At 1:00pm we went to the challenger at Gunwharf [by we I mean Georgie, Iyla, Connor, Joel, Edward, Riley and Ava]  we did a tour of Challenger 2 where we met Lord Boatington (our Skippy and keeper of the biscuits for the voyage).

Met the watch leaders and the crew. We set up the stay sail and the Yankee on the deck and then took off our bow and stern lines and set sail into the sunshine! When we left, Isla was helping at the back of the boat to make sure we followed the right way (she was lining up a monument on the land with a block of flats in Portsmouth that help steer the way)

Biscuit loading continued.  We learned how to use the winches and then we set the stay sail and tacked a few times before the sunset and then took the sails down and motored towards Southampton.

Then Lizzie, Iyla, Connor and Joel prepped a lot of garlic, a ton of onions and so much cheese!  Ready for the first meal at Casa Del Ben!

As the playlist over the washing up plays on, the excitement of the first night on the boat is buzzing, and time to get planning for the next few days! (Connor is most excited for the night watches later in the week).

Highlights for today?

• Connor’s best bit – how to set the staysail and learning lots of new words!
• Iyla’s best bit – sailing and winching
• Riley’s best bit – getting on the boat and having fun
• Lord Boatington’s (skipper Ben) highlight – Day 1 on the voyage with brand new crew, getting into Warsash in the dark, pretty amazing for their first day!

We travelled slowly out of Warsash this morning after our first night onboard. We hoisted the main sail (that was so tough, but everyone worked together to do it) and then we learned to tack. After that, we hoisted the Yankee and the stay sail (G: it was quite fun!!). The boat started picking up speed and then we started speeding across the sea, we saw so many ships and other boats around us and it was lots of the work turning the boat – letting go and then winching in the sheets of the staysail and Yankee. We then did more practice on tacking and started the journey to Yarmouth.

We had a delicious lunch made by the other group and we ate on deck whiles some people tacked on the deck then we switched after eating.

This afternoon, we took down the heavy sails and tied them up with sails ties it was a hard workout. We arrived in Yarmouth around about 3:00pm we tied the boat up (there were other sailing boats from Discovery in Yarmouth too which was cool).

We got Challenger 2 ready for beddi-byes and got all the nasty heavy chucky ropes out of the locker room to tie the boat up at the dock.  The Yarmouth lifeboat crew ran past us as we were finishing and then launched their lifeboat!

Finally, we got off the boat and went ashore, to the small shops to get snacks and drinks! The showers were great (G: not mine, mine was freezing cold). Finally, we got chilli con carnie (Ben and Joel got the hot chilli powder out and Lizzie made sure she go the cheese!!) and Ava got a baguette.  After the clear up, everyone is now round the table and it’s time for spoons!  (E: I’m going to win!)

Blog by Edward, Georgie 😊

Highlights for today?

• Edwards Highlight- Winching in the sheets and working with the halyards
• Georgie’s highlights- Having a shower and putting the sails up
• Robyn Highlights- Helming the boat and steering during the tacks
• Avas Highlight- Looking after people and helping in the galley

The Mates (Kirsty’s) Highlight- Everyone working together to stow all of the sails, it was windy and everyone worked so hard (and they look good too)!!

We survived spoons and Edward did win the final round last night!!  Whilst the Ava and Connor drinks service was efficiently served throughout (and continued today!)!

The 6 O Clock alarm would never end…. (well 0630 but the crew didn’t get the memo).

Early start to slip lines in Yarmouth to catch the tide to the Needles for the touristy look at the rocks and lighthouse with stunning views from a very lumpy and lively sea to the West!

Sending Edward onto the bow to spike the Yankee, the team hoisted the staysail (whilst waves broke over the bow and somehow he stayed DRY! ) and Riley decided breakfast wasn’t sitting too well in his stomach, his foulies did not stay dry!

Turning around and heading back towards the Solent, the winds dropped and Lizzie and Robyn taught the crew about points of sail (turns out it’s really hard to then demonstrate and practice with the main up and no wind!) they persisted and soon the crew were trying to gybe with the assistance of the skipper pretending to be the wind!

The next few hours were a little ‘damp’… so we took a little detour to Cowes for a warm lunch of jacket spuds before heading out for a walk ashore, allowing the kit to dry and everyone to stock up on a ‘few’ sugary treats (this evening will be fun!) The big ball fender that tried to escape was retrieved with a fishing rod and boat hook and safely returned to its friends on Challenger 2.

Message from Connor about this port stop today: he bought a book in Cowes and was very happy to find an independent book shop that was actually open (and cheaper than waterstones).  Georgie and Iyla returned with some very (deliberately) blue tongues before we kitted back up and headed out to our anchorage for the night in Osborne Bay.

Getting so good at lines and fenders, the team jumped to action to get the boat safely off the pontoon and then out and ready for anchor.  Putting everything away, getting the lights and shapes ready to hoist, we’re now safely at anchor and our heads turn to dinner… stand by for fajita night (and the mission impossible to hide the biscuits from the biscuit monsters) and evening watches to keep an eye on the anchor.

Best bits:

• Riley – super speedy get better after feeling seasick!
• Skipper – Ava and her epic lasso of the mooring line onto a shoreside cleat whilst coming alongside in Cowes!!

Challenger 2 signing off!