New York to Halifax Nova Scotia

A short race, just what I like! So off we went again, a new skipper Piers on board, high hopes for a podium finish. Piers had altered the watch system to 4 hours in bed, 4 hours stand by and 4 hours sailing the boat . The idea was we have a lot of new leggers on board and a full boat 20 crew so too many for a two shift system. The on watch was to concentrate fully on making the boat go fast. The stand by shift was split into two mothers and engineers, and were available to move sails and help on deck if there was an evolution. If they had nothing to do they were to sit on the high side for ballast . Hot bunking was also introduced so that we always slept on the high side. Both these changes were not entirely popular with all the crew however everyone agreed to try it as it was a short race and we wanted to do well. I have to say the eight hour shift was a killer we had the 12 midnight until 8 in the morning with no rotation. Mothers and engineers swopped daily so one day at 1am you would make bread and the next empty bilges or just sit on deck, by 8 am you were knackered and cold. The temperature dropped dramatically after day one and by Halifax at night I had every bit of clothing on just like on the way to China. Anyway back to the race, we left New York on a fine sunny hot day and motored off on our parade of sail past the Manhattan sky line and out past the Statue of Liberty. After all the media shots we motored out for a 6.30 pm Le Mans start, we were given the windward boat position at the end of the line. Go go go! we all ran forward to hoist the two fore sails and get under way. All went well but Gold coast the next boat to us just seemed to pull away, just don't know how they do it! You have to keep the same sail plan and course for ten minutes then you are allowed to change, we had prepped the spinnaker pole ready for the light weight kite as had many, so after 10 minutes the spinnakers all popped and we were off down wind sailing. It never ceases to amaze me how after only a few hours the boats are all spread out across the sea miles apart. At night you can pick out the mast lights either side in front and hopefully behind you. Mid day two we peeled to the mid weight kit, a few moments of nerves as this was the one we trashed and had been mended, would our repairs hold the ever increasing wind? No worries, up she went and filled in full glory. As we were doing this change, in the distance on the horizon were huge splashes over and over again a number of  20 to 30 ft hump back whales were breaching , a magnificent site to see something so big jump fully out of the water and come crashing down with a mighty splash. Unfortunately as we were changing sails at this point I have no photos, but actually photographing whales is difficult anyway, more often you get picture of sea. Later that day we had a different type of whale come extremely close for a nosey. This one was huge probably two thirds the length of the boat, it came up port side then reappeared starboard. Piers was quite concerned and instructed us to put safety tethers on in case we hit it or it gave the boat a nudge. Its last appearance was in front of the boat when it came up just in front of the bow, so close then flipped its tail as it dived back down into the sea.
Towards the end of the race the wind came round in front and we changed to white sails yankey one and stay, this is when it became more tactical, when should we tack?  Should we go out to find more wind or in hoping for current and off shore breezes? We could see boats on AIS on the screen and we were very close to New York, Geralton and Singapore . We thought we had NY and Geralton at a safe distance but Singapore was coming up close. Every tack put the boats in a different position, we were trying to cover all three boats but Singapore were literally a few hundred yards behind. Piers was great, we altered the sails tightening the leech line to make the shape of the sail better, letting sails out by just an inch . We seemed to be able to point better and gained a little bit on Singapore. George took over the helm and during his half hour slot we gained even more, but Singapore were still right on out tail. I was sitting on the rail knowing it was my turn next. Only a few miles to go, maybe an hour or more to finish, the angle to the finish line was not good we needed to tack at least twice to make the line. Tactically it was all about who would tack first, should we follow or would the other two boats gain ground? They tacked, I was now on the helm, off we went.... everyone into position 'helm to lee' and tack. Great! we seemed to be ahead, then suddenly from nowhere we had fog, the area ahead was thick you could just see a wall of cloud, my heart was in my mouth.  Piers called everyone up on deck, even the people asleep, on the rail all 18 people. The other boats had turned off the AIS we had no way of telling where they were had they tacked. Karen was in the nav station looking at the radar trying to locate them. Quite dangerous to turn AIS off especially in fog but this was a race (we had left ours on for safety). Then the fog began to lift, can anyone see them? shouts came that they had tacked using the fog for cover, the fog cleared and there they were, all three boats bearing down on our starboard side, we had to tack right in front of them, in to position.... tack! Just don't cock it up I kept telling my self, one luff up and we would loose ground. I was so nervous I had been on the helm for an hour and it was the last 10 minutes no one was going to get me off. Concentrate, bear away for speed, we will still make the line was the instruction. Then the call from below where Karen was photographing the nav screen GPS we have finished! The cheers went up everyone screamed and hugged and congratulated each other, three cheers for Piers, you would have thought we had come first but for us in our little four boat race we had.
On board this leg is Della the camera women for North One who make the TV program, she was on Hull and Humber in the last race and won the best video for their boat. Since then she has been employed to do this race and spends each leg on a different boat, we have her until Derry. So with a bit of luck some of what I have described will be on film.
It was great to come into the very pictures port of Halifax in 4th place....... our best ever. Hope you were as thrilled as we were.

Panama To New York

Panama Canal

Panama Old and New

First Lock

The system for the canal is quite peculiar all boats and ships have to pay in advance, no credit cards and no definite transit times, so there is a lot of waiting about for all vessels. We knew we had a few days so it was usual boat jobs the first day, however the President had died so it was a day of morning and there was no alcohol being sold, what bad timing for a clipper race to end . We did manage to find a steak house that allowed wine to be drunk out of plastic cups so no one could tell. More boat jobs the next morning then 9 of us went down to the Canal museum which is by the first lock. Fantastic to see the lock so close with huge container ships going through, and giving us an idea of what we were to expect the next day. We visited the old town of Panama which was a mixture of very old decrepid buildings rather like Cuba and recently renovated smart buildings next door. People living doors open onto the street but seemed to be a lot of police or security with guns. We found a really good restaurant and had a set 11 course meal and nice wine. Next morning was a 4.30 start as we had a start time from the marina at 6 to pick up our pilot at 7 out in the mouth of the bay leading to the canal. Everything is very fluid, it is compulsory to have a pilot on every boat, but he can arrive at any time and if his shift finishes and you are half way through the canal system he just leaves and you have to wait until the next day for a new one to arrive. There are 3 locks on the Pacific side and then a huge lake system with passage buoys throughout with rain forest all around the shores leading to the 4 locks on the Atlantic side. We met up with 2 other clipper boats and rafted together to go through the locks. It was fascinating the mule men threw us lines and pulled our lines up the side of the lock then walked us into position so other boasts could come in behind us or we were behind them.  Once tied off the water was let in and we rose up, all on web cam , to the next lock level and so on. It was a funny feeling as the first lock gates closed behind us and that was the end of the Pacific and that side of the world. We have spent so much of the race over that side of the world and it really felt like we were on our home run, the transit through to the home side of the world and civilisation as we know it. A quick flit up to New York a mere Atlantic crossing then Ireland which has got to be near home. Yet we all wait for our 2 week summer holiday and we still had 9 weeks to go.  The locks on the Atlantic side were special as we had a Japanese war ship in the canal with us. We had lost one of the three clipper boats as the pilot had run out of time so there were just 2 of us and this huge ship behind us . I asked a question about the ship to our pilot and he did not know the answer so I asked him to phone a friend, he got on the radio to the pilot on the bridge of the war ship and a whole conversation unfolded , it appeared they were off to New York for the festival and we were invited on board to swap photographs when we got there.

Our Travelling Companions

Goodbye Pacific

The Canal

The marina at the far end was very small and had one bar / restaurant , can you imagine 10 clipper boats 15 to 20 on each, they could not cope. The second night they ran out of beer and had to close early, this small peaceful marina who usually deal with transit yacht did not know what had hit them. Clipper's problem was one of the boats had a broken gear box and parts were expected to arrive any day, of corse they didn't and someone flew out with one in their suitcase but this all took about 4 days and we were on stand by to leave every 6 hours. Luckily after a further delay a few of us off different boats went to the 3rd most dangerous city in the world....Colon (great name too). We went to a very basic hotel but it had a pool and was gated so we were safe and it was so much better than sleeping on the boat!

Container ship in Canal...inches to spare either side

Last Lock, with a Japanese Warship

Eventually we were given the ok to set sail with the other boat and gear box to follow shortly afterwards . The plan was always to motor for approximately 50 miles to where there was more wind. We set sail at 6.30 pm and motored through out the night and the next day and did the  Le Mans start just before night fall at least we were nearer to our destination. Yes I was sick again! not bad but all that waiting on land I had lost my sea legs. Mainly as I was on mother watch and we were crashing into the waves with Y1 flying.

Me sitting on the Rail.....we tried so hard

It all sounds very glamorous sailing up the side of Jamaica and up through the Caribbean islands and round the tip of Cuba but it is not, it is nice and hot but very sweaty below decks and you see nothing but sea sea and more sea, we did not really see land! The run soon changed to spinnakers and we learned a lot from Flav peeling them from light to medium and back again. The big decision was which way to go round a particular island , the fleet had gone west and we decided to go into stealth and go east . This proved to be a blinder as you all know as we came out of stealth in 1st place . All the other boats were rooting for us and we had loads of mails, including one from the skipper of Gold Coast, congratulating us. We fought really hard sitting on the rail day and night, moving ballast around the boat everything we could to stay in front . However this Yacht racing is as much about luck as effort (except Gold Coast) we drove into various wind holes or light wind areas and as much as we tried (and we did, we changed sail,s put wind seekers up, trimmed trimmed and trimmed again) we watched as boat after boat who were further west over took us. The rest is history we came 5th and were all so disappointed not to be on the podium, third would have done. Yes I know one of my favourite expressions is if you come second you have lost but I think this race has changed me!! Two days from the finish line while I was watch leader , we just pushed too hard Flav was on deck as he always is and it was just getting dark, we had the mid weight kite up and the skies were darkening behind us. I had taken over from Lynn on the helm and the wind blew a huge gust the boat rounded up and I managed to control it but then off it went again this time the boat went right over, the sheet was released and the spinnaker flew free, the boat came up and they started to sheet in. The wind was far too powerful and the spinnaker ripped into two pieces , also ripping the foot and tape off the side , a real mess!!! Yes I was at the helm and felt dreadful it would have happened to anyone as the crew said )along with calling me Shredder) !! Just a bad day, but no one was hurt which was the main thing. All efforts were made to keep our place right up to the finnish line however you could see the disappointment on Flav's face especially as he had had little or no sleep for days. The finish was about 50 miles outside the entrance to the Hudson there was no checkered tape or yellow ribbon just more sea. A little toast of whisky was had to celebrate and then we took down the sails and motored in towards the magnificent sky line of New Jersey and Manhattan. It was great to come in with the rest of the boats and 5 behind us, our best result yet.

Coming up for air - mother watch

Flav

Me and James before the Central Park Run

Five days in the posh Hyatt with magnificent view of the Statue of Liberty and the New York sky line with many late nights eating and drinking before Mandy and Penny arrived and I moved across to the New York side. Mandy had arranged a loft apartment down town which worked out really well and allowed us to do the compulsory shopping we all have to do in New York. On the Thursday before Mandy arrived on the Saturday there was a 6K run organised for Great Britain Day and the Jubilee weekend, 6K I thought easy, but having only walked 68 feet up the boat for the last year I was totally out of condition. Running in a kilt did not help and Central Park has quite a few hills. I managed it with out stopping but my legs suffered for days afterwards !  One more day on dry land then off again for a quick tip up to Halifax. Our new skipper Piers has changed a few things around such as watch systems and hot bunking. Lets see how we do. Next stop Halifax , home run here we come.

Girder from World Trade Centre outside Hotel In New Jersey

Finishing in New York