After a couple days being weather bound in Brighton, it was quite a relief to finally get out sailing again, although the decision to go out was quite a difficult one. One weather forecast was forecasting Force 5 to 7 (a little too windy for our fine sailors), and another was forecasting Force 4’s. After much thought and a quick walk to the breakwater to see what the sea state was like, and watching our wind instruments, we finally slipped our lines shortly after 11am, and headed out to sea. As it turned out, it was a perfect day to be out sailing, with no more than 18kts of wind, all from the SW, which gave us a great reach over to Beachy Head. Unfortunately, because we had delayed our departure, we ended up sailing against the tide. Although we may have been a little slow over the ground, at least we were happier with what the weather was doing. A big thanks to Brighton Marina for putting us up for a few days!
Jack did his usual, he had a brave face on for the first 20mins, then headed back down to his normal sailing position: flat out on the saloon berth. It’s quite incredible though, even though he knew it was going to be a little bumpy out there he was still keen to go out sailing. Also knowing that he gets seasick but still wanting to give it a go is really quite impressive – a very brave young man!
All the kids were really great today – they did make my decision of going out sailing quite a lot easier. When I spoke to them and mentioned that it was potentially going to be quite windy and quite rocky, they were all keen to get out on the water regardless, and head off to our next destination of adventure…
We’re now in Eastbourne at the Royal Sovereign Marina and had a very warm welcome from Ed while we were in the lock. We also managed to catch up on a couple maintenance jobs – Dan Monk was all too keen to get up to the top of the rig and fix a faulty navigation light, it was only when he got back down that he mentioned to us that actually he is afraid of heights – nothing like facing your fears!!!
What an inspirational week I’ve had so far – people openly challenging themselves without any hesitation, from sailing the boat in rougher weather to speaking to a crowd about their experiences. We also went to Ellen’s talk – and without spoiling it for any of you who are planning on going to see her speak, it was brilliant! Well done Ellen!!!
Thursday, 7 May 2009
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
Topsy-Turvy entrance to Brighton
Here we are in Brighton, after a rather interesting day out sailing yesterday. Our day started off pretty perfect, with a trip up Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth followed by a great day sailing. We had an awesome 15 – 20kts from the SW, and we had a visit from one of the biggest dolphins I have ever seen in my life. I didn’t believe Dan when he said it was a dolphin, but interestingly enough, bottlenose dolphins can grow up to 4m in these colder Northern waters. Today we are going to get hold of Marine Conservation and start reporting back our sightings, which will help them with their surveys and cetacean research. As is the way with sailing and weather forecasts, the wind picked up a bit later in the afternoon, and as we gybed to come into Brighton, we had one of the best sea state descriptions from one of the crew, our log entry reads Sea State: topsy-turvy – quoted from our great Seaman Joe Cunningham! Thankfully we weren’t that far out of Brighton, so the crew didn’t have to deal with the topsy-turvy sea state for too long. The angle of the waves on the break water into Brighton Marina also made a rather interesting entering experience. It’s still pretty windy out there, but thankfully we already had a day of shore side activity pre-planned.
Today we are going to the Royal Marsden Hospital. This is our first Hospital visit for the trip, and will give Chloe and Jack a chance to revisit their old wards. All the kids are busy preparing a presentation of their experiences and adventures with the Trust, and they will have the opportunity to show this to the kids that are currently in the ward. In just two days of sailing, we’ve already had quite an incredible adventure…. Having quite a few boats chase us as we crossed the Royal Yacht Squadron start line, who fired the cannon for us. We also had a salute from the Royal London Yacht Club as we passed them on our way out the Medina. What incredible support we’ve had, and everyone on board was really excited and happy with such a great turnout. Thank you to all that came out on Sunday to show us your support, and for all the good wishes from those further away…[05/05/09 09:30]
Today we are going to the Royal Marsden Hospital. This is our first Hospital visit for the trip, and will give Chloe and Jack a chance to revisit their old wards. All the kids are busy preparing a presentation of their experiences and adventures with the Trust, and they will have the opportunity to show this to the kids that are currently in the ward. In just two days of sailing, we’ve already had quite an incredible adventure…. Having quite a few boats chase us as we crossed the Royal Yacht Squadron start line, who fired the cannon for us. We also had a salute from the Royal London Yacht Club as we passed them on our way out the Medina. What incredible support we’ve had, and everyone on board was really excited and happy with such a great turnout. Thank you to all that came out on Sunday to show us your support, and for all the good wishes from those further away…[05/05/09 09:30]
Saturday, 2 May 2009
We’re on board and settling in- what an amazing feeling… it is all oh so real right now, but this is where the fun begins and I’M SO EXCITED!!!!!!
We had a manic final week of preparation, with Haig Youens of Afloat Marine Services coming over to service Scarlet’s engine (and fix a leaky pipe – Thanks Haig!). We also took Scarlet over to Hamble to get her compass swung, and of course Rob and Hayden from SYS came and met us to sort out a couple issues. We’re not gone yet Rob, but tomorrow you’ll get to finally wave us off another dock. Rudi, our electrical legend, also managed to get the wind generator up and running, and even changed our light bulbs to LEDS. We were also given a Mastervolt battery monitor – Andy Willet managed to source this for us, and thanks to Mastervolt for supplying the unit. I have a lot to learn about electrical bits and pieces and power, but it’s great to see how much power is being supplied by our DuoGen. It’s also great to be able to see for our own eyes the difference in consumption between using LEDS and normal bulbs.
We have been very fortunate with some of the kit we’ve been given, and very excitingly, Garmin have come aboard as a supporter of ours and have given us an Oregan 400t, with all associated charting for our voyage – what an amazing piece of kit, I am really greatful to Lori at Garmin and to Nick Meadows for passing our details and story on to her. It was quite amusing though, Frank rang me up to let me know that it had arrived. He did mention that he was a little concerned though, as we have been supplied with Charts for Africa, Europe and the Middle East. He jokingly reminded me that I do have to turn left when we get to Dover, and actually sail round Britain, and not head off down South!
Jack and Harriet are back on board, and joining them are Jo, Chloe (who came sailing with me last year, and even remembered my now legendary special!!) and Rachel.
Dan Monk also joined us this evening, and luckily for us we get the pleasure of his company and his experience all the way to Bradwell… What funJ
Everyone has also done the first official complete crew blog – so make sure you head over to their blog page if you haven’t seen it yet.
I really do feel at home right now, and what a wonderful feeling that is J. Good night!
We had a manic final week of preparation, with Haig Youens of Afloat Marine Services coming over to service Scarlet’s engine (and fix a leaky pipe – Thanks Haig!). We also took Scarlet over to Hamble to get her compass swung, and of course Rob and Hayden from SYS came and met us to sort out a couple issues. We’re not gone yet Rob, but tomorrow you’ll get to finally wave us off another dock. Rudi, our electrical legend, also managed to get the wind generator up and running, and even changed our light bulbs to LEDS. We were also given a Mastervolt battery monitor – Andy Willet managed to source this for us, and thanks to Mastervolt for supplying the unit. I have a lot to learn about electrical bits and pieces and power, but it’s great to see how much power is being supplied by our DuoGen. It’s also great to be able to see for our own eyes the difference in consumption between using LEDS and normal bulbs.
We have been very fortunate with some of the kit we’ve been given, and very excitingly, Garmin have come aboard as a supporter of ours and have given us an Oregan 400t, with all associated charting for our voyage – what an amazing piece of kit, I am really greatful to Lori at Garmin and to Nick Meadows for passing our details and story on to her. It was quite amusing though, Frank rang me up to let me know that it had arrived. He did mention that he was a little concerned though, as we have been supplied with Charts for Africa, Europe and the Middle East. He jokingly reminded me that I do have to turn left when we get to Dover, and actually sail round Britain, and not head off down South!
Jack and Harriet are back on board, and joining them are Jo, Chloe (who came sailing with me last year, and even remembered my now legendary special!!) and Rachel.
Dan Monk also joined us this evening, and luckily for us we get the pleasure of his company and his experience all the way to Bradwell… What funJ
Everyone has also done the first official complete crew blog – so make sure you head over to their blog page if you haven’t seen it yet.
I really do feel at home right now, and what a wonderful feeling that is J. Good night!
Monday, 27 April 2009
Stretching Scarlet's Sealegs
What a fantastic weekend we've just had! Daisy, Dan, Tom, Harriet and Jack came down for the weekend to go sailing on Scarlet, her first sail for the season. The weekend was based around a photoshoot on Sunday, but actually it was a really great excuse to get out on the water, meet a few of the young people that are coming sailing, and have some fun!
Dan, Jack and Harriet arrived on Friday evening, which ended up with fish and chips and then an UNO marathon. It was also quite interesting to see how Karen and I would fit into our little cabin.... and considering this ended up being the 'bin' for the weekend, with all the extra bits and pieces being stowed in there, it was quite interesting, but this is nothing that a little more general organizing won't fix.
Daisy and Tom joined us on Saturday, with Trust Tracy and Lenaic, who came on board for the day as our unofficial photographers. We made our way down to Yarmouth, but sadly due to weather conditions we didn't quite manage to get our new sails out. Simon T caught up with us for an afternoon of ice creams and ball games, and a pretty perfect evening.
What a day we were blessed with on Sunday. We couldn't have had more perfect conditions for a photoshoot... sunshine, 10 to 15kts of breeze, a boatload full of kids having fun(Frank Fletcher being the biggest kid of all) and a helicopter! We also had Paul and Dave from Crusader on the boat, and it was really great having their input and advice. We also managed to get our new cruising chute (on a magic furler!) out, which does look fantastic!
The weekend went by far too quickly though, and who can believe that it is now only 6 days to go. Preparation continues, but we are oh so close.....
Dan, Jack and Harriet arrived on Friday evening, which ended up with fish and chips and then an UNO marathon. It was also quite interesting to see how Karen and I would fit into our little cabin.... and considering this ended up being the 'bin' for the weekend, with all the extra bits and pieces being stowed in there, it was quite interesting, but this is nothing that a little more general organizing won't fix.
Daisy and Tom joined us on Saturday, with Trust Tracy and Lenaic, who came on board for the day as our unofficial photographers. We made our way down to Yarmouth, but sadly due to weather conditions we didn't quite manage to get our new sails out. Simon T caught up with us for an afternoon of ice creams and ball games, and a pretty perfect evening.
What a day we were blessed with on Sunday. We couldn't have had more perfect conditions for a photoshoot... sunshine, 10 to 15kts of breeze, a boatload full of kids having fun(Frank Fletcher being the biggest kid of all) and a helicopter! We also had Paul and Dave from Crusader on the boat, and it was really great having their input and advice. We also managed to get our new cruising chute (on a magic furler!) out, which does look fantastic!
The weekend went by far too quickly though, and who can believe that it is now only 6 days to go. Preparation continues, but we are oh so close.....
Thursday, 23 April 2009
Happy (busy) days in Cowes
What an increadible week we've had. Scarlet came over to Cowes on Monday, and before I've even had a chance to blink, it's already Thursday! Somehow, I wish I could put the breaks on as time is just flying by, but also I can't wait to get going.
The boys from SYS were brilliant, and came down to the dock to say goodbye... but before they knew it, we had Rob back in the engine bay, Jim and Chris tightening up a seacock, and even Leo came down to help us sort out our engine. Finally, with the tide running out and us running out of tide to get into Hythe Marina, we waved goodbye to Rob and Saxon's Wharf. It was a little emotional leaving them, they have just been so fantastic and helpful.
So here we are in Cowes.
Things are really starting to shape up now.... I did a dash across the Solent in the RIB yesterday evening to collect our brand new branded sails. Thanks to Crusade for getting them to us on time! So, we managed to get Frank down to Scarlet this morning to do some very important work - helping us put them up. Of course, he had to do a lot of stretching and flexing of his index finger, then had the hard job of pushing the button on the electric winch as we hoisted the sails. Thankfully the weather Gods were with us again, and we had a beautiful, windless morning just right for the job. Seeing Scarlet in all her glory has really made it all quite real... it's all coming together and feels really good!
We've had Rudi working on all our electrics and electronics, and has really been amazing. He's literally been going through the boat with a fine tooth comb, checking every single connection and getting various instruments to talk to each other... genious!!
Chris King is also a proud new dad! Congratulations on your first born Chris, and as always, thank you for all your help with Scarlet!!
The beauty is that I really do feel like we are in control now. Besides the few jobs Rudi has left to do, we're down to polishing and cleaning (and a couple odd jobs to finish off) and stocking the boat with all we need. We're also going on a seatrial tomorrow afternoon.... AND I JUST CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The boys from SYS were brilliant, and came down to the dock to say goodbye... but before they knew it, we had Rob back in the engine bay, Jim and Chris tightening up a seacock, and even Leo came down to help us sort out our engine. Finally, with the tide running out and us running out of tide to get into Hythe Marina, we waved goodbye to Rob and Saxon's Wharf. It was a little emotional leaving them, they have just been so fantastic and helpful.
So here we are in Cowes.
Things are really starting to shape up now.... I did a dash across the Solent in the RIB yesterday evening to collect our brand new branded sails. Thanks to Crusade for getting them to us on time! So, we managed to get Frank down to Scarlet this morning to do some very important work - helping us put them up. Of course, he had to do a lot of stretching and flexing of his index finger, then had the hard job of pushing the button on the electric winch as we hoisted the sails. Thankfully the weather Gods were with us again, and we had a beautiful, windless morning just right for the job. Seeing Scarlet in all her glory has really made it all quite real... it's all coming together and feels really good!
We've had Rudi working on all our electrics and electronics, and has really been amazing. He's literally been going through the boat with a fine tooth comb, checking every single connection and getting various instruments to talk to each other... genious!!
Chris King is also a proud new dad! Congratulations on your first born Chris, and as always, thank you for all your help with Scarlet!!
The beauty is that I really do feel like we are in control now. Besides the few jobs Rudi has left to do, we're down to polishing and cleaning (and a couple odd jobs to finish off) and stocking the boat with all we need. We're also going on a seatrial tomorrow afternoon.... AND I JUST CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, 11 April 2009
Getting Grubby on Scarlet
What a busy week we've had! Scarlet came out of the water on Tuesday, and by the end of the week she had transformed. I've had Carie Biggs and Dave Wright helping me out for the week, and little did they know when they signed up for it, but it ended up being a very messy week! We gutted poor Scarlet, and got right down into the deepest darkest depths of her bilges and gave her a good scrubbing. She also got a splashing of paint, Karen took the drag arm and emergency tiller off to get shot blasted, and got really excited with how shiney and new they looked afterwards. We eventually had to let Carie come up from the bilges for a bit of fresh air.... but that also came at a price. She then spent her valuable outdoor time sanding the keel! Ian Chesterton, the brave man, came in to help us out for a day - ON HIS BIRTHDAY!!!! Happy Birthday Ian, and thanks again for your help :)
Everyone at SYS have been amazing. Always willing to help us out, a friendly smile from every direction and of course a lot of good technical advice when ever needed. Thanks to Andy for driving the team forward, and to Leo and Rob for sorting out all the mechanical bits and pieces. Lisa for helping me find and order bits and pieces, andChris and Jim from Solent Shipwrights have been brilliant at being leak detectives and sorting out the toerails.
Wild Graphics arrived on Wednesday, and by Thursday afternoon Scarlet was almost completely transformed!!! She is now blue and white and logo-ed up... We'll have to get her some scarlet details for inside though... just to prevent her getting some kind of identity crisis!!!
We're all on a well deserved break for the Easter weekend after a hard week of work, but I'm really chuffed with the progress we've made, and looking forward to getting her back into the water next week and going for a little shake down sail to Cowes.
Happy Easter!!!!!
Cath
Everyone at SYS have been amazing. Always willing to help us out, a friendly smile from every direction and of course a lot of good technical advice when ever needed. Thanks to Andy for driving the team forward, and to Leo and Rob for sorting out all the mechanical bits and pieces. Lisa for helping me find and order bits and pieces, andChris and Jim from Solent Shipwrights have been brilliant at being leak detectives and sorting out the toerails.
Wild Graphics arrived on Wednesday, and by Thursday afternoon Scarlet was almost completely transformed!!! She is now blue and white and logo-ed up... We'll have to get her some scarlet details for inside though... just to prevent her getting some kind of identity crisis!!!
We're all on a well deserved break for the Easter weekend after a hard week of work, but I'm really chuffed with the progress we've made, and looking forward to getting her back into the water next week and going for a little shake down sail to Cowes.
Happy Easter!!!!!
Cath
Sunday, 5 April 2009
So in one month's time we'll be on our first leg, sailing toward Dover! I can't believe it's all happening so fast - it feels like only yesterday when Frank first told me about the Round Britain on the first summer trip last year. Who could imagine that here we are already? I'm also really happy to hear that some of the people I was fortunate to go sailing with on last year's summer trips are coming sailing with us on the Round Britain - I'm really looking forward to seeing them again and discovering new and exciting places. We're going on the most amazing adventure!
Scarlet is undergoing quite a bit of work to get her prepped and looking fantastic for the voyage. This week she comes out of the water for a while, in order for the branding to go on and for us to do all the necessary underwater work and checks. The boys at SYS have been fantastic with the work they have been doing.
We've got another busy week ahead of us, and looking forward to getting stuck in!
Until the next time,
Cheers!!
Scarlet is undergoing quite a bit of work to get her prepped and looking fantastic for the voyage. This week she comes out of the water for a while, in order for the branding to go on and for us to do all the necessary underwater work and checks. The boys at SYS have been fantastic with the work they have been doing.
We've got another busy week ahead of us, and looking forward to getting stuck in!
Until the next time,
Cheers!!
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