Boat Diary

Part 6

1st December:

The wind speed came down and we had an average of 20 plus knots with now a North-West breeze; means that the extreme cold from the last two days was over. The night shift was now a much more enjoyable sailing experience, nevertheless, we changed the helm every 30 minutes and warmed up ourselves down below the deck with hot chocolates. Later in the early morning, we saw the moon, for the first time, coming through the thick clouds which was a nice welcoming change for us.

The positive thing is that the nights are shorter and the Sun rises early. :)

2nd December:

When I woke up, I was welcomed by blue skies and bright sunshine. It was the first day after many days when I was not tired at the beginning of the shift. The morale was also much higher today and you could see how everyone was cheering up and cracking jokes again. We were still trying to catch up with UNICEF but once we got closer they pulled away. The highlight of today was helming the boat in the bright sunlight, warming up your face and giving yourself a pleasant feeling. The wind was still around 25 plus knots and I put my headphones on and had the time of my life.

These are very rare moments given in one's life and I am extremely grateful that I am provided with such moments.

3rd December:

At night Jeronimo pushed the boat and the crew to 100% of their performance and the boat was running at the edge. We had a few hard broaching but we continued, and the result was that we finally overtook UNICEF. It paid off and the whole crew was cheered. Everyone's morale was at its peak and we couldn't believe how much miles we have covered during the night to overtake UNICEF. Well done team - bravo!

During the day, we continued pushing hard and constantly built more miles and got closer to the boat Zuhai. It was just amazing that I got a few hours of helming the boat with 17 knots down the waves. It is just an epic feeling how this 34 tone boat goes through the waves and accelerate again. After that ride I got a new nickname from the team calling me “Mercedes” lol. At night we tried to jibe the boat but due to increased wind speed, it was not possible for us to get the boat safely around, so then we had to tack which was not the favourable course. But what to do as safety is always the priority.

Now we are looking at the end of the Ocean Spring and hoping that our tacking going dead run pays off. Let's see it the day after tomorrow, so stay connected - there's more to come.