Crew Blog

Brick walls and beating heads

07 February 2008

Good morning all, from the South China Sea.

Call me old fashioned¸ but not having sailed these waters, I pictured Med style conditions decorated by the odd sailing junk manned by wise looking men in straw coolie hats, with us searching for wind in the light airs.

Reality is we had 35 knots plus last night and had to blow the cobwebs off the storm gib.
Anyone on deck sporting a coolie hat would have lost it pdq when the first wave washed over them. Most storms start with gathering cloud and dark skies, but yesterday was a beautiful, if slightly breezy day, with pure blue skies, and little swell.

Like the weather, life onboard has been a little peculiar, with little dramas unfolding every where you look. One of our Chinese crew members was going to be evacuated to the Philippines, hence our easterly course. But, thankfully, she is now on the road to recovery and the evacuation isn’t necessary.

Then we had a crew member stuck up the mast when attempting to recover a line. He escaped with bruising and is now found in the morning queue for Ibuprofen, which I frequent with a sore elbow. Even the skipper is self-administering with a dodgy set of ribs following a collision with the life raft last night.

Talking of the skipper, he appears to have spent more time practicing his medical skills than his sailing skills, as the constant sail changes in rough seas takes its toll on the crew. With sickness and aches ‘n’ sprains the medical box is in constant demand.

We also had one of the foredeck crew test the guardrail to destruction and go over the side. But, following a text book response by one and all, a major drama was avoided. However, he is now on restricted rations to try and stop him breaking it some more.

Still, today is the start of a new day and the race is still there to be won.

We just hope the headwinds relent and we get a break from beating into the wind, if only for a day or two.

Bye for now
Graham Calvert