DEAR READER,
THE FOLLOWING STORIES WILL TELL
THE EVENTS OF OUR WEST-EAST ATLANTIC CROSSING AS IT HAPPENED !
ENJOY !!!!
THE FOLLOWING STORIES WILL TELL
THE EVENTS OF OUR WEST-EAST ATLANTIC CROSSING AS IT HAPPENED !
ENJOY !!!!
| We left Sint Marteen for Gibraltar on Sunday the 24th of March for the bridge opening at 5.30 pm . | Position :18°22'.2 N and 063°03'.3 W |
Do we have enough space ?????
| 
Do we have enough eggs ?????
| 
Do we have enough fuel ?????
| 
Do we have enough Crew ?????
|
Not without drama though !!!!!!
Fati had to go to a hospital on the french side in order to have her cough looked after.
She returned late,
so we left without her but anchored outside the bridge and waited for her.
When she arrived
we set sail and off we went.
WIth a marvellous wind and direction.
Perfect !!!!! ???? Really ?????
And then........ we saw that the mast was tilting in the strong wind.
Something was utterly wrong.
Olaf went into the mast to see what but couldn't detect anything. And that at 2am in the morning of the 25th.
And having sailed already for 50nm.
So I decided,,,,,,,,,, to return to Sint Marteen.
It was a heartfelt decision. And whilst I write these notes we are still here, and it is Tuesday morning.
I am devastated.
And the wind is still in our favour and we are stuck here because the rigger is too busy to look after us.
I could.......
And then the rigger came and we left....again.
Tuesday evening, the 26th of March.
Fati had to go to a hospital on the french side in order to have her cough looked after.
She returned late,
so we left without her but anchored outside the bridge and waited for her.
When she arrived
we set sail and off we went.
WIth a marvellous wind and direction.
Perfect !!!!! ???? Really ?????
And then........ we saw that the mast was tilting in the strong wind.
Something was utterly wrong.
Olaf went into the mast to see what but couldn't detect anything. And that at 2am in the morning of the 25th.
And having sailed already for 50nm.
So I decided,,,,,,,,,, to return to Sint Marteen.
It was a heartfelt decision. And whilst I write these notes we are still here, and it is Tuesday morning.
I am devastated.
And the wind is still in our favour and we are stuck here because the rigger is too busy to look after us.
I could.......
And then the rigger came and we left....again.
Tuesday evening, the 26th of March.
WHO IS ON WATCH WHEN AT WHAT TIME ?
| We are the third day at sea now. After a good start with good wind from the right direction, we have no wind at all since 2 am this morning. So we are running under engine ( 28th, 15:00 UTC ). Just passed 20° N, but at least two more degrees further until we have reached the wind again. Let's hope. It is frustrating again, as we are using our fuel, but nothing we can do about. |
AT LEAST BETTER THAN IN THE OLD DAYS !
How easy it is to loose control when the crew gets bored and frustrated.
Some Captains in the past tried to overcome this with extreme harshness and disciplin.
But the Mutiny on the Bounty has shown to everybody, that it needs a
balance between routine on board, professionalism, but also the encouragemnt of the leadership
- in case of a small sailing yacht the Skipper -
to keep moral high.
Fati with her cooking skills is an important factor of that.
But to be honest, up to now it is so much easier with the girls on board than on the previous trip.
Everybody helps, and that with a smile, no grumpiness here.
I am delighted.
So far so good.
How easy it is to loose control when the crew gets bored and frustrated.
Some Captains in the past tried to overcome this with extreme harshness and disciplin.
But the Mutiny on the Bounty has shown to everybody, that it needs a
balance between routine on board, professionalism, but also the encouragemnt of the leadership
- in case of a small sailing yacht the Skipper -
to keep moral high.
Fati with her cooking skills is an important factor of that.
But to be honest, up to now it is so much easier with the girls on board than on the previous trip.
Everybody helps, and that with a smile, no grumpiness here.
I am delighted.
So far so good.
| Nevertheless, what can one do on a boat of 18m length, you might ask. Well first you have a watch system that rotates so everybody is in the cockpit at one stage , day and/or night, what ever the temperatures. | 
HEY, OLAF, WAKE UP !
|
I AM 'FLYING, I AM FLYING, 'CROSS THE OCEAN, 'CROSS THE SEA !
| With different sails up and down, in this case we fly the Parasailor, a huge forward light wind sail of 230 sqm. AND THE LION ? Well , folk, my birth sign is LEO , and in the chinese horoscope I am DRAGON., but both printed on would have ended up with a fight between them , and that is no good for a sail ! |
Besides the sailing, according to this schedule, you have your options :
1.You sleep where ever, when ever :
1.You sleep where ever, when ever :
...in full gear....
| 
....without a 'gear'....
| 
....no 'gear' left ....
|
2. Or you prepare some food :
A totally new way to cut onions for the concerning woman in the kitchen !!!!!
| 
A totally new way to keep your husband busy and away from 'mischief' !
|
The remaining is work, ie checking the rig when the boat is tilting,
Careful now, I might get hurt at a very vulnerable part of my body !
........or re-fuelling .
Nothing for the faint-hearted, so something for the Irish !
Nothing for the faint-hearted, so something for the Irish !
A new way to use nappies ! No spills of fuel no more !
| 
This operation needs irish orchestration !
| 
How much weighs a 20L jerry can ? Well, ask Jerry !
|
And so the days go by.
One after the other.
And if you are lucky, you can watch during the night the milky way.
Who of you knows Polaris, the belt of Orion, knows where Jupiter is with its "follower" Aldebaran, who knows Casseopaia and Sirius, and if you dont, well folk, then you definitely miss something in your life.
SO START , GET GOING ,
stay out at night, and
watch the stars.
May be you will find YOURS ?
But don't fall off the roof !
One after the other.
And if you are lucky, you can watch during the night the milky way.
Who of you knows Polaris, the belt of Orion, knows where Jupiter is with its "follower" Aldebaran, who knows Casseopaia and Sirius, and if you dont, well folk, then you definitely miss something in your life.
SO START , GET GOING ,
stay out at night, and
watch the stars.
May be you will find YOURS ?
But don't fall off the roof !
A bad picture from the full moon and some stars !
Good Night !
SLEEP WELL !
yours,
Master Mike.
SLEEP WELL !
yours,
Master Mike.
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