Mark ’Tyler ’Thea and Matt woke up then went to go shopping while Rob, Luke and Luiz did deck prep.

We left from Poole to head to Weymouth which took about 5 hours when we got in we tidied the deck then we planned tomorrow with charts and an almanac. We plan to go to Brixham, after that we had dinner then went to sleep.

SKIPPERS ADDENDUM

Possibly the most efficient shop ever. Military precision does not being to describe the decisiveness and firmness with which Thea commanded her operation. Stiles, Meatballs, 42: Go. Tyler, aisle 16, gluten free flatbreads: Go.

Yes it was tiring to double-time along the aisles, but it sure was efficient and the route march back to the boat carrying our haul was just another PT opportunity for our intrepid crew.

Back to boat. Food away. Deck prepped and engine checked already by our valient watch leaders. Go-go-go. Using intimidation and not a little firepower a little featherweight carbon fibre number fled the dock before us and we drove it out of Poole like we stole it. Pack fenders, drink tea, prepare lunch (literal grated cheese explosion), hoist mainsail, yankee, staysail, round the corner (anvil point) and they’re off.

It was at this point that we heard the incoming fire. A low crump from the horizon. Yes, the British military’s finest were up to their antics again, lobbing chunks of concrete our way at pace. We skipped south out of range to foil their antics, thankful that they didn’t have the range to reach us. It still felt a little early (some people were not yet exhausted), so we practiced man overboard recovery a little and went for a bit of reefing practice before settling in to Poole and that Brit nautical classic, Pasta ala Bolognese. Then we made two plans for Poole to Weymouth which independently corresponded (curious that) and retired early for alarm calls at zero-dark-hundred in the morning.

Many assume sailing to be a summer sport, one filled with sunshine and good vibes. This is partially correct, especially if you find yourself on a voyage on Friday 29^th November. In other terms, waking up at the crack of dawn (if you can say so – due to the fact it was still dark outside, only a thin slither of sunlight in the near distance, though that didn’t prevent the local dog walkers from doing their rounds). However, the Challenger 2 Crew was far from unscrupulous in this activity. Mainly because if we weren’t moving by 06h30, the tide would’ve left us in quite the predicament on the east side of Portland Bill (and I’m sure TSYT would not have approved of this, let alone our failure to conduct an appropriate departure time). Nevertheless, energised by tea and biscuits, we set off, quick to hoist the main, Yankee and staysail, cutting through the waters of Lyme Bay at a prominent speed. We were well on our way to Brixham post haste. So much for the tide being a problem (loser).

Then came lunch. Or, what felt like lunch, given that it was actually breakfast, but to us it felt like an eternity (that’s what waking up at 5am in the morning does to a person). Fortunately, we were incredibly grateful to have a Skipper with an art for cooking sausage baps (butties for the informal folk out there). With the crew on deck, and a runner relaying food, everyone was quickly energized, and ready to tackle the rest of the voyage to Brixham – with the help of Robert’s very addictive playlist (much to the Skipper’s dismay, as it included a lot of modern pop and Taylor Swift). Except, he did not dwell much on this, as soon we found ourselves in company.

Introducing: a whole pod of dolphins. Port side! Starboard! Dolphins as far as the eye can see, flanked by gannets, shearwaters, storm petrels and – of course – thousands of seagulls. It was a sight to behold. None of which mattered to Tyler, who was happy to indulge in as much slumber as he could during this time (I don’t blame him – I would’ve joined in if Poseidon hadn’t decided to make our mission across the seas so tumultuous).

Before long, we arrived at our destination, somewhat earlier than expected, and still suspiciously expecting dinner despite the fact it was only two in the afternoon. Mark was put in charge of putting the boat to sleep, a task he carried out with due diligence, where we then returned below deck to bowls of tuna pesto pasta, prepared by none other than chef (Second Mate) Robert. Lunch out of the way, we cleaned up and ventured out into the town, welcomed by a light drizzle of rain and even a sighting of a seal devouring some kind of fish. Back at the boat, we separated to our own devices (most of which was sleep) before we came together for our last meal of the day: dinner. Finally.

Yet, the day was far from over. Gathering around the saloon table, the crew came together to plan the rest of the voyage, checking weather and tidal patterns for the route back to Portsmouth. Then, we topped up our sailing knowledge by recapping sail trimmings and the appropriate conditions to use them, a valuable lesson from the Skipper thanks to his use of stationary for props (also thanks to Mark for cutting a boat out of paper). And finally, we settled down with a game of ‘Getting to Know You’, a perfect way to end the day.

Overall, top tier, would do again, but would rather not leave.

On Saturday the crew had a late start to the day waking up at 8am. I (Tyler) was chosen to take us off the dock.  This was because today we was going out to play around and practise some drills in Torbay. During these drills we were practising how to put in and take out a reef and learning about how to trim a sail. In-between these drills, Tyler was sent down to make tea and soup and was assisted by Thea and Luke. This then also lead us into learning about our points of sail where we enthusiastically chose to helm Challenger 2 into these different points of sail. I was then told to lead the crew in putting up the staysail. After this we then were taken a bit too far out because Robert had lost focus and we came into view of a big oil tanker. After that encounter we then began our sail back to Brixham. On our way back we were then graced by our Lunch which we had prepared that morning which energised us for our sail back. During this trip we had to take the sails down which was led by Spud. Once we was back in dock we were then shown how to raise and lower the spinnaker pole. After this we were then dismissed to go to the showers or into town where Tyler then had to hop the gate of the pontoon to get back to the boat because he didn’t have a card. We then began to make dinner which was cauliflower cheese with sausages. After dinner we then shared some ice cream for dessert.​

Sunday started with breakfast, then on to deck prep. We had a leisurely departure from Brixham heading for Poole, to make passage through Portland race at an appropriate time. As we ventured out of Brixham harbour we were quickly accompanied by a pod of dolphins, whom stayed alongside or most of the passage leaving our side shortly before Portland. We made it through Portland race well within our 4 hr window, with moderate conditions the remainder of the way to Poole. Once we arrived we swiftly flaked the sails and parked the halliards. Then on to prepping for dinner, which was great. After dinner it was on to passage planning and improving our sailing knowledge (learning about cardinals and various other types of markers). Then it was card games, showers to round the day off.

Monday started with a 0800 wakeup call, of which todays choice was from Mary Poppins (a spoon full of sugar) which sharply brought everyone around to their senses.  Rather promptly breakfast was on the table. Deck prep went smoothly, with a prompt departure or Yarmouth. The passage went rather smoothly, with the sea state changing from slight to moderate as we entered the needles channel. The remainder of the passage went by quickly. Setting up challenger 2 for mooring was a breeze by this point in the voyage, mooring up port side too. Another excellent dinner, with an even better dessert (rice pudding). On to some theory then showers and some downtime

Today started much like the rest with a couple of the early risers going for a walk/run. Then came the wakeup call for the remainder that were still in slumber. Breakfast was pancakes with the batter being made by the skipper shortly before the wakeup call, with some bacon on the side (if you like to mix semi sweet and savoury). Due to the relatively short journey to Portsmouth we anchored while we had lunch, and had a go at plotting our location on a chart. We then planned the remainder of the passage to Gunwharf quays. Dinner was amazing, a vegetarian curry prepared and cooked by the mate, we then broke off for showers and card games, prior to our final night on our voyage(unfortunately).​