Friday, 18 August 2006
Day 12 - Jaguar Logic blogging well
General
Flugga watch update (Stuart, Mags, Mick and Rich) - Thursday 15th 17:46 Tuesday night saw the Flugga watch taking the boat around Muggle Flugga, the Northern most tip of the British Isles. The event was characterized by a level of considerable stress as Stuart helmed the boat in total darkness, thick fog, moderate winds and heavy swell through the gaps between rocks.
Pedro provided the navigation direction and inspirational words of motivational encouragement from the chart table, whilst the rest of the crew trimmed and reminded Stuart of the difference between a tack and a gybe (just in time!). Not quite the picture postcard view of the lighthouse and the surrounding landscape we had all hoped for, but job done!
Later that morning the wind died and the fog closed in, emerging from the mist a fisheries commission boat stalked us for a few hours, obviously unaware that a large mast and race sails are not conducive to landing an illegal hawl of North Sea Cod.
Moral remains high and we shared a celebratory glass of champagne with the muddled watch on deck. Watch leader Stuart has been distributing love hearts to the crew as he struggles to come to terms with his heightened emotions (I love you too hot lips!). Mags is keeping us entertained with her constant chatter and rather unconventional trimming theories.
A new crew member joined on Wednesday in the form of Chamomile Flugga, a tiny green finch who landed on the decks seeking shelter. He was provided food and water by Mick "birdman" Moore and a safe haven for the night before being tended in the morning. Regrettably his condition deteriorated and he passed away the following morning to receive full Jaguar Logic ceremonial burial at Sea (Nudged off the stern in a cardboard teabag box).
We now have 500 miles to go and may perhaps arrive back on Monday evening, to keep ourselves entertained we are taking it in turns to break the pump unit on the heads, trying to perfect Rich's Janet Street-Porter impressions and count the number of times Mick disappears for a "quite moment" after his world record attempt for continuous constipation flounders.
Hero of the watch (self appointed) - Mags, our pint sized, light wind helming specialist.
The Flugga watch continues its mission to boldly go where only one (thanks
Skip) Reflex 38 has been before and circumnavigate the British and Irish Isles, to be continued.....
Hi Allie,
Blog from Muckle watch (Ali, Andy, Jon and Peter)
After another frustrating day, the wind arrived late in the evening and built from 10kts to 20kts. Jaguar is now sporting her #3 headsail and sprinting along and 8.3kts with the wind on the beam (ed. Just hit 9.2kts and 9.0kts VMG). With excellent VMG our finish time is now looking much better - Aug 2006 rather than sometime in 2009! Muckle passed the two evening watches away trimming and playing 20 questions animal, vegetable or mineral. Andy pulled one out of the bag and got 'oil rig' on question two!
This is probably connected to us now navigating around oil rigs and avoiding their exclusion zones. It is amazing to see the size of these beasts and the intensity of their lights is very confusing at night compared to normal night lights as the rigs are seen much further away than expected.
Accompanying the rigs are their support vessels which monitor the area around the rigs and ensure no unauthorised vessels enter the exclusion zones around the rigs and well heads. We were asked to alter course yesterday by a friendly Scot when we thought we'd already given enough berth to a rig, so we are now being more cautious when we see them. Thankfully we have AIS which picks up the rigs and the support vessels so we can plot our course through them with care. Without it we would have a much more difficult passage south through them, especially further south where there are rigs every 5 miles or so.
In attempting to catch Puma, Jaguar is now trying to emulate some of their tactics. Overnight yesterday a winch handle committed suicide, ably helped by the preventer and yesterday evening the washing up bucket was lost overboard (mate Peter ably demonstrating how not to fill the bucket with sea water at the side of the boat rather than in the stern wash). We are now convinced these weight saving techniques used by Puma pre-start are why they have pulled away from us in the last few days. No further items are planned to go overboard! Fortunately we have a spare bucket and it is currently being disinfected to replace the lost one.
We have to run the engine in neutral everyday to recharge the batteries and everyone has been asked to be especially careful when moving around near the throttle. Over-revving the engine could be terminal if a gasket were to blow. Whilst everyone has done it, Peter also managed to kick the throttle yesterday and was now very worried what his third mishap was going to be.
Fortunately he split some milk this morning and is now feeling much relieved. Allie has also been spilling things, as evidenced by tea stains all over her foulies.
Flugga watch update (Stuart, Mags, Mick and Rich) - Thursday 15th 17:46 Tuesday night saw the Flugga watch taking the boat around Muggle Flugga, the Northern most tip of the British Isles. The event was characterized by a level of considerable stress as Stuart helmed the boat in total darkness, thick fog, moderate winds and heavy swell through the gaps between rocks.
Pedro provided the navigation direction and inspirational words of motivational encouragement from the chart table, whilst the rest of the crew trimmed and reminded Stuart of the difference between a tack and a gybe (just in time!). Not quite the picture postcard view of the lighthouse and the surrounding landscape we had all hoped for, but job done!
Later that morning the wind died and the fog closed in, emerging from the mist a fisheries commission boat stalked us for a few hours, obviously unaware that a large mast and race sails are not conducive to landing an illegal hawl of North Sea Cod.
Moral remains high and we shared a celebratory glass of champagne with the muddled watch on deck. Watch leader Stuart has been distributing love hearts to the crew as he struggles to come to terms with his heightened emotions (I love you too hot lips!). Mags is keeping us entertained with her constant chatter and rather unconventional trimming theories.
A new crew member joined on Wednesday in the form of Chamomile Flugga, a tiny green finch who landed on the decks seeking shelter. He was provided food and water by Mick "birdman" Moore and a safe haven for the night before being tended in the morning. Regrettably his condition deteriorated and he passed away the following morning to receive full Jaguar Logic ceremonial burial at Sea (Nudged off the stern in a cardboard teabag box).
We now have 500 miles to go and may perhaps arrive back on Monday evening, to keep ourselves entertained we are taking it in turns to break the pump unit on the heads, trying to perfect Rich's Janet Street-Porter impressions and count the number of times Mick disappears for a "quite moment" after his world record attempt for continuous constipation flounders.
Hero of the watch (self appointed) - Mags, our pint sized, light wind helming specialist.
The Flugga watch continues its mission to boldly go where only one (thanks
Skip) Reflex 38 has been before and circumnavigate the British and Irish Isles, to be continued.....
Hi Allie,
Blog from Muckle watch (Ali, Andy, Jon and Peter)
After another frustrating day, the wind arrived late in the evening and built from 10kts to 20kts. Jaguar is now sporting her #3 headsail and sprinting along and 8.3kts with the wind on the beam (ed. Just hit 9.2kts and 9.0kts VMG). With excellent VMG our finish time is now looking much better - Aug 2006 rather than sometime in 2009! Muckle passed the two evening watches away trimming and playing 20 questions animal, vegetable or mineral. Andy pulled one out of the bag and got 'oil rig' on question two!
This is probably connected to us now navigating around oil rigs and avoiding their exclusion zones. It is amazing to see the size of these beasts and the intensity of their lights is very confusing at night compared to normal night lights as the rigs are seen much further away than expected.
Accompanying the rigs are their support vessels which monitor the area around the rigs and ensure no unauthorised vessels enter the exclusion zones around the rigs and well heads. We were asked to alter course yesterday by a friendly Scot when we thought we'd already given enough berth to a rig, so we are now being more cautious when we see them. Thankfully we have AIS which picks up the rigs and the support vessels so we can plot our course through them with care. Without it we would have a much more difficult passage south through them, especially further south where there are rigs every 5 miles or so.
In attempting to catch Puma, Jaguar is now trying to emulate some of their tactics. Overnight yesterday a winch handle committed suicide, ably helped by the preventer and yesterday evening the washing up bucket was lost overboard (mate Peter ably demonstrating how not to fill the bucket with sea water at the side of the boat rather than in the stern wash). We are now convinced these weight saving techniques used by Puma pre-start are why they have pulled away from us in the last few days. No further items are planned to go overboard! Fortunately we have a spare bucket and it is currently being disinfected to replace the lost one.
We have to run the engine in neutral everyday to recharge the batteries and everyone has been asked to be especially careful when moving around near the throttle. Over-revving the engine could be terminal if a gasket were to blow. Whilst everyone has done it, Peter also managed to kick the throttle yesterday and was now very worried what his third mishap was going to be.
Fortunately he split some milk this morning and is now feeling much relieved. Allie has also been spilling things, as evidenced by tea stains all over her foulies.
posted by Sailing Logic at 11:06 AM
