Log Entry No 2 - 23rd Sept 07. (Yacht Discoverer)

FROM THE CAPTAINS CABIN

I am writing this sitting up on deck with 19 knots of a North Easterly breeze slipping down wind at 8 knots, there is not a cloud in sight and the mood on Yacht Discoverer is good. Sea sickness has taken its toll but 36 hours into the passage it has all but fallen into our wake.

Kris Bhudoye on the wheel

NAV CHECK

YACHT CREW

Skipper: Andy Fernie

1st Mate: LCpl Danny Minns

2nd Mate: Major Simon Finch

ARTD Instructor Cpl Jamie Smith

RED WATCH

Watch Leader: Lt Andy Colquhoun

Crew: Jade Dunham-Molson

Kris Bhudoye

Callum Ladell

Gavin Elliott

BLUE WATCH

Watch Leader: Capt David Glover

Crew: Andrew Grieve

Daniel Surtees

Chris Davies

Will Nicholls

Nicholls on the winch

Friday 21 September

Having spent the last couple of days alongside the wait is almost over, all tasks have been complete and Yacht Discoverer will set sail tomorrow morning. Lt Colquhoun has spent some time over the past couple of days squeezed into the aft crash bulkhead fixing the satellite communication system, it is now should be reliable and keeping this website informed of our progress through the mid Atlantic. The ships’ shopping team of Major Finch, Capt Glover and LCpl Minns have produced menus for the voyage and the food to go with it; not only is it incredible how much food 14 people require for 4 weeks, but also how the yacht manages to hide it all. The crew continues to fill the time alongside with more training both briefings and practical, and in the evenings some have enjoyed a run and swim as the sun goes down.

Saturday 22 September

1100 – The first hourly log entry of the voyage enters the log book, Wind Speed 13 Knots, Direction Northerly – Perfect! The crew is very excited, a morning of tying up lose ends has finally come to an end as Discoverer prepares to slip her lines and gracefully glide out of her berth in Lanzarote – next stop Brazil.

Having left Lanzarote at about 1200 we pushed south 15 miles off the West Coast of Fuerteventura with the first reef immediately in on the main sail. Both watches quickly had a chance to go over their tacking and gibing drills before Bob the fender took a couple of tumbles over the side and Man Overboard drills were practiced. With a northerly force 6 behind her Discoverer made good progress into the early evening, at times reaching 9.8 knots. Having initially heading on the Port tack towards the Moroccan coast, in the middle of the night Blue Watch gybed Discover onto starboard and started to push away from Africa and making headway to the west 60 miles underneath the Canaries.

Sunday 23 September

By the time that Red Watch went back on watch at 2am the wind had reduced to a Force 4 however the 2am wake up was made worthwhile by dolphins making their first appearance of the voyage, playing off the stern of the yacht. It was therefore time to shake out the reef as our speed had tailed right off. Having practiced reefing alongside in Lanzarote, shaking out a reef in the middle of the night, in rolling seas with only 4 people always makes life slightly harder.

A couple of members of the crew have suffered with sea sickness, the worst effected being Pte Jade Dunham-Molson who has not had a pleasant 24hours but I am glad to inform you that her condition is greatly improved and has begun to enjoy herself. This has been our first full day at sea and the crew are beginning to settle into the routine, and so far the mother watch (1 person from each watch doing the household chores on the boat) has done a splendid job in keeping us well nourished.

The trade winds have proved to be very consistent blowing a Force 5 gusting 6 all day from the NE/NNE since leaving port. There is a plan that if we make good time to the Cape Verde Islands we might stop, but chances are our feet will not touch dry land until Brazil.

Lt A J Colquhoun

FROM THE MOTHER WATCH’S GALLEY

Saturday evening meal: Pasta with Meatballs in a tomato sauce cooked by Gavin Elliot and
Chris Davies.

Sunday evening meal: Chicken Pasta in a white sauce with vegetables. cooked by Jade Dunham-Molson and Dan Surtees.

Two days, two fantastic evening meals aboard. Lunch has been simple sandwiches but enough to keep the crew going. The Mother Watch has also done a super job in keeping the crew brewed up throughout their day.

Final Brief before sea

FROM THE CREWS QUARTERS

From the Blue Watch

Chris D:
On the first week in general: “Had a very exciting week, learnt quite a few things and done some remarkable stuff…. Sharing with Dan and Will which is good because I get on well with both but their snoring is really bad! (Apparently mine is as well. Only downside to the room is how hot it gets at night, so I keep waking up for water breaks… A few of the days a couple of us went for a little run and a swim around the marina area to cool off as temperatures are soaring but cant moan as I getting a good tan. Last night helped Andy (skipper) to install a 24-240V convertor in the galley with will help run the ships systems. Good bit of experience as my trade is a Royal Signals electrician.”

23 Sept 07: “Cooking was an absolute nightmare! Cut my thumb whilst chopping onions and the heat was just unbearable. I’m not too bad at this sailing business so hopefully we will make it there in one piece. Got to go back on watch now and try and get a good tan and see some dolphins, but I really want to see some sharks!”

Will:
“Setting sail to Brazil today, quite nervous but excited will be good to get going. The mood is good on the boat everyone is getting on well and we are having some good laughs. It is good here about what jobs people have got in the army and how training was for all of us.”

Andrew:
“ A few of the crew started feeling rough and Dan was the first to throw up (which I had to clean). We went through Man Over Board drills… these drills are very different to the ones taught at Minley, as it is so eay to lose sight of the person overboard. However, I have every confidence in being rescued if I went in…. Blue Watch were the first on, steering a 67ft yacht is a lot harder than steering a car!. Just before the watch finished, I was in the kitchen and the rest of the crew spotted dolphins alongside the yacht, so I hurried out. Later I was on deck when suddenly a couple of dolphins torpedoed out of the water. This was a morale boast for me, as I was absolutely shattered.”

From the Red Watch

Jade:
“Feeling a bit nervous as we are just about to set sail for Salvador. Overall, I’m really looking forward to sailing across the Atlantic , especially crossing the equator.” …. A day later…” At the moment we are doing 7.8 knots and are about 100 miles from Africa. I am on mother watch with Dan today so we are making lunch and dinner and then breakfast tomorrow. A couple of people have also been throwing up – Will and Dan but they are OK now but I am still feeling a bit queezy.”

Callum:
“Only a few hours until we set off, I’m too worried about being sea sick but then again, everyone goes through it. Over this week have learnt everything from tying knots to setting the sails and moving around the yacht safely. Just hope we don’t run out of food! There is loads”…..a few hours later… “Felt rough earlier, the sea sickness has been getting too much and the simplest things are hard eg walking straight. I now prepare for watch and ensure my head and stomach do not keep me low.” On Sunday morning…” We are travelling at around 7 knots which is fairly quick, and are about 135 miles North West of Bonfar, I presume on the west coast of Africa. Sea sickness has pretty much gone. Only about 650 odd miles for Cape Verde, where’s a helicopter when you need one, I don’t mind waiting for the rest there, 20 days is going to be hard I think!.’

Gav:
“I was on mother watch yesterday which was solid. Cooking on a boat is horrible, when your buttering bread it’ll just suddenly slide to the other end of the table and don’t even get me started on making a brew.”