Race 3 - Day 12
Crew Diary - Race 3 Day 12: Cape Town to Fremantle
12 November

After 5 days of easy sailing on a beam reach, we are into the next phase. It was great to have a break from bashing into the waves (we feel for the teams that went North and are still tackling them), but we are ready for the Southern Ocean we were promised in the brochure. I was personally hoping not to change anything as being a bowman means getting up the front in the wet and hanking and unhanking sails, add to this the cold wind straight off Antarctica makes for frozen hands.

Things change and after 5 days of sailing with a Yankee 1 on a reach / beam reach last night, the wind dropped so the Starboard Watch hoisted the Wind Seeker at 2345 with the help of a few Port Watch at the handover. As the wind was more from the West and very light the cold factor was reduced so the feared cold at sail changes never eventuated. The wind moved more to the West and built over our watch and so at 0400 watch change we dug out the Code 2 and prepared a sail change. The Wind Seeker drop through the letterbox was textbook, we rushed to hoist the Code 2 only to find the Halyard was around the forestay (it must have been the same for the Wind Seeker but not picked up in the dark), luckily with the near daylight at 0400 and light winds the Code 2 didn't open so we quickly dropped it on the deck fixed the halyard and popped the kite back up in a couple of minutes.

Now we are on this sail plan waiting for the wind to build into the 30+ knots by Monday night. Sail plan will be changed back to white sails (Yankee and Staysails are white, spinnakers are normally colourful) as the wind builds and the swell gathers. Matt (skipper) informed us it's still not quite like the brochure as the norm would be 60 knots so double our current forecast, however we are still looking for some fast surfing on route to Freo.

So that is the sailing chat, now for some life onboard. I have taken to nesting in my cave, much like our pet Labrador we had when I was young. When in pup Shaster would find her way into the the cubbie space under the bench in the laundry, she would surround herself with the wool jerseys waiting for the wash. My bunk which I share with the Starboard Watch leader Chris Parnell is the very back one on Port side is just beside the tools and Nav station. The tool cubbie is about 400 mm deep and so the head of the bunk is like a cave. Being the rear if the boat seems to mean that water and condensation migrates here, and when on Starboard tack the bunk is on the low side and drips fall onto the mattress.

So the first job is to move the Henri Lloyd breeze jacket which is hung strategically from the bunk above to deflect the dripping. Next process is getting kit off. Foulies and boots first, these are wet so stored separately. My sleeping bag and pillow are pulled out of the cubbie and their waterproof bag and laid on the bed. Clothes are next, my Mons Royale merino pullover comes off first, this is inside out on purpose as has a brushed soft finish inside and it becomes my pillow cover. Henri Lloyd mid-layer jacket next, this is placed beside the wall along with mid-layer pants, this provides cushioning and insulation against the wall. Of the three pairs of socks I take off 2 and these are stuffed into the sleeping bag. Lastly 3 of the 5 base-layer tops come off and placed on the mattress. Everything you wear is damp after exertion and the damp of ocean sailing, so by sleeping with it on, under you, or in your sleeping bag warms it and with merino wool this dries it. The other approach would be to stuff this kit in a dry-bag and pull it out cold and damp in 3 hours time, so not an option. So nest complete, I shuffle into the bunk, hook the Henry Lloyd jacket back in its drip catching spot and fall instantly asleep for the next 3 hours. Repeat 2 or 3 times a day for 24 days... the things we do.

Ben Acland

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