Day 4

Distance run: 151 nautical miles

A frustrating day.  As we were being headed by westerly winds, we decided to tack south but the westerlies did not produce the anticipated boat speed.  For most of the day the sea was flat - the oily surface indicating a serious lack of wind.  Quite a monotonous day of motor sailing, reading and topping up the tan.  The weather is quite warm - about 23 degrees for most of the day and at night.  The Kindle has been invaluable - managed to read Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton (which I enjoyed) and Chekhov's The Sea-Gull (which I did not).
We had a brief visit from four dolphins in mid-afternoon, but they were gone within 30 seconds, apparently as bored with the conditions as we were.  Everyone is crying out for wind.
This was my first day to cook the evening meal and I was under a little pressure as the standard of cuisine to date has been excellent - we have enjoyed fish pie, chicken curry, and pork with leeks and mashed potato.  Fortunately my 'Spaghetti San Franco' was received enthusiastically - or at least without complaint.  I note that the Skipper has yet to put in an appearance in the galley!

Day 5

Distance run: 190 nautical miles

Be careful what you wish for!  A strong southeasterly set in during the course of the evening, and Alcedo has kicked up her heels and run.  When I came on deck for my nighttime watch at 02:00 we were sailing at 9-10 knots.  I have never seen a darker night.  With clouds overhead there was not a star to be seen, and we are now some distance away from other ARC yachts, so for once there were no reassuring navigation lights on the horizon.  Indeed, it was impossible to pick out a horizon at all - what was sky, and what was sea? Visibility was limited to about 10 metres either side of the boat.  Alcedo, in her element, cared nothing for this, but hurtled on into the sheer blackness of the night.  Helming was like a blind man riding a roller-coaster.  However, we were now moving, and in the right direction.  It was quite an exciting night, with the yacht being blown round a full 360 degrees at one point, but luckily no damage was done.
For this morning's watch the wind had picked up even more, but was now accompanied by strong driving rain.  Not ideal conditions, but still a good wind angle so were are keen to make the most of it.  Alcedo is now making 9 knots consistently, with occasional 10 or 11 knot moments, much to Venetia's delight.  Steering the yacht has been simply exhilarating, despite the incessant rain. 

 I have been thinking of Horatio during the recent watches, reflecting that had it not been for him I would surely not be here - in the middle of the vast nothingness of sea. I have no way of knowing how the sponsorship is progressing, but I hope that readers will continue to spread the word and that donations for this excellent cause continue to pour in.

Day 2

13:00 position: 26.20.48 N  19.51.80 W

Distance run over last 24 hours (13:00 to 13:00):  174 nautical miles

More wind than forecast for today, which has allowed Alcedo to make good progress.  Winds have been generally astern, so we have been running under poled-out genoa and mainsail.  David has ensured that the gybe preventer is on the boom, to avoid any inadvertent (and dangerous) gybes.  For most of Monday we were accompanied by up to half-a-dozen other yachts, between one mile and five miles distance.  These could be clearly seen by day.
We had one technical problem in the evening when voluntarily gybing to change course, which led to a broken mainsail batten.  The compromises the set of the mainsail slightly, but there is nothing that can be done to rectify this.
When I came on watch at midnight to replace Sally, we had several sets of boat lights around us.  One yacht ('Amokura') was of particular concern, as our courses were closing while the bearing remained constant – the classical formula for a maritime collision.  As both yachts were sailing ‘goosewinged’ (ie. with sails poled out) neither yacht could change course easily.  In the end, the two skippers conversed by VHF and Alcedo reduced sail slightly, allowing the other yacht to pass ahead. No-one wanted an Atlantic collision.
Later in the day we gybed to turn further southwest, and were rewarded with some marvellous sailing on a beam reach.  I was on watch from 16:00 to 18:00 and at around 17:00 we were suddenly joined by a large pod of dolphins – around 40 at a guess.  They played in the bow wave and swam beside us for 20 minutes or so, with the occasional spectacular leap from the waves.  The dolphins seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as we enjoyed watching them.  All crew came on decks for this, and I hope I captured the dolphins’ visit on camcorder.  This will be worth watching once we are at home.

I retired for a ‘power nap’ around 22:00, and failed to set my alarm properly, so was late on watch at midnight (the shame).  However I have been making it up to the crew by taking a prominent role in the washing up stakes!


Day 3

13:00 Position: 24.28.07 N 22.37.22 W

Distance run over last 24 hours (13:00 to 13:00) 165 nautical miles

Had a marvellous sunrise watch this morning.  Two yachts in the distance one of which, we think, is not an ARC boat. Was on watch during an impressive Atlantic squall, with heavy rain, but this quickly cleared and the oilskins had kept me warm and dry.  The weather is mostly bright and sunny (24C) but there are lots of squalls around.  This evening's sunset trumped even this morning's sunrise.

Jane and Sally had an incident overnight, when they discovered that the outhaul from the mainsail had broken, and was flapping around.  With the skipper’s help these two managed to resolve the problem, although this involved David clambering onto the boom during a squall.  Alcedo is currently reaching in bright sunshine over the bluest of seas – ideal sailing conditions.  Although we are not a competitive boat (at least not officially) it would be good to know where the other ARC yachts are.  We know we have passed several yachts, and that we are behind the racers who sped away over the first evening, and naturally the catamarans too.  We are wondering whether we have been slow or fast by comparison with other yachts in the cruising division.
The skipper and crew have been discussing our route for the next few days.  Do we continue towards the west, or drop down to the south to catch the trade winds?  Will keep you updated.

Distance run over first 24 hours: 153 nautical miles

The first day.

On ARC departure day Las Palmas takes on a carnival atmosphere. On a bright and warm morning, hundreds of locals came down to marina to observe final preparations, and then sit along both sides of the harbour wall to wave the boats goodbye.  Inevitably there were still a few minor matters to attend to on Alcedo; some final guests onboard, and a few team photos to take.  However, the morning passed by in a flash.  Soon the yachts alongside had cast off their mooring lines, and at 11:40am it was our turn to leave the pontoon. Exiting the harbour was a bit of a procession, following other yachts and with goodbyes and good wishes being exchanged between crews.  This was followed by a bit of ‘milling around’ outside the harbour waiting for the start gun, enlivened when some idiot (not me, surely?) lost his cap over the side, leading to an impromptu but successful Man Overboard drill.  At 12:30 the racing yachts were off, close inshore with spinnakers flying, followed a little more sedately at 12:45 by the catamarans.  This still left 200 boats jockeying for position before the start.  In truth, we did not make the fastest of starts on Alcedo, as we identified a large yellow buoy as the end of the startline, while the buoy we should have been looking for was orange and several hundred metres further inshore...
Once the starting gun had sounded, Alcedo rounded the (correct) buoy and we were away.  The skies were threatening and in no time at all we were sailing in a squall with rain and having to don wet weather gear.  Sally spotted our first flying fish shortly after the start.  The immediate tactical decision was whether to stay inshore, as most of the cruising fleet seemed to do, or to head offshore seeking stronger winds.  Alcedo took the latter course, and to good effect - within a couple of hours we had overtaken many yachts that started ahead of us.  The progress of the ARC fleet, and of Alcedo in particular, can be followed online at Yellowbrick.com  
Through late afternoon and evening we sailed down the east coast of Gran Canaria, staying far enough offshore to avoid the island’s wind shadow, and making encouraging progress.  The wind largely died overnight, and for my first watch (midnight to 2:00am) we were motor-sailing, with speed down to 5/6 knots.  The spectacular night sky was an ideal compensation, however.  I was lucky enough to come back on watch at 08:00 this morning as the big foresail (known as a genoa) was being unfurled.  Soon I was enjoying an excellent couple of hours helming in winds of 13-16 knots, with the boat making 8/9 knots through the water.  While the fleet is now well dispersed, we are still in visual contact with four yachts (all slightly to windward) and at one to five miles distance – so we are not entirely alone on the ocean just yet.
This morning’s dramas on Alcedo were a blocked loo (bravely and effectively tackled by Jane) and an autopilot that went AWOL.  The latter was resolved by the skipper, so all is now well.  The crew has settled into the pattern of watches (I’m writing this at 14:25, and shall be back on watch from 16:00 to 18:00).  There is already a distinction between those who prefer to use the autopilot (Venetia especially) and those like Sally and myself who enjoy steering.

I will not be able to write at this length very often, but will try to update the blog at least every other day, with a summary of position and distance run.  I was delighted to receive emails in Las Palmas from other kind people who are continuing to donate to ‘Horatio’s Garden’.  Do please keep the donations coming – ‘Horatio’s Garden’ is such a worthwhile cause too support.

The past 48 hours have been hectic.  Much time has been devoted to provisioning the yacht for the crossing.  The ‘rule of thumb’ suggestion from the ARC organisers is to stock the boat with food and water for the anticipated length of crossing (say three weeks) and then add 50% - in case of delays or emergencies.  Friday morning was spent at the excellent and colourful local market for fruit and vegetables in Gran Canaria, and there has also been a major delivery of meat to the boat.  All of this has to be stored appropriately.  Jane, Sally and Venetia have been exceptionally busy.  There is a good sized freezer on board, and a fridge, and Venetia spent Friday afternoon putting up a couple of suspended nets to store and preserve fruit.  Floorboards have been lifted to stow ship's stores and bottles.


Other pre-departure activities have included ensuring adequate reserves of diesel and engine oil.  Fuel is cheap in the Canaries, which – as David and Sally’s Canarian friends Jesus and Monica explained over drinks on Friday – explains the very large number of container ships in the port or anchored off.  Large vessels making the Atlantic crossing take advantage of cheap diesel by stopping in Las Palmas for refuelling.  Our own fuel tanks were full before I arrived, but we have added some spare jerricans just in case.

I am delighted that there has been some interest locally and among the ARC people over Horatio’s Garden.  On Thursday afternoon Clare (the ARC photographer) came round to capture a few images to illustrate the story.  I think her plan was to write something on the ARC/World Cruising Club website, but I have been too busy to verify this.  Obviously I am not the only person sailing the ARC to raise sponsorship for one cause or other, so I think there may be a few articles along similar lines.  In any case, Clare took some nice photos, which she passed on.

 

 

 

The yachts alongside Alcedo on the ‘Millionaires’ Alley’ known as the Wall have been envious of our spectacular kingfisher mural, Sarah’s creation.  We have high hopes of winning the competition for the best mural – we shall see! 

The ARC farewell party on Friday night hosted by the Real Club Nautico de Gran Canaria was a pleasant evening, with substantial quantities of local paella on offer.  It may seem odd to hold the leaving party 36 hours before departure, but naturally no-one will want to have a late night tonight.  At the leaving party, it was good to catch up with Richard (who had been on the Sea Survival course with me in Southampton three weeks ago).  Rather alarmingly, two of the four original crew members on his boat Sarah Jane – a 46’ Halberg Rassy – have already been dismissed by the skipper, leaving only Richard and two newly recruited members of the crew.  There are a lot of global hitchhikers in Las Palmas - every couple of hours the yacht is approached by someone seeking a lift across the ocean.  Let us hope that Richard and his skipper have good fortune with the lottery of local crew selection.  It was also good to catch up again with the crew of Heart of Gold, including newly arrived Jeff from Chicago, who is a neurosurgeon specialising in spinal injury and was interested to learn of the Horatio story.  Jeff has Irish ancestry, so conversation obviously turned to visits to Dublin, before being abruptly cut off by the start of the farewell firework display.  Unfortunately steady rain later spoiled the party, and sensible crews headed back to their bunks for a reasonably early night.  Some heavy rain during the night, which has continued on and off on Saturday morning.  There is still not much by way of wind, with weather changing from sunny to rain on a regular basis.  The forecast shows very moderate wind conditions for tomorrow’s departure, and for the first few days.  It may be quite a slow start.

In any case, preparing and provisioning are complete, and the time to leave is drawing close.  The racing boys depart at 12:00 tomorrow, followed by catamarans and ‘special craft’ at 12:30, while the huge cruising fleet starts at 13:00.  Depending upon conditions, here may be fewer blogs while ship’s routine settles down over the first few days, but I shall try to update when I can.  The waiting is over.  It is time to go.

Arrived in Las Palmas at lunchtime yesterday (Wednesday) after a very early start (3:30am departure from Eton for Gatwick).  Norwegian Air flight on time and uneventful.  I had expected to take the local bus to Las Palmas, but in the event shared a taxi from the airport to the marina with two other ARC crew, one Slovak and one Swedish.  Gran Canaria has been alternatively sunny and warm, then cloudy with some rain.  Having found Alcedo, and organised ARC ID for access to the pontoons, the rest of  Wednesday was spent finding my way around the marina; stowing kit on the yacht and finishing several small technical jobs on the boat.  Alcedo is moored along the largest monohulls, stern to the marina wall – which has been painted over the years by crews taking part in the ARC.  It has become an ARC tradition that each boat paints a section of the marina wall with the yacht name and year of taking part.  David went up the mast in the afternoon, to check things over, and Sally also went up the mast for her first time.  In the evening, the final members of the Alcedo crew – Venetia and Jane – arrived courtesy of Easyjet, just in time to enjoy the daily ARC sundowner and then our first crew supper at a good Spanish restaurant.  Absolutely exhausted after quite a long day, it was a relief to decline the fancy dress party; to find my bunk and have a good night’s sleep.

Thursday 21st November
The new day dawned bright, sunny and warm start in Las Palmas.  Not much wind, so an excellent opportunity for the crew to take Alcedo out into the bay for a familiarisation sail.  Las Palmas is very much a commercial port, with ferries regularly departing to the other islands but also lots of large container ships – several anchored just outside the marina.  Having avoided these, there was enough time to get the sails up and check that all was well.  This was also a good opportunity to try out the VHF radio and the operation of the AIS.  For many crews, this morning was devoted to safety at sea – there was a (noisy) helicopter rescue demonstration, and crews setting off distress flares on the jetty.  It has also been intriguing to see some of the other yachts, including a former Volvo Ocean race boat.  Back in the marina, late morning and early afternoon were devoted to sorting out bits of equipment – new covers for lifebuoys, checking the guardrails, while Venetia bravely scrubbed the decks.  Alcedo had a visit from the American crew of Heart of Gold just before lunchtime.  Hilarious discussion ranged far beyond sail wardrobe and route strategy, as the Americans outlined their concerns over the water conservation strategy on Heart of Gold.  One solution to the possible lack of water for showering is use of ‘body wipes’, apparently.  We were delighted to learn that American wipes come with instructions explaining the ideal sequence of body parts to be cleaned in order.  Thankfully water should be plentiful on Alcedo.  After a late lunch the ladies were occupied with provisioning, which gave me an opportunity to check my emails (many, many thanks to those who continue to donate) and to write this blog.  We have been cheating on the wall painting, however.  Venetia’s sister – who is an artist – is on holiday on Gran Canaria, and as I write she is painting Alcedo’s symbol (a kingfisher) on the harbour wall.  

 

The ARC (shorthand for Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) was established by Jimmy Cornell in the 1980's, and the 2013 ARC will be the 28th edition of this annual rally.  The original idea was to offer a degree of competition, logistical support and above all security to yachtsmen seeking to cross the Atlantic (often for the first time).  Before setting off, yachts would assemble in a port, with all necessary support services available (rigging checks, advice on safety, provisioning, weather, routing etc), and crews would meet in a convivial social environment during the days leading up to departure.  The greatest advantage of crossing the Atlantic in company with other yachts is the 'comfort blanket' reassurance of knowing that there are other boats no more than several hours away should a serious problem arise at sea. The formula has proved hugely successful, and for the past few years the ARC has been oversubscribed.  In 2013, for the first time, the ARC has been supplemented by the ARC+ - an additional 42 boats have already sailed from Gran Canaria and are currently stopping over in the Cape Verde islands before making the crossing to St Lucia.

The ARC proper starts on Sunday 24th November.  236 yachts (including 22 multihulls) will sail from Las Palmas, bound for St Lucia - a distance of some 2800 nautical miles (although with the effects of wind and currents the actual distance sailed will inevitably be greater).

1,400 people are due to make the crossing in 2013, with ages ranging from 22 months to 70 years.  31 different nationalities are represented - with 94 entries the UK ARC fleet is by far the largest, followed by the Germans (37 crews), French (20), Australians (13) and so on.   There are several Irish crews taking part, so the craic will be good!  The ARC is not a race as such, although there is a racing division (28 entries) - the remaining 218 boats are entered in the cruising division (there is a healthy spirit of friendly competition here too with each yacht given a handicap and results calculated at the finish).  I suspect my skipper may be quite competitive.  The official start on Sunday lunchtime off Las Palmas can be quite congested (see below), although after the first day or two at sea it is quite rare for ARC yachts to see one another, as the boats are swallowed up in the enormity of the Atlantic. Not literally, of course...

Cornell also created the World Cruising Club, which took over running the ARC in 1998.  The success of the ARC formula has led the World Cruising Club to establish several alternative ARC rallies - including the Caribbean 1500, ARC Baltic, ARC Europe, ARC USA and the World ARC (for those attempting a full circumnavigation). http://www.worldcruising.com/index.aspx

I'm now looking forward to getting to Las Palmas, flying out from Gatwick early on Wednesday 20th.  It will be good to meet up with David, Sally and the other crew members, and to spend some time on Alcedo before Sunday's start.  I am also hoping to meet up with the crew of Pollux - the smallest yacht in the racing division.  This crew (Antoine Gloanec and Chloé Gautier) are from my home port of Erquy in Brittany.

This is what the forthcoming Atlantic crossing is all about.

 

 

The story of 'Horatio's Garden':

After Horatio Chapple (aged 17) was tragically killed by a polar bear in August 2011, his parents decided to try to create a very special garden in his memory – special because the garden would be accessible to spinal patients who were themselves confined to wheelchairs or to hospital beds.  The original idea behind such a garden came from Horatio and from David Chapple, his father, who is a spinal surgeon.  When Horatio was on medical work experience at Salisbury hospital, he devised a questionnaire for patients.  The answers showed that patients would welcome an external space that would enable them to enjoy a break from the hospital ward – where many were effectively confined during long months of convalescence.  Sadly Horatio did not live to see this idea come to fruition, but many people generously donated in Horatio’s memory, and a series of events were held (including several at school) where money was first raised through the Southern Spinal Injuries Trust for a ‘Jubilee Garden’ at the spinal unit in Salisbury.

Through the generosity of donors and fundraisers, and the indefatigable efforts of David and Olivia Chapple, sufficient funds were raised to enable work to begin on a garden.  Cleve West accepted an invitation to design the garden, and after much hard work in the spring and summer of 2012 the new facility, now named ‘Horatio’s Garden’ was formally opened in September 2012. 

 

As the garden has matured, it has become a remarkable space for patients, visitors, hospital staff and family members.  Cleve West's design created a tranquil, picturesque setting where patients can enjoy flowers, grasses, trees and shrubs, and where a range of therapeutic activities are organised.  The garden is maintained by a Head Gardener and by an enthusiastic team of volunteers.

 

'Horatio’s Garden’ is now established as an independent charity in its own right, and I am very pleased to act as a trustee of this charity.  The goals of the charity include the development of Horatio’s Garden; meeting the on-going costs of maintaining the garden, and promoting the expansion of similar gardens at other spinal centres in the UK.  The best source for the garden is the website www.horatiosgarden.org.uk  It is a great privilege to be able to do something to commemorate Horatio, and I have been delighted by the support received both for the Atlantic Challenge and for earlier fundraising on behalf of ‘Horatio’s Garden’.   

RYA Sea Survival course yesterday at Stormforce Coaching in Southampton.  Quite a bit of theory to get though, although the practical sessions were tremendous fun.  Lots of hands-on experience with lifejackets; scrambling into and out of the liferaft, abandoning ship from a height, and so on.  All in the pool of course, so far from fully realistic of conditions at sea, but useful nonetheless...

...and a chance to play with handheld distress flares.

A warm welcome to all members of the RS/DMG/Cotton Hall community, past and present, who may be reading this blog for this first time today.  This post – an indulgent digression from the ARC story - is for you.

 

We all have wonderful memories of the fabulous ‘retirement’ parties that you kindly arranged for us last summer, where I first announced the Atlantic crossing.  The caricatures of the 2013 Leavers now hang in my new study - sadly mementos such as these cannot accompany me on my voyage.

 

I wish all the boys a very successful end to the term – good luck in the forthcoming house play; in house football and in Trials.  Be nice to Mr Stewart and to his family – you are fortunate to have him as your House Master!

To boys and to parents - we remain really grateful for all the generosity you have shown to us, and treasure many happy memories of our 13 years in the house.  I am especially grateful for the support you continue to give to Horatio’s Garden (www.horatiosgarden.org.uk ), and the boost you are giving this very good cause.  You have been remarkable over this.  Thank you so much.

 I will write more about Horatio’s Garden shortly, then about the ARC...