Crew Blog

Once more onto the helm my friend

05 December 2007

After a leg of night watches spent playing the shoot/sleep with/marry game, the ‘or’ game and seeing how many Top Gun quotes we could apply to sailing (favourites include ‘too close for missiles switching to guns’ – spinnaker to poled out head sail and ‘hit the brakes and he’ll fly right by’ – less popular one when Hull & Humber went past us in Leg 2), I decided it was time to take to the helm to wile away the endless hours of darkness/boredom.

On New York Clipper one has to join helming school in order to be let loose on the steel circle of power. Those who mind criticism and constant scrutiny need not apply.  Before donning my L plates, I first had to spend a few days eyeing my fellow crew mates who have already graduated to gain a few tips. And after being let loose for a few small moments myself, I observed the following in summary:

1. Clothing - Wear as much as possible as you are quite often only one of two on deck in the freezing cold plus the only person likely to get a wave in the face as you cannot turn your back like everyone else. I have yet to bring out my rather fetching goggles and ‘helming mitts’ but technically we have only just entered the Southern Ocean. Save them for later.
2. Posture - Adopt a manly pose (sorry brace position) at the wheel with legs far apart and one foot on deck and one lifted up on the edge of the cockpit. I tried a more feminine stance but was soon clinging on for dear life as we healed over to 30 degrees. This is coupled with a look of intense concentration (especially when Duggie pops his head above deck). In addition keep hands in the ten to two position. BSM (and my Dad) would be proud. 
3. Steering - Helming on New York is all about juggling numbers. The boat equivalents of miles per hour, revs per minute, torque and brake horse power to name but a few. Get the combination right and you fly. Stop for a moment to ponder what kind of muffins mother is cooking or am I actually the first person to ever sail over this part of the ocean ever and you are no longer where you should be having achieved the sailing equivalent of stalling. Concentration is everything. I am told this is why women make better helms – oops controversial.
4. Life on deck – The helm is a great place to smugly survey your crew facing the day to day perils of the forward deck such as tripping over lines, receiving numerous soakings and attempting a sneaky 40 winks on a sail bag out of sight.

After a week of negotiating the minefield I think I have managed to pass my helming for beginners course with a modicum of success being able to steer in a somewhat straight line and maintain boat speed, although how I am not sure sometimes.

So what have a learnt from my brief stint back in lofty corridors of learning? Well, several of life’s little lessons. At night the compass becomes the all seeing eye, you are strangely drawn to it when there is nothing else to look at; the question posed by Duggie ‘what course are you steering’ actually means ‘get on course’; Sirius, the Dog Star is an excellent night nav marker on our current course provided it is not cloudy of course; don’t think too much about the fact you are driving a 32 ton boat in ‘lively’ conditions with a precious cargo of 11 other people and an even more precious three week supply of life’s essentials such as peanut butter, nut crunch muesli and wet wipes; not only do you need to be a apprentice Formula 1 driver you also need to be an emeritus professor of mathematics combining the previously mentioned numbers with negotiating points on the horizon which keep moving, waves which knock you off course and a less than happy Scotsman if your course is not the optimum.

I think I may be ready to shed my upwind L plates and move on to the advanced downwind helming course if allowed. Either that or I will be demoted back to a more permanent residence forward in the snake pit. Let’s just sea (pardon the pun).

Jennifer Leech