Race 3 - Day 12
Crew Diary - Race 3 Day 12: Cape Town to Fremantle
12 November
Small acts of kindness mean a great deal.
I have always thought I was a tenacious and resilient old trout but can truly say that the last week or so sailing close hauled in 30-45 knot winds with reasonably big breaking seas has been exhausting and has tested all of our fortitude and mental and physical strength.
Everything on the boat is wet – huge spray and waves breaking over the deck soaking our oilskins and intermittent waves pour down the hatch into the saloon, despite the plastic sheet we have in place to cover the hatch drenching anyone in the vicinity. The walls are wet as you shimmy along trying to keep your balance as the bucking bronco of our ship transects the waves. The clothes hanging from every available surface (in a vain attempt to dry them) drip with gusto as they swing into your face as you pass by. The bilges fill as fast as you can sponge them out and lifting the buckets of grey bilge water up the steps to the deck is a feat of gymnastics holding on with one hand, lifting a swinging bucket half full of water in the other hand and endeavouring not to slop all the contents out onto the fellow bilger below you as you pass the bucket up to the deck crew to sling over the side ready to be refilled once more from the ever filling bilges. Your clothes are all damp if they are not soaking wet and although we attempt to dry them in our sleeping bags whilst sleeping, I feel this is a bit optimistic in these conditions! A couple of people have taken to sleeping in their oilskins on a bean bag by the vegetable patch (onion and potato storage bags) as it feels safer and more comfortable than struggling into the top bunks on the high side feeling at any moment you might be thrown out and onto the floor if a rogue wave hits the boat.
This blog is an opportunity to say thank you to the many individuals who have been so kind and thoughtful over the last few days. It is amazing how the challenging conditions have really brought the best out of people despite the fact that everyone is exhausted and working to their limits.
A few days ago, a huge wave took the helm by surprise and the boat lifted up and then crashed into the trough behind the wave lifting us all off our feet, landing with a crash when the boat regained contact with the water. Whilst airborne I lost contact with the boat and ended up a few feet below where I started landing with a crash on my face on the deck on the low side (tethered on as per usual) and sustained minor lacerations to my face and a black eye in the process with a few bruises on various limbs to join the collection. Our excellent skipper GT patched me up with kindness, gentleness and great professionalism – thank you GT, I am deeply grateful.
My thanks go to Simone for the hug when it was most needed; to Bill for keeping an eye on me and for your support whilst feeling a bit wobbly post fall. To all the crew who were so kind and caring – too many to mention by name but I really appreciated all your kindness.
Thank you to Bill and Eric for making hot scones with butter and jam when it was too rough for the Mothers to make bread – a taste of home comfort much appreciated by all.
My thanks to Dani (recently promoted to bilge assistant to the bilge assistant) for wielding endless buckets of grey bilge water with good humour and laughter even if it wasn't her job and she was just doing it from the kindness of her heart.
Thank you to all the foredeck team for struggling with sail changes in very challenging and dangerous conditions – huge waves sweeping them down the deck and inflating their lifejackets with the force of the water. As they battle with the elements they manage to maintain good humour and work as a team even if it might take 3 hours to complete a sail change in these exhausting conditions.
A huge thank you to Mike B and his lazarette assistants of David S, Art, Ema and Dave W for struggling for 5 hours in the lazarette, collecting up exploded bin bags and emptying buckets of bilge water whilst avoiding crashing their heads on the roof above and avoiding getting caught in the steering mechanism when the boat movements are erratic or unpredictable in the confused seas. An exhausting and dangerous job.
Thank you to the Mothers for producing hot and tasty meals and finding time to make hot drinks for cold wet crew even when battling with burners that will not light, an oven that keeps coming off its gimbels and an ever moving galley to work in.
Thank you to Mick for always managing to make us all smile even when we might not want to and for your wisdom and perceptiveness underneath the banter and the jokes.
Thank you to Skipper GT, Dani and each and every member of the crew for continuing to be strong and united and working together to do the very best that we can do despite the challenges we have faced together. Even when one of us is feeling at a low ebb or feels they cannot go on for much longer someone will say a kind word or by giving you a hug or simply a touch on a shoulder and that simple kindness boosts you for another minute, hour or day until it is your turn to have the energy to support someone else.
The best thing of all is that despite these conditions we have all really pulled together, working as a team, supporting each other and still managing to laugh and joke and make light of the situation we find ourselves in. To me this is what this race is all about – facing the challenge of our lives using only the equipment that we have available and digging deep within ourselves to cope and to endeavour to enjoy what is certainly a very challenging race so far.....
So a very big thank you to the Skipper and Crew of CV22 Garmin. I feel priveleged to be sailing with such a great team of people. Thank you all for everything.
A weary but still optimistic Nell