We set of yesterday afternoon after a long wait for customs to stamp our passports and clear us to leave the Canaries. The stamp had a boat on the top corner instead of a plane which for most of us was still an exciting novelty.

Sailing off from the island, It felt important to look at it for as long as it was in sight as land would soon be becoming a rarity. We raised the main sail and sat down for a cup of tea just in time for a whale to emerge from the water. No one got a photo before it’s huge fluke picked itself up to dive down below the water but we think it may have been a pilot whale.

It eventually got dark and we fell into our watch patterns. The sun set behind Gran Canaria and lit it up with a golden backdrop that silhouetted the island. It became just shapes and lines as the sky filled to the brim with stars.

Some of them were the sort of shooting stars which look as if they are really falling from the sky. Long and slow and bright. Being closer to the equator they feel bigger and brighter than when you sail in the UK. It is very hard to describe the night sky at sea and how immense it is. We also saw some bioluminescence.

We have just come back on watch again now for the overnight shift where we wake up and go to sleep in the dark. The kettle is on for another cup of tea and we are talking about what other things could be out there (both in space and on the water) to try keep us awake.

It is not a challenge yet and everyone is still feeling well rested and motivated, I think. The wind is building and that will only lift spirits more.

Caitlin

As we roll into Tuesday the wind began to die down, clouds began to shift revealing a beautiful clear night sky. The stars are tremendously bright unlike anything you see when back home. As the sky got darker the bioluminescence in the water started to become prominent once again.

Looking out you could see shapes which appeared to be a pod of dolphins swimming alongside us.

When coming back on watch at 7am the rain began to come in, thankfully it ended up only being a short spout before clearing away leaving us with once again with the privilege of sailing besides dolphins; this time seen riding out bow for around 10 minutes!

It’s honestly so hard to describe how amazing the experience is even with the cold weather starting to roll in.

Arlo.

We have just come onto watch to more pitch black. You can’t tell who is who until you can recognise their voice or wait for your eyes to adjust. It is a waiting game for the sun to peak above the horizon and illuminate our world in any colour that isn’t black or grey.

Last night we did get a visitor in the form of a tiny bird. They followed us for a while lit up by our nav lights. It made them look like a small fairy or firefly circling round us. I wonder if they rested for a while or just came to see what we were up to.

Moral has come in waves the last few days where one moment you are tired or sick and hyping yourself up to keep going and in the next beyond excited at where you are and what you are doing. We are preparing for a few sail changes as the weather shifts and this will mean we are all a little bit more active.

Either way it is impossible to not to feel in complete awe of the immense power of the ocean and how small that can make man feel. It can pick you right up in the air and land you back on your feet. It feels a little like we are on a circular dinner plate and we have stayed in the exact same place with the world moving beneath us. Like some kind of simulation. Which of course is not the case because we are now half way to the Azores and filling ourselves up with Jim’s fabulous scrambled eggs.

Caitlin.

It is day 6 I believe and judging by how long that took me to work out we have been at sea for some time and the effects are starting to show.

On the good side me forgetting to take my sea sickness meds was largely irrelevant, most of my day has been spent driving myself crazy looking at the plotter with our destination on only for to disappear as the zoom button is pressed.

But in the crew the effects are more worrying effects, some have taken to coming up with new additions to their names. These are so called “gangster rap names” and are presumably to intimidate innocent land people! The impact of this intimidation effect is somewhat dampened currently by the addition of the pink glitter the faces off all the crew.

In all seriousness however, looking around, and also reading back through the blogs of the last few days it is interesting to see how much we are a small community of 12 people in a steel bathtub slowly bobbing towards home.

I believe that is all the major points, we are due into the Azores on Sunday and I am sure this trip will become more interesting as we go along as the line between sanity and insanity gets slowly ground down.

Will Love.

The Azores is not a large or overly populated place in the grand scheme of things. Yet, after 7 days at sea with nothing but ocean on the horizon it feels huge! There is a sky full to the brim of city lights that could be a metropolis. It feels exciting. I think it will feel loud after a week of just ourselves and the occasional tanker in the distance.

We sailed with a strong headwind for the last few days which was tough, and then late this morning we were rewarded with an easing of the wind and the first island of the Azores in sight. Phone signal returned which we all know is incredibly important to young people. Everyone was on deck for a while and the watch system slowly began to collapse as reaching land and a full nights sleep has gotten closer.  We are just about to wake everyone up to get down the main sail and pull into Ponta Del Garda! We have been told by the skipper to expect good coffee and pastries.

We had just broken through the wall of tiredness and seasickness and fallen nicely into the watch system. I am sure this will make the next leg a little easier. 24 hours in the Azores the rest, restock, clean everything! And go again!!

If anyone has any night watch activity suggestions now our nights will be getting longer and colder send them our way before our next digital detox. We are open to quiz of the day questions and sea shanties.

Caitlin

A lot has happened since the last blog so here’s a quick round up. As the last blog mentioned we arrived in the Azores alive and with the boat largely intact. This was late on Sunday. #

On Monday after a lie-in we trooped up to the customs office and signed into Portugal. After some enthusiastic stamps on our passports courtesy of the Guardia Nacional Republicana we set about cleaning and maintaining the boat.

I won’t bore you with the whole list but it included lots of cleaning and arranging of sails and lines. Once the boat was in sailable condition again, myself some additional hands and the skipper went off to procure provisions for the next leg of the trip, whilst the rest of the crew dispersed to enjoy some shore leave before the planned departure at midday the following day.

As the sun went down we convened for a final meal ashore in a bar just off the marina ready for the next weeks hard sailing.

On Tuesday morning we made ready to sail but then the Skipper and Mate tock a look at the weather forecast and noted a massive weather front trundling along the exact route we planned to take home.

It was decided then that attempting to leave and carry on into the inclement weather would be too dangerous. With the leaving date set for Thursday the next question was what to do with Wednesday. It was decided to put the skippers knowledge of the island to good use and go on a tour of the land stopping off at some key points along the way.

So on Wednesday we piled into some hire cars and off we went. The day was foggy and damp but not being the UK it was at least warm. On our way round the Island we stopped at a church, viewpoint, tea plantation and a mut pit.

But my and most of the crews two personal favourite where the hot springs in sea and the hot springs in the botanical garden. The springs in the sea was nothing more than a large alcove cut into a rocky outcropping with the sea rolling in and the hot spring water flowing out of the rocks. The best way I can describe it was like a wave pool but better.

The botanical gardens felt more like an Edwardian heath retreat. Consisting of a large shallow pond which was like a superseded fountain filed with warm spring water along with some smaller ponds off to the side.

All of which was under large tropical trees and in the shadow of Colonial Clubhouse.

In short, we had a wonderful day and felt very refreshed and rested ready for the next leg of the trip, and as I write this that part of the trip has begun. We signed out yesterday with the Portuguese authorities and are now on our way.

Most of the morning was spent organising the new sail plan using our storm sails that are tailored for high winds and rough seas.

I believe that is all so far, we are just heading down the lee of island ready to turn once we reach the end of the island. With that done we should hold that heading for the best part of a week and end up back in Blighty.

I am sure my shipmates will come up with something to make the voyage more interesting and they should keep you posted if anything happens like a giant squid or something.

That is all for now,

Fair Winds

William L

We are almost 24 hours into our sail back to the UK and it’s proven to be a lively one so far. Some of the waves are slow, looming behind us. Ready to pick us up and roll us back off again.

At the top of them it feels like you’re on the peak of a hill somewhere like the lake district and you can see for miles. The boat climbs up them just like if it was climbing one of those hills. At the bottom, we are in a valley with a wall of water blocking our view. It feels epic and dramatic but no picture is able to show the vastness of it all.

Other waves are like a crescendo of power. White foaming water bubbling over as they explode on each other. Thankfully most of those waves are in the distance. Although the odd one does land itself right into the cockpit, filling it like a salty, cold swimming pool. Everyone is in a state of being permanently soggy at the moment. Although the water is still warm enough whilst we are so far south.

We’re making good progress and settling into the watch routine feels much easier this time. It is impossible to feel sleepy when you get the opportunity to witness the power of the ocean.

Equally, whilst Tony and Jim are doing a great job at keeping the boat calm and safe, I think we will all be ready by this time tomorrow for the easing of the weather which is predicted. Some of the crew are feeling a little seasick but everyone seems in high spirits and filled to the brim with hot tea.

Caitlin

We’re close to rolling into a new day. And when I say rolling, we really are. Back and forth on each wave as we race downwind back home. We’ve gotten to the point in the watch system where everyone is beginning to feel little less seasick and the days are merging into one.

Life is reduced to simplicities. You are either awake or asleep. It is either light or dark. You are either eating or you are not. You are either soggy or soaked through. There has been some easing of the wind and everything feels more manageable as we fall into a routine.

Today was our watches long day awake but if I’m honest it’s hard to remember exactly what happened. We had some common dolphins visit us briefly and a new type of bird that was small, black and had some orange on it’s tail.

We’ve listened to a lot of music. Decided what animals we could all win a fight against and what ice cream flavour we’ll eat first when we get home. The gas bottle was changed too. We had a dinner party of a soupy concoction eaten out of cups. It all sounds very mundane but it isn’t when your world is rocking from side to side. At least we are rocking much less than this time yesterday.

We’re at a slightly higher latitude than Lisbon if that helps put into perspective where we are. With 916 miles left on our route home (we will likely sail more than this).  On paper that puts us almost a third of the way but we’re expecting a variety of winds conditions that may change how fast we sail as we approach Biscay. That’s probably a day and a half away or a little more.

Caitlin

As we began our day the night still cold, the waves kept slowly calming and the clouds began to clear away; giving us a sky full of stars that still just mesmerise us all every time.

As our second watch of the day begun the sunrise decided to start us all off at a high showing us the most beautiful array of colours that just filled the sky which we hadn’t seen in what felt like forever. With the calmer seas we started the music up once again having stopped it in the rougher weather, making just another small dent in our 56-hour group playlist.

Everyone is seeming way happier in general, especially after the sun decided to join us for the majority of the day forcing us all to apply sunscreen once again. I decided to make the most out of the sun and spend some time with the other watch as you don’t really realise in the midst of things how little you see them but after 12 hours up, I was shattered and ready to get some sleep knowing for well I would be woken back up in 2.5 hours to return on watch.

Now on my final watch of the day the wind has picked back up and the sea state has become a tad rougher but nowhere near what it was previously. Everyone still seems pretty happy although probably slightly delirious but, we are all layered up keeping warm and creating some slightly odd but fun memories with each passing day.

Now with an outstanding 176Nm covered in the past 24 hours we are making enormous progress towards Gunwharf Quays edging closer and closer day by day and night by night; leaving us with 767Nm left and although this will probably increase at least slightly, we are taking the little wins as they come.

Arlo

This morning started off as most mornings do, with wet pockets and gloves. Heading out on deck, we saw a bright flash of lightning that just illuminated the dark and gloomy sky striking the water just off the bow of the boat, which was followed by several minutes of hail and wind gusting over 50kn (storm force 10). The ocean swells were absolutely incredible to see with waves the size of houses breaking over the side of the boat, allowing us to surf some waves speeding at a rapid 15 knots.

For lunch we had fish finger wraps that would normally take 15 minutes to cook at home in a preheated oven takes 10 times that on a boat. So, when it came to cooking 60 fish fingers in a matchbox size oven the world did not do us any favours. They did eventually get cooked, just a little experimentation had to take place first leaving better visibility outside the boat.

Later on, our 3^rd watch of the day we ended up having a small group party coming together with the other watch to celebrate the Birthday boy Simon with Scones made by Caitlin as well as some music and tunes. It was really nice to get together with the other watch and have everyone on the boat up in one place catching up and having fun even if it was just for 30 minutes before a storm cloud took over the sky and the rain began to pour.

As it’s only gotten colder the main thing keeping us going now is the group playlist which is responsible for stopping hypothermia with both sit down and stand-up dancing.

Sidney

Wednesday has been a busy day. We have taken down our Tri sail and storm jib after 7 days and 1000ish miles and hoisted the main, stay sail and yankee. We’ve gybed! Or maybe we did that yesterday, but the starboard tack has finally received some much-deserved airtime. We’ve lost wind now and so had dropped the yankee and stay and are hoping they’ll be back up soon as the wind fills in.

We’ve also spent a lot of time downstairs as today was our long cooking and clean day. Ready for some fresh air and a chilly night watch to come. With no rain and a sky of stars. A rarity for January sailing in the Channel.

This afternoon we woke to unexpected sunshine, and the second day time watch was an exciting one. There was a distant band of rain that was bookended by 2 horizontal rainbows. An accompanying group of common dolphins briefly. We had an incredibly bright moon. Decided spoons were now called mouth ladles. Tony and Jim have stopped passing like ships in the night and are now a bionic star system orbiting one another in harmony. They keep discussing wine and cheese. We’ve had some good music and lots of dancing. We crossed over the shelf and it wasn’t nearly as exciting as Tony had promised.

Home feels imminent. The sweep stake suggestions give an eta between 1700- 2100 on Friday, which probably means our actual eta will be early Saturday. The only thing people really want is a good take away pizza and a pint in Gunwharf so hopefully we get back before last orders.

Some of us have had a chance to send a message to loved ones today which has been nice and a reminder there is in fact life outside of our blue rolling bubble. And most people have created a list of food they would like to eat Saturday. We have been rationing cheese. An abundance of pasta meals with no cheese has been hard. Turns out there was no need. We actually have half a wheel of Spanish cheese and potentially 48 hours left to eat it all. Everyone’s gone crazy for cheese.

The next few days will feel the longest now we know home is so close. Showers and a full night’s sleep are almost in reach. Our Watch will hopefully only get up 4 more times in the dark, but we still have a few hundred nautical miles to go. In a normal sailing day that would be a lot. Somehow it feels like nothing. The good news is we have landmarks now. We are only a few degrees west of Lands end. We’ve talked about being ‘just Portsmouth to Portland bill 8 times’ or ‘Cowes to Cherbourg 12 times. But now we actually do have landmarks which we recognise. Passages we have sailed before and for the first time in 3 weeks, tides to worry about.

Caitlin

This is probably the last blog entry for this trip which is crazy to say out loud. As I write this by the red lights of the galley, it feels like yesterday and also an eternity ago that my planes wheels hit the tarmac in the Canaries.

A lot can happen in 21 days and that certainly rings true for this trip. In just 3 weeks we have transformed from a group of strangers into a crew. Who have battled rough seas, sleep deprivation, the cold and wet, and my cooking.  At the time of my writing, we have less the 100NM to run of our 2400NM trip home.

I think the temperature change is a good way of summing up our trip, from the warm dry air blowing off the western Sahara in the Canaries to the familiar cold and damp of home. Though the novelty of shorts and t-shirts in January was nice, I do find it oddly comforting the slow drop in temperature as the latitudes ticked off North just a subtle reminder of our proximity to home.

As a more general update to the previous blogs, it is now likely that we will be arrive on Friday evening with the plan being to leave the following day once the boat clean down and handover is done.

The cheese situation hasn’t changed but the time window to eat it is narrowing!

Whilst on the subject of food, it is odd how things like food become so pivotal to a trip like this, our lives have literally become eat, sleep, sail, repeat.  In an empty and lonely sea getting round the saloon table with your shipmates and eating together is a comforting experience that binds our watches and crew together.

I mentioned the formation of a group of strangers into a crew at the start of this Blog and I think it has been the most amazing part of the experience from my point of view. People say that you can do anything if you put your mind too and certainly it rings true for this trip. Twelve people with a wide range of sailing experience between them where able to move a 72ft former round the World sailing yacht from Las Palmas de Grand Canaria to Portsmouth.

That I think makes a nice moral for this trip and Blog, in that with enough effort and cups of tea you can do things you never thought you could!

I thinks that’s all I have, most of the updates in the previous Blog still hold true and only Poseidon knows when exactly we are due into Portsmouth, hopefully before last orders are called!

Overall, it’s been an incredible trip and definitely lives up to its name of the deep sea challenge!

Fair Winds

William L.

2300 Nautical miles later and we’ve set eyes on Portland bill as the sun has risen. Clear skies and hues of purple, blue and pink. The sky looks like bubblegum. Portland bill lighthouse flashes round every few seconds. Home is only 60 miles away. It’s strange and wildly poetic that after so long at sea and no land you get a glimpse of one light in the distance and know exactly where you are. A lot of us have seen that light before plenty of times. You can picture the lighthouse, the dip in the coastline, the race of water whipping round it. We’re too far away to see any of that but you know exactly what it looks like.

In about 7 hours from now Challenger 1 (and us) will be sailing past the needles. Something we all know very well. A moment that will feel even more familiar and like we have made it home. Suddenly 60 miles doesn’t seem very far at all.

We had a moonbow and torrential rain in our last night watch somewhere about 2am this morning. The winds have dropped even more so we dropped the yankee and carried on motoring towards home. We have dodged a number of fishing boats which has made things a little exciting, and we have contemplated going to France. There is always a much better party in Cherbourg upon a sailors return. We have however been told there may be some people to say hi as we arrive in Gunwharf.

Time to make lunch, sail our last few hours and get lines and fenders out of the sail locker for the first time in 9 days.

Caitlin