Log Entry No 4 - 13th July 08. (Discoverer)

FROM THE CAPTAINS CABIN

Craig on watch.

Discoverer is now more than half way across the Labrador Sea. This is the longest hop of our leg to date and of course across potentially some of the roughest water. We are still encountering fog banks and are now approaching the “ice zone”. All of us are therefore facing new challenges. For the skipper it’s his first foray into ice. For me my first arctic sailing, and for the crew it’s the most serious weather and longest passage. The weather is taking its toil and some are finding their “sea legs” hard to locate. Despite all of this we still have a ship to work and below Craig describes life aboard and the routine from his and the crews perspective. My only pleasurable task is to reassure you that all is well on board and that all those who have had birthdays, 4 in total, including the youngest participant of the entire expedition to date – have celebrated in a unique manner that they are unlikely to forget.

Richard Pattison
Expedition Leader

FROM THE CREW QUARTERS:

Red Watch Relax On Deck.

Discoverer operates a three watch (shift) system in order for both the ship and the crew to operate efficiently. The watches are called Red, White and Blue. In a 24 hr period two watches alternate four hours on deck to sail the yacht and four hours off deck (sleeping), whilst the third is classed as Mother Watch. ie. cooking and cleaning. The watches rotate daily at four o’clock in the afternoon, when the Mother Watch returns to a two hour on deck watch. One of the already serving on-deck watches resume for two hours on deck at six o’clock and the remaining shift then go below to take over mother watch. After the two hour change-over shifts the four-on-four-off resume at eight o’clock. The two hour watches are known as the dog watch and is in place in order that the shifts rotate. Therefore no-one does the same watch twice.

Birthday Shower.

The duties of the on deck watch can range from helming (steering) to look out and of course changing sails. As the wind increases we replacing them with smaller ones, or in the case of the mainsail take in reefs to reduce the sail area. If the wind strength decreases we reverse the process. As wind direction or our course changes we change the set of the sails and trim them to make the boat go faster. In essence if the wind is behind us the sail is all the way out and as the wind goes forward so the sails get set closer to the centre of the boat. All of which can create large amounts of perspiration, hot air and breathless crew members. In between the hard work, time can be spent with friendly banter, informal lessons and preparing or giving presentations, whale and dolphin watching, or even quiet fog watching. In amongst the fog we have had some clear spells where you can see for as far as the eye can. At these times, you can look out and see the ocean making you feel as if you’re the only ones on earth until the dolphins home in on the ship’s position before racing off again to play. Other wildlife consists of sea birds, such as boobies and puffins, and sometimes an odd seal.

Mother watch, as mentioned, takes care of the cooking, cleaning and much needed resting. After all the books have been read, the cards have been exhausted and everyone’s batteries are flat the invitation of some sleep is too good to resist. The mother watch first job is to prepare and produce the evening meal. Anyone who cooks for a household may appreciate cooking for four or five but what many of us were unprepared for was cooking for fifteen. However the meals produced have been of a very high standard.

Meal Time.

After evening meal mother can relax and retire to resume their post at seven the next morning. Order of breakfast is porridge all round, porridge, porridge and more porridge. Porridge with honey, porridge with syrup, porridge with sugar or porridge with whatever is the individual’s taste. Once all the porridge is devoured, mother sets about giving Discoverer her daily clean to keep everything all ship shape. This also means everything is clean ready for lunch to be prepared. Lunch has a default of sandwiches, with the odd pasta dish to keep the crew wondering what they may be getting instead of porridge. All that is left for mother then is to rest up and wait for four o’clock when they begin back to on deck sailing.

Sapper Craig Taber
Royal Engineers & Blue Watch