that had got caught in the halyard block at the top of the mast. How that happened we will never know but it probably took a couple of hours to sort out before we got under way again.
We are now on Day 7, it is hot with light and variable winds and we are sailing through the Solomon Sea to the west of Bougainville trying desperately to go north towards New Britain and out into the Pacific. Travel is frustratingly slow and the heat is becoming difficult to deal with. Crew are sleeping in the sail locker where a temporary 'wind scoop' has been rigged up using a pole and random sleeping bag that has been on the boat since St Kats - probably the coolest place on the boat at the moment. I have been lying on my bunk, as still as possible and have been able to get a reasonable amount of sleep. At the moment it is my off watch (10:00 - 14:00), the hottest part of the day and it seems a good time to try and write something rather than try and sleep. Only another couple of hours and we are back on deck. We have changed the hours of the watches so that the six hours on watch are over night (18:00 - 24:00 and 24:00 - 06:00) and we eat our main meal of the day at midnight which seems to be working though it is still early days.
The deck is too hot to stand on in bare feet and the wheel gets too hot to handle, while finding somewhere to sit in the shade can be difficult when the sun is virtually overhead and every shady spot is taken up with someone else. One way of cooling down is to sit or stand with both feet in a bucket of seawater! It reminds me of living in the tropics as a child when I had to run across the sand or drive so that my feet didn't burn. And the time I burnt my feet running across the hospital car park after standing on a bee. Not sure what was the most painful, bee sting or burning feet.
Having Paul and Drew on board is really good as it means we have access to training most of the time. Paul is always up to date with race positions and has introduced 'Happy Hour', a time each day when we all try and get together to be updated on what is going on across the fleet, weather etc and a time to air any concerns, gripes etc. We seem to be a reasonably content boat and in the main get on with each other. There are always going to be those individuals that are 'different' but they seem to be assimilated into the crew without too much difficulty. We had a big change of crew in Airlie Beach with eight leaving and eight new Leggers joining, though having said that one didn't join due to her anxiety attack and another due to illness with Trudi hopefully being OK to come on board in Da Nang. The dynamic always changes with these changes but we somehow seem, so far anyway, to be able to manage it all without too many fall outs.
While the conditions are flat and calm,and the boat is reasonably flat, I am going to try and keep this blog going. Hopefully it won't turn into an incomprehensible ramble but is an opportunity to share thoughts and concerns as we journey forwards.
Someone has just turned the generator off and now all I can hear is the gentle lapping of water against the hull. It would be better if the boat was going faster but for now there is relative peace and quiet. Time for a one hour nap before going back on watch again at 14:00........
It is now many days later, day 17 in fact, and Jean and I are back as 'Mothers' for the day. Chilli con carne and rice for lunch, apple crumble for tea at 18:00 and tuna mayo or chilli wrap for supper at 22:00. All is now prepared and cooked so we can relax a bit before the onslaught of hungry sailors hits the galley.
Since writing earlier we have sailed through the Solomon Sea where winds were light, across the Equator and are now heading up the east coast of the Philippines. The fleet is going much faster than predicted to the extent that a couple of days ago it was announced that it was not possible to get to Da Nang earlier than the 17th February so the race was going to be extended by up to 1000 nM. You can imagine how that went down with the crew as we were all looking forward to a ten day stopover. Still, we just have to get on with it.
I was volunteered as King Neptune again and after a short delay due to some inclement weather and sailing conditions I arrived on deck to a trombone fanfare and duly met with the crew of both polywogs (those who haven't crossed the equator by sea) and shellbacks (those who have). A simple ceremony where polywogs were asked 'talent or forfeit' the later being a taste of what looked like dog food. Unfortunately it was to some people's liking so not much of a deterrent. There was lots of laughter and by the time we had all toasted the crossing with a tot of rum it was time for a watch change and back to the serious job of racing the boat.
In crossing the equator we went from summer to winter almost immediately with temperatures cooling, the winds picking up and the occasional squall and rain shower. The conditions up on deck became very wet with most of us suffering 'yachts botty', a very unpleasant condition brought on by being continually wet. Lots of sudocrem does help to alleviate the pain but I can't wait to get of the boat and into a drier environment. All clothes are wet, either with rain, wave splash or sweat as temperatures have risen again and the conditions are hot and humid. It can be difficult to sleep and tempers become frayed.
We are in 9th place at the moment and could be overtaken if we don't get a move on. We have be sailing with the Code 2 spinnaker (medium weight) for the past 24 hours and have been averaging around 12 knots so hopefully can keep ahead of the others. Only time will tell.
I need to break off now to serve the apple crumble to port watch - hope they like it.
Thursday, 18 February 2016
Da Nang
Hi everyone.
Arrived safely in Da Nang albeit with the slight issue of running aground as we were guided up a narrow channel with three pilots on board. Amazing welcome ceremony when we did get in with drums, photos with all and sundry as we were treated like celebrities, cold beers and spraying champagne.
Just had a shower after 32 days of salt water washes and hand sanitizer and now looking forward to lunch before meeting up with the rest of the crew and sleeping in a bed. Will start posting news of the race itself over the next couple of days but suffice to say that the deep clean will be started tomorrow after a good sleep in a comfortable, flat and wide bed with sheets and a lovely soft pillow.
Ta ta for now.
Kate xx
Arrived safely in Da Nang albeit with the slight issue of running aground as we were guided up a narrow channel with three pilots on board. Amazing welcome ceremony when we did get in with drums, photos with all and sundry as we were treated like celebrities, cold beers and spraying champagne.
Just had a shower after 32 days of salt water washes and hand sanitizer and now looking forward to lunch before meeting up with the rest of the crew and sleeping in a bed. Will start posting news of the race itself over the next couple of days but suffice to say that the deep clean will be started tomorrow after a good sleep in a comfortable, flat and wide bed with sheets and a lovely soft pillow.
Ta ta for now.
Kate xx
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