Minerva: So near and yet so far!

Sunday was a long day for many reasons, we are fast approaching our final destination – but not quite fast enough. The charts show our proximity to to the South coast of England but Portsmouth remains just beyond our grasp. Back in the sunny climes of Horta we had thought that today might have marked the end of our trip and the longed for, emotional welcomes awaiting us on the quayside – but the Azores logistics and the weather have conspired against that particular ending and today the weather has been unkind again, persistant rain, a fickle and changeable wind, poor visibilty and confused seas. But despite all this – are we down hearted? Well, maybe just a little… But seriously, no. Truth is that the tension – not to mention excitement (well, you have to make your own excitement when you’re at sea!) is mounting to see who gets the first phone signal as we edge nearer the coast.

Concerns are rising as we observe our skipper sink to new, and lower than previously thought imaginable, depths of despondency – with his motley crew. It has become apparent over the course of the past 7 days that no amount of coercion, persuasion, pleading, grovelling, bribery, shouting (I know, it’s hard to believe) has suceeded in knocking this team into a cohesive, fast thinking, quick acting and  responsive sailing crew. The following comments are fequently emitted from the companion-way steps or the skippers cabin hatch; ‘sort it out’, ‘bad course’ (though the actual first word used is of 4 letters not 3 and begins with a ‘c’ not ‘b’), ‘man up’ or an alternative to ths one, ‘stop pulling (that rope) like a hair dresser and pull it like a man’, ‘stop thinking about food and concentrate on sailing’, ‘stop talking about food and concentrate on sailing’. It is possible that what we have put down to the noise of wind in the rigging could just be the sound of skipper crying in his bunk. Hang on in there, Mark we’ve almost made it!

Other news, we have today finished the last of the fresh meat. The Atlantic Challenge official drink is hot chocolate with lashings of squirty cream on top (dont worry about the calories, we need the energy). Andre finally got over his seasickness, now all we need to do is find a way to get him up for his watches and he could make it as a sailor. After 6 sleepless nights Craig has realised that moving to a bunk a little further back from the bow of the boat actually enables him to sleep. Our watch leader, Jon, is in big trouble for saying yesterday that he hadn’t had a rainy watch for ages – of course it ‘bucketed’ down for our 3 hours of night watch yesterday. A roll of toilet paper has appeared on the kitchen roll holder in the galley (kitchen for the non sea faring amongst you) – we’re not yet sure whether this means that we’re out of kitchen roll or the second of the ‘heads’ (toilets for the non seafaring amongst you) is also broken.

Well, here’s hoping that we will be seeing all you faithful blog followers before we need to write another blog, but you never know- strange things happen at sea, and either in person or through these pages we will keep you informd of news and events on board Minerva. Byeee for now Jayne an all the others on Minerva.

Check out the Atlantic Challenge Website for the latest news on arrival times.

ps – still loving all your messages X

Minerva: Saturday sunshine and cake

So, having survived our storm, blue skies have returned and the wind is back down to a much more civilised 15-20knots (for now at least), although the swell is still making things tricky below decks. We have the mainsail and foresail back up (although minus 2 batons) and everyone is up on deck soaking up some last minute rays of sunshsine before the next rapidly approaching low arrives.

According to skipper Mark’s calculations, we crossed the continental shelf this evening and so in honour of this, Jayne has created another culinary masterpiece, in the form of a “continental shelf” celebratory chocolate cake (ok – so its hard to get cake mix to rise evenly when sailing along at 40degrees, but it smells amazing and looks fantastic with the chocolate icing on!)

On the wildlife front we’ve not seen any sharks like Juno has (we’re just going too fast for all that!) but I (Mel) was finally rewarded last night with the sight of a small whale broaching the surface 3 times in a row just off our stern .

All in all the smiles are returning and we’re counting down the miles to Portsmouth. Once again thanks all for the messages and please keep them coming as we speed our way homeward bound.

Luv to you all
Minerva et al xx

Minerva: Time for some cake

So NOW we know why they call it The Atlantic CHALLENGE… Having been told to expect low pressure with winds of around 30 – 35 knots last night, boy did we have a blast on Minerva through the night. And you can rest assured that there was no partying involved in this blast – though we were all shaken around far more than the average 007 vodka martini!

Word below decks this morning was that the strongest gusts were up around 60 knots with the average not far below. There was howling all around us, and then there was the noise of the wind as well! Waves towered above the boat though thankfully they were only visible when the moon occasionally peeked from behind the clouds so the first that was known of the walls of water bearing down on us was as they broke across the decks, including of course those valiantly manning the helm and trimming the (one) (small) sail. Top marks this morning go to Mark, Jon and Andy not to mention Alfredo and Paul for keeping them company.

Below decks this morning looks a little chaotic to the untrained eye, but do not doubt our planning – Craig is asleep on the floor so that he cannot fall out of his bunk, the sink is full of washing up because to run water to wash up with would risk flooding the inside of the boat, the remains of last nights dinner is still in the pan (or rather splashed liberally around the galley) because somebody may have needed sustenance through that long night and everything not tied down or locked up is safely stowed on the floor where it fell (including 2 trays of eggs) because to pick them all up once will surely involve picking them up a further 20 or 30 times following each roll of the boat! To be fair the eggs were cleaned up on discovery and having decided that scrambled eggs were not required they went to their maker – that is the sea that caused them to fall in the first place.

Other news, as if there could be any! One of the heads is blocked – bad news and bad smells. Thank you Jon for working to clear the blocked heads (not nice). There are lots more dolphins and one elusive whale – to them the current sea state is just a more interesting play ground! We are making good progress and looking forward to the sight of land soon.

Thanks for all your messages, as ever you have been doing a grand job and if you could see the smiles on the faces of recipients when they emerge from the nav station having read their personal greetings you would know it was more than worth your effort. Special thanks to my lovely grand daughter, Natalie – love you too sweetheart, see you soon, luv Nanny. (Bloggers priviledge).

Now I’m off to make a chocolate cake to celebrate surviving the storm! But dont tell a soul in case i fall aleep in my bunk and it doesnt get done!

Love to all our faithful followers, Minerva et Al. X

Minerva: The Rough Stuff is Coming

Leg 1 & 2 so far have been pretty kind to us considering we are on the open ocean, however, with our recent weather update the crew of Minerva has battened down the hatches and prepared the sails for a storm, brief interlude………..

I’m back after hearing the cry of whale and running to the deck bouncing my head off several bulkheads on the way, one has just swam under the boat and everyone is excited to see one so close, does that count as a near miss?

Anyway back to the “storm”- it’s hard to say whether the skipper is playing with us and testing our nerve with the promise of proper sailing or if it is just going to be a bit of a blow, I guess we will found out shortly as we make progress to the western approaches and the continental shelf.  This is all very exciting.

The sunnier days of leg 1 are fading away now and temperatures dropping, all good preparation for a good old British summer and a spot of rain delayed Wimbledon. Looking forward to a cornish pasty, see you all very soon

Steve and everyone on Minerva

Minerva: More Tea?

So, Day 3 on board Minerva and we have a happy skipper and crew again as the annoying light winds which plagued our night time watches have now been replaced by a nice 10-15knots. The wind is once again building and speeding us on our way home to our faithful blog followers and the land of flushing toilets, but the swell is also back so the delight of setting off across the deck with an intented destination, only to end up somewhere completely different also returns (but it just adds to the excitement!).

In terms of our individual watches, we currently have Mark’s watch up on deck, with a happy Paul on the wheel now that the wind is back, and skipper and Rui keeping him company and handing out the much appreiated bacon butties and cups of tea.

Next up will be myelf (Mel) along with Andy, Steve and Craig as we take over on the 12-3pm shift, but the crew will need waking first as until most are sleeping off the effects of last night’s 3am-6am watch, which i have to agree with Steve on, is really the worst watch and a return to bed at 6am was very welcome. Last night also saw our watch responsible for producing dinner….and whilst Craig and Andy kept things under control up top, Steve and I found that cooking beef stew and mash for 11 is no mean feat even in a civilised (and stationary) kitchen, but cooking in the galley here with the endless chopping and changing of the boat certainly added a whole new dimension to the task. All good fun though

The next watch to take over from us at 3pm will be Jon’s watch with Jayne, Alfredo and a newly revived Andre who seems to have beaten the sea sickness which had laid him low yesterday (apparently thanks to Mark’s tactics of ginger nut biscuits in abundance!).

All in all things are good on Minerva. The sun is shining (again), the wind is back and the “happy locker” continues to turn up a treasure trove of delightfullly bad for you (but also really good) chocolate biscuits, crisps and treats at every rummage…what more could we want (a whale sighting maybe…?).

Everyone is loving their messages too so please keep them coming – whilst it’s fantastic thinking how far away from the tribulations of “normal” life we are out here at the moment, it’s lovely to know that we’re being followed and that you are all sharing in what for most of us on this boat, really is a trip of a lifetime – follow your dreams !

Luv to you all and bye for now from Minerva, the kettle has just boiled and yet another cup of tea is calling…

Minerva: Meet the rest of the crew

Its official – Minerva has he best blog followers, after yesterdays plea we are inundated with messages from all you wonderful watchers out there in the world where the oven stays still as you cook, the bed stays flat and YOU roll over and cups of tea do not spontaneously spill themselves. Thank you. Our in box is pleasantly full – but please do not stop, more will be equally welcome.

So time for you to meet more of our crew – did you hear the one about the South African, the American and the Scotsman? No, enough of our skipper and mates they were introduced yesterday but i must quickly say that when this truly international crew all start talking at once i don’t think anybody understands what the others are saying with the range of accents and languages we have!

On Mark’s watch is Rui, the first of our Portugese contingent and it has been very useful having him on board to read the food labels on the provisions we took on board in the Azores, otherwise we would not have a clue what we are eating! And Paul, who has told us how much he misses his lovely family and that he is always away working (and sailing, it seems) but that he is looking forward to a family holiday soon – he’s taking the family sailing of course.

On Andy’s watch is Steve, a long serving member of the crew who came aboard in Bermuda, he’s been incredibly patient with each of us asking questions like where is the ketchup kept, where is the breakfast cereal, where is the chocolate etc etc. And no, its not that Steve has any control  over these food items- we just spend a lot of time eating!  Mel, who thought her wish to see real live whales in the ocean had been granted earlier today but no – a whale it had been but was no more, the giant we saw just off our starbord side is now sadly swimming the great ocens of the sky – keep looking Mel. Last but in no way least Craig, the second of our American contingent, now Craig is not a slight man and with his American view on life is enjoying sailing this little dinghy across the pond!

And finally (and of course most importantly!!), my own watch lead by Jon. We are Andre from Lisbon who got very excitied yesterday as Minerva leapt to 15 knots while he was at the helm, only for it to quickly become apparent that we were in fact heading in completly the wrong direction! Alfredo, my soul mate both in the galley and on the helm – making sure we both turn out the food we are scheduled to prepre and stay awake at 2a.m. Then me, Jayne, just completing  unfinished business – having been on board Minerva when she left Portsmouth some 8 months ago, i jumped ship in Madeira to start a new job, move house, and while away the winter and am now back to see her safely home!

The sun is shining, the wind is behind us and we are surfing off the waves – life could be worse…
Luv to all you blog watchers more soon from all aboard Minerva. X

Minerva: Back at Sea

Hello! To blog followers old and new and welcome on board. Amongst our crew we also have new and old but most importantly all of us mere novices ably managed by our stalwart skipper, Mark, 1st mate, Jon and 2nd mate Andy!

Introductions to the crew will follow soon but first to get our journey under way.
After our stop over in Horta – it seems that the whaling museum makes its living from those on an unplanned exended stay in Horta, we left the dock fully stocked and eager to be under way.

We have now had a bit time to settle into (or back into) life at sea and already been fortunate enough to have had visits from dolphins, the first only a couple of hours out. I’m sorry but i cannot agree with those who become blase about having seen soooo many and no longer thrilled by the encounter – I luv ‘em! We’ve also had a couple of whale sightings or at least one whale and a couple water spouts. Mel is convinced that the whales are skimming along just below the surface and will only show themselves when she is below decks! Time will tell.

We currently have a very nice steady breeze blowing gently on our starboard quarter, with more promised for later (quite a lot more apparently…). Fishing exploits have not been so successful to date, lots of fishermen’s tales of those that got away and its definately looking as if it will be the chicken for dinner tonight as the tuna has just not been playing the game! Oh well, there is time for development and we have every faith in our determined (if a little over ambitious) fishermen.

Stay tuned to this page for exciting Minerva blog updates, we will do all that we can to ensure they are exciting! Thanks from all on board from those that have received messages from home – and from those that haven’t had messages from home – please can you do something about it so we dont run to a ship full of those who do have friends in the outside world and those who don’t.

Luv to all at home and at work (gloat, gloat), more soon, Minerva et Al. X

Hello Simona, M &D, & Lorna
Depending on the winds we may still get in on Sunday but it is not possible to know with any certainty. Best to check on the webpage for latest ETA or call Ondeck on 01983 284300.

Love to everyone at home, remind me to buy captains hats for the little fellas.

Steve.