Latitudes 18
Summer 2016 ISSUE 42 £3.50
ARC 2015 Memories of the 30th ARC
CREW 40 MATTERS
WORLD 46 ARC
INSURANCE 59 TIPS
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worldcruising.com LATITUDES List of Advertisers
58 Admiral Marine Insurance 26 Ayuntamiento Las Palmas 39 Berthon International 62 Bomarine 42 CNB 3 Discovery Yachts 62 Echomax 8 Fischer Panda 36 Gill UK 44 Hamble School of Yachting 9 Hydrovane 22 IGY Rodney Bay Marina 15 Imray 60 Jeanneau 6 Lagoon 4 Mactra Marine Equipment 17 MailASail 16 Marina de Lagos 57 Marlec 44 Mobmat 14 Nanny Cay 50 Ocean Safety 62 Ocean Crew Link 28 Patronato Turismo de Gran Canaria 2 Peters and May 50 PYD 38 Raymarine 24 Rolnautic 64 Saint Lucia Tourism 52 Santa Marta Marina 14 Traveleads 52 watt&sea 52 YachtCom & SailCom 62 Yachtfunk 38 YB Tracking
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Contents 7
Viewpoint Foreword by Andrew Bishop, MD of World Cruising Club
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Club News News and events from World Cruising Club and our Corporate Members
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Rally News Round up of rallies
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ARC 2015 The 30th Atlantic Rally for Cruisers
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Chilin’ in St. Lucia A warm welcome to the Caribbean
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ARC Memories Life on board during an Atlantic crossing
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One Big Family Party ARC+ getting together in Cape Verde
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ARC Photo Competition Winners of the best ARC images
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Crew Matters Tips for harmony on board from a circumnavigating psychologist
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Around the World A to Z A alphabetical guide to World ARC 2015
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World ARC - Why Join? Thomas Cook for the Open Ocean?
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Insurance Tips Advice for cruisers from Admiral Yacht Insurance
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Books & Gear The latest books for bluewater sailors
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Photos Nicolas Claris
Lagoon supports the ARC Only a few offshore sailing events in the world offer the spirit that we like to refer to as the Lagoon attitude: A great ambiance and an unforgettable experience, with the benefits of a first class organization in terms of preparation and safety. Lagoon is proud to be a partner of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers!
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worldcruising.com LATITUDES
Viewpoint Editor Jeremy Wyatt
Deputy Editor Sarah Collins
Contributors Andrew Bishop Marian Borde Caspar Craven Trish Jenkins Robert Holbrook Bob Samuels Victor Taburiaux
Photography Credits Jake Albano Suzana Buraca Joel Chadwick Caspar Craven Nichola Craven Cecilie Hammersland Mia Karlsson James Mitchell Hugh Murray-Walker Claire Pengelly Victor Taburiaux Tim Wright: Photoaction.com And to all yacht crews who submitted photographs and blogs.
Cover Image Crew Satisfaction. Photo: Marie-Clare Scragg
Design Monday Creative www.mondaycreative.co.uk
Publisher World Cruising Club 120 High Street, Cowes PO31 7AX, UK Tel: Email:
+44 (0)1983 296060 mail@worldcruising.com
Websites: worldcruising.com noonsite.com oceancrewlink.com
Having run the 30th ARC last year I am delighted to report that the event continues to be as popular as ever; combined with the ARC+ start this year a total of 300 yachts are heading to Gran Canaria for their transatlantic sail to Saint Lucia this November. Both starts are now full, with a wait list for the ARC. This is the first time the events have been full to capacity since the launch of ARC+ three years ago, which is a great endorsement for the popularity of the events run by World Cruising Club. The first part of my year was centred around World ARC, initially ensuring that the current group got off to a good start from Saint Lucia in early January, through their first stopover in Santa Marta Colombia, and then into the Pacific by way of the Panama Canal. This is a major step in the start of any circumnavigation and always a relief to see the yachts well on their way at the start of what will always be an adventure of a lifetime.
“
World Cruising Club is about encouraging sailors to extend their cruising boundaries” Andrew Bishop, Managing Director
A few months later I then had the pleasure of catching up with those circumnavigators arriving in Saint Lucia to complete their World ARC, some of whom had taken an extra year in the western Pacific, where I enjoyed hearing about their adventures, and perhaps more importantly listening to feedback about their rally experience. Whilst we may have been in the rally business for thirty years we are always pleased to hear of suggestions on how to help improve our rallies as this is the only way to keep them fresh, adapting as the years go by. Some of the best ideas come from participants, and we are pleased to be able to improve our rallies as a result of previous participants’ experience. Whilst not only incrementally improving each event we are also always looking to expand our offering of events by adding new routes to our growing portfolio. Launched last year, ARC Channel Islands is being run for the first time this August, with the aim of encouraging cruisers to do what is for many their first English Channel crossing, and then explore the Channel Islands. Developed in partnership with RYA Active Marina this is designed as an entry level rally for the aspiring offshore cruiser, and complements ARC DelMarVa, our entry level event held on the east coast of America every June. It is planned to run ARC Channel Islands again next year, and then possibly as annual event. Looking further afield we are in the early planning stages for a new rally from Los Angeles to French Polynesia to be known as ARC Pacific. Aimed at encouraging West Coast sailors to take their first steps into the Pacific the start date of the event in early March will also enable participants to join World ARC in time for their departure from the Society Islands. Further details of this exciting new event will be launched during September for a start in March 2018. None of this would be possible without the hard work of my dedicated team at World Cruising Club, or from all of you who either take part in, or support our rallies in the many places we call into. My thanks to all of you for helping keep World Cruising on track and delivering top quality events to be proud of.
Andrew Bishop
Managing Director, World Cruising Club
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STEERING THE DREAM
LATITUDES
Summer 2016
Club News
A round-up of news from World Cruising Club and supporters
Expansion on Track at Nanny Cay Marina For over a year work has been ongoing at Nanny Cay Marina in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, dredging and moving large quantities of sand and rock to create an extension to the marina and a new protective peninsula. For over a year work has been on-going at Nanny Cay Marina in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, dredging and moving large quantities of sand and rock to create an extension to the marina and a new protective peninsula. The expanded marina will have 120 new slips suitable for yachts from 30' to 75' (9m – 23m) with T-heads and a bulkhead capable of berthing superyachts to 160' (48m) in length. The first half of the marina will have a controlling depth of 14 feet (4m), the second half, 12 feet (3.6m). The 6.5-acre (2.6 hectare) Outer Marina Peninsula will have 8 new condominium blocks each with three 4-bed and four 3-bed apartments. This expansion is a continuation of the investment and improvements the marina owners have made
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to the facilities and infrastructure of the marina and boatyard over the last 15 years. These include high-speed fuel dock; new docks; 120/220V electricity on all docks with 100% site-wide backup power; luxury shower facilities and restrooms; the BVI’s only pump out station; and fresh water from Nanny Cay’s own desalination plant. The marina has been running at full capacity for the last five years and in anticipation of this, the owners of Nanny Cay commenced a plan to expand the marina and resort in 2009 which was approved by local authorities in 2014. Construction of the peninsula and the first set of docks should be completed by November 2016, ready for the winter season.
Ocean Safety sets up a new service station in St Lucia Ocean Safety, specialists in the worldwide supply, distribution, service and hire of marine safety equipment, has appointed a new service station on the Caribbean island of St Lucia. Liferaft and Inflatable Centre Ltd, based in Rodney Bay is now certified to service a wide range of safety equipment supplied by Ocean Safety including the Jonbuoy range of man overboard equipment, Kru lifejackets and Ocean Safety’s leisure range of liferafts. Popular with visiting cruising yachts, and the finish line destination of the ARC rally, Rodney Bay St. Lucia is one of the Caribbean’s busiest hubs for sailors and their needs. For more information on the new service station please contact Ocean Safety on: +44(0)23 8072 0800
worldcruising.com
CLUB NEWS
Springtime forums, seminars and rendezvous
Throughout the spring, World Cruising Club hosted a variety of forums, seminars and rendezvous to inspire and inform those setting off on bluewater adventures. In January, we held forums in London, Toronto and Dusseldorf alongside international boat shows, attended by over 300 people listening to our panels share their experiences covering a range of topics from equipment choices to routes and favourite places. Building on this knowledge, our residential seminars in March took place in Guildford, UK and Annapolis, USA and were also well attended. Experienced cruisers and industry experts shared a wealth of knowledge over the course of a weekend, and social dinners provided delegates with an opportunity to compare notes on their own experiences. Over 150 eager cruising sailors joined the third edition of the Bluewater Weekend hosted at Berthon Marina in Lymington, UK on 14-15 May. Many were starting out on the first steps toward a long-term dream of live-aboard cruising, and speaking to those that have sailed thousands of miles all over the world provided an inspirational and thought-provoking weekend. Dockside conversations with previous ARC sailors, and the opportunity to climb on board their boats offered the chance to talk about the ‘nuts and bolts’ of turning a dream into reality. “It was a great opportunity to meet people who have already cruised the world, hear where they’ve been and why they made their choices,” said Richard from Poole who attended the first Bluewater Weekend in 2014. He
has since purchased a boat, which has undergone a refit over the winter. “I’m very much in the where to go cruising phase. The owners have so much knowledge and experience to pass on that we spent quite a lot of time with each of them. The whole weekend was extremely positive and I am passing on my experience to cruising friends who are considering an ARC and encouraging them to attend next year.” More than half of the people who attended indicated that they are planning to purchase a yacht for their future bluewater cruising adventures. Partner brokers, Berthon, selected boats for open viewing from their portfolio of yachts, highlighting varying styles and budgets providing valuable viewing for those making decisions about the type of boat which will best suit their ambitions. Tours of Berthon’s on site workshops, paint sheds and refit facilities were given throughout the weekend, ideal for those at the stage of turning their coastal cruising yachts in to comfortable live-aboards. An informal speaking programme of panel discussions and presentations proved popular too and covered a range of topics including choosing the right boat for bluewater cruising, offshore safety equipment and training, planning a refit, sails and rigging and World Cruising Club rallies. Cruising authors Rod and Lu Heikell inspired and entertained the audience with tales from their cruising life, sharing highlights of their years exploring the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Pacific, South East Asia
The World’s finest blue-water yacht, now available in a smaller package British blue-water experts Discovery Yachts have announced a new performance 48ft world cruising yacht which is available in two design configurations, the Discovery 48 Ocean and Discovery 48 Riviera. These new additions to the Discovery range include all the unique design features of their awardwinning yachts set out in two versatile design options to offer owners a smaller, elegant yacht for safe and luxurious cruising. Both layouts retain their hallmark raised interior helm position and spacious raised saloon, which gives a permanent panoramic view on the world outside and ensures warm, dry and practical night passages when on watch. The Discovery 48 Ocean is a single helm, generous centre cockpit design with two sumptuous, en-suite double state room cabins and additional berths for up to seven. The Discovery 48 Riviera has been designed with twin helms, a luxurious en-suite forward mast cabin and two additional double guest cabins aft. Designed to be sailed by just two people, Discovery’s range of bespoke, quality built yachts - monohull and catamarans from 48 to 67 feet - offer ease of handling combined with attention to detail and exceptional use of space, making them the ultimate in blue-water cruising yachts. Discovery Yachts: Tel. +44 (0)23 8086 5555 or www.discoveryyachts.com
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LATITUDES
Summer 2016
Rally News Picture Postcard Cruising in French Polynesia The World ARC 2016-17 fleet have completed ‘two awesome months’ sailing around French Polynesia. Beginning in the Marquesas, crews were able to set their own itinerary for the free cruising periods between stopovers in Hiva Oa, Tahiti and Raiatea, as Ali Mosely on Widago explains, “Unless you have unlimited time, or a time machine, or you plan to stay in the South Pacific for several years, you need to pick your stops wisely. There are literally thousands of little islands, atolls, and individual spots, anchorages, bays, and villages that are all incredible. Too many to see in a lifetime. We chose fewer stops with longer stays, because that works best for our crew.” The fleet initially spread out across the easterly islands, before a rendezvous on Nuku Hiva with a party and a briefing on the route westwards through the Tuamotu and Society Islands. Regularly compared to ‘paradise’ in the boats’ logs, the crew of Lydia described their approach to Rangiroa, “We sailed closer to the coast and palm trees of the atoll came more and more into view until finally they stretched across our entire horizon.”
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In Tahiti, crews compared notes of their time cruising the Tuamotus and enjoyed a prize-giving reception with traditional dancers demonstrating the best of Polynesian culture. Papeete, the capital of Tahiti offered good opportunities for the boats to provision and carry out maintenance. Continuing on through more idyllic islands, Spirit V, Giampi and Toujours Belle raced in the Tahiti Pearl Regatta taking the fleet on a tour of the Society Islands finishing on a small motu (island) in the lagoon of Raiatea and Tahaa. Other boats enjoyed great shark and ray snorkelling and a more relaxing stays in Moorea and Huahine.
Several boats have opted to stay a little while longer in amongst turquoise lagoons and surrounding coral reefs, leaving the fleet for this year, and picking up next year’s rally. Oyster 41, Pentagram joined the fleet in Raiatea after starting their circumnavigation with World ARC 2015. See the World ARC Website to track the fleet and read the latest logs from the boats as they near the halfway in Australia this this summer. Entries are open for both the 2017 and 2018 start of World ARC. See worldcruising.com/worldarc
First time ralliers head for the Algarve ARC Europe was not the only fleet to complete their rally experience at Marina de Lagos in June. The ARC Portugal fleet followed them in some ten days later, following their three week cruising rally from Plymouth, UK and visits to the highlights of the Portuguese coast. The weather provided ‘a bit of everything’ for their crossing of the Bay of Biscay, with light winds initially providing a “sea which looked like a pond.” Further into the passage, Biscay lived up to its reputation and for 15 hours further across the bay strong north eastern winds accompanied by an opposing swell caused confused seas and provided more challenging conditions for some of the fleet.
Making landfall in the beautiful Galician port of Bayona, crews enjoyed their fill of tapas in traditional restaurants, and organised tours took them to Santiago de Compostela and hiking to the O Folon watermills. Crossing over into Portugal, the fleet called at Povoa de Varzim, Porto, Figueira da Foz, Peniche, Oeira, Sines, and finally Lagos, with each stopover offering time to explore ashore and enjoy a varied social programme. For the majority of the fleet, it was the first time sailing this beautiful coastline, and it did not disappoint, each port offering its own unique charms for them to enjoy. Entries for 2017 now open, see worldcruising.com/arcportugal
worldcruising.com
RALLY NEWS
Full house for ARC Channel Islands 30 boats are now signed up for the inaugural edition of ARC Channel Islands this summer and crews assembled at Chichester Marina in April for a special seminar day to help them prepare for the cruise. With a mix of abilities, talks covered everything from essential equipment to passage planning, and offered a perfect opportunity for ralliers to share their thoughts and questions before the start in August. The rally has already proven very popular with sailors from across the UK taking part. Geoff Harris, on board his Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 35 Cloudy Bay, took part in the 2009 and 2010 RYA Sail Cruises, and is keen to extend his experience during the ARC Channel Islands. Of the rally, he said: “I really wanted to do this rally to gain more experience. There will just be two of us doing it, so it will be a great challenge and I’m looking forward to it. The seminar has been a great reminder of some key points ahead of the rally.”
Rally participants will meet again at Haslar Marina in Gosport for a welcome supper on 18 August. Following safety checks and Skippers Briefings, the fleet will set sail for Cherbourg on Saturday 20, accompanied by a lead boat provided by Hamble School of Yachting, with their senior instructor, Roger Seymour on board. After having a day to enjoy the French town and local market, the rally will then visit Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney on a route that allows sailors to combine pleasant sailing with time to explore ashore. Details of the 2017 edition will be announced at the Southampton Boat Show in September.
Packing out Las Palmas this November This spring has seen a rush of sign-ups for ARC 2016 with both route options very close to capacity for this November. A total of 300 boats, 75 sailing from Gran Canaria to Saint Lucia via Cape Verdes with ARC+, and 225 on the traditional route sailing directly, are expected to cross the Atlantic with the rally. Entries include a diverse range of boat types from builders and designers around the world. Alongside production boats are wooden schooners and carbon fibre racers, and multihulls have proved extremely popular with 38 catamarans in total this year. The “grand old lady” of the ARC fleet is Christophe von Reibnitz’s 1936 Henry Gruber designed yawl, Peter von Seestermühe, which has been sailing with the ARC regularly since 1990. After the ARC Course Record has fallen for the past three years, it will interesting to see if any of the 32 boats in the Racing Division, particularly two duelling Volvo 70s, Trifork (MLD) and Sanya (NLD) can mount a challenge on Team Brunel’s record. Mosaikk (NOR) and Anakin (BEL), both Comfortina 32s, are the smallest boats on the ARC entry list at just 9.5m LOA whilst there are a significant number of larger yachts set to line the docks in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the biggest of which is Ron Holland designed Iemanja (MEX) at 32.31m. The ARC continues to be the world’s most popular cruising rally, over 30 years on from when it first began. Read more about last year’s special edition, including the first hand experiences of World Cruising’s Jeremy Wyatt, on page 29.
Familiar faces return for Atlantic adventures ARC Europe once again welcomed a bumper fleet, with departures from Nanny Cay, BVI and Portsmouth, VA in early May. Whilst some crews were homeward bound and others heading to new cruising grounds, the rally had a reunion atmosphere on the docks with many boats who sailed with the ARC and ARC+ in 2015 taking part. Nine boats who circumnavigated the globe in World ARC 201516 also continued rally life; some sailing with ARC Europe and others with the US-bound ARC USA rally which shared socials in Nanny Cay and the first stopover port in Bermuda. Enjoying the Farewell Party at Peg Legs before the start, Jean and Christiane Metz on A Plus 2, an Amel 54, said as far as they are concerned, “You do not come on any ARC rally if you do not want to have fun!” This is their third WCC rally and after spending 15 months sailing with World ARC they are well placed to know! ARC Europe spends time visiting the Atlantic islands en route and this year featured stopovers in Bermuda then Horta, Faial; Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel and Vila do Porto, Santa Maria. Changeable weather in the Azores meant an adapted itinerary for the cruise but there was still time to explore these magical islands. As they departed Santa Maria, for the final leg to Marina de Lagos, Sylvie Furtado from Second Wind reflected on their time, “The Azores islands are great places to visit or even retire. Every island has something to offer. For me, the food is number one, followed by the stunning scenery. When you travel that far by boat, land time becomes very important, one good reason to join the ARC Europe and have all these social events with your fellow sailors. These were filled with joy, information and great stories.” Entries are now open for the 2017 edition of the rally, with discounts available for early entries and ARC and ARC Caribbean 1500 participants. See worldcruising.com/ arceurope or worldcruising.com/arcusa
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worldcruising.com
RALLY NEWS
World Cruising Club Programme 2016 - 2017 2016
6 - 10 October
06 November
07 January
Meet the World Cruising Club team at the America’s largest sailboat show
Cruising Rally, from Gran Canaria to Saint Lucia, with an added stopover in the Cape Verdes
An introduction to ocean sailing held at the London Boat Show
US Sailboat Show, Annapolis, MD
20 August
ARC Channel Islands Start, Gosport, UK
08 October
Run in association with RYA Active Marina, the rally offers an week long organised cruise to Cherbourg, Guernsey, Jersey and Alderney
Ocean Sailing Forum, Annapolis, USA An introduction to ocean sailing held at the US Sailboat Show, Annapolis, MD
16 - 25 September Southampton Boat Show, UK
29 October
Ocean Sailing Forum, Hamburg
Meet the World Cruising Club team at the annual in-water boat show
17 September
An introduction to ocean sailing held at the Hanseboot Hamburg Boat Show.
An introduction to ocean sailing held at the Southampton Boat Show.
06 November
Ocean Sailing Forum, UK
ARC Caribbean 1500 & ARC Bahamas start Cruising rally from Portsmouth VA to Tortola BVI, or Marsh Harbor, Abacos.
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ARC + Cape Verde Start, Las Palmas
20 November
ARC 2016 start, Las Palmas The world’s most popular cruising rally from Gran Canaria to Saint Lucia.
2017 07 January
World ARC start, Saint Lucia Start of 15 month circumnavigation rally via Panama Canal, Australia and South Africa
Bluewater Cruisers Question Time, UK
21 - 29 January
Boot Düsseldorf, Germany Meet the World Cruising Club team at the international boat show at Düsseldorf Exhibition Center, Germany in Hall 11.
24 - 26 March Ocean Cruising Seminar, USA
Two day ocean sailing seminar held in Annapolis, MD, USA www.worldcruising.com/training
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LATITUDES
Summer 2016
“
ARC 2015 The 30 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers th
In the marble floored hall of the glamorous colonial style Hotel Santa Catalina in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, almost 400 skippers and crew assembled on 21 November 2015, with 24 hours to go before slipping their lines for a 2,700nm ocean adventure. Taking their seats, armed with notepads and sailing instructions, their chatter hushed to silence as they listened intently to Andrew Bishop welcoming them to the Skippers Briefing of the 30th edition of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers.
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Britican crew celebrate their arrival in Saint Lucia
The first ARC in 1986 had such an extraordinary atmosphere. It was quite an adventure!” Tim Aitken, Airwave (ARC’86)/ Braveheart (ARC’16)
Dockside preparations before the start from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
worldcruising.com The Opening Ceremony in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Flashback three decades and you find yachting journalist Jimmy Cornell arriving in the Canaries to interview skippers about their transatlantic passage preparations for an article commissioned by Yachting World magazine. The atmosphere amongst these sailors as they prepared for their voyage - the excitement, apprehension, and camaraderie - gave Jimmy the idea of organising a race across the Atlantic. Jimmy’s event was to have an entirely different emphasis to set it apart from other ocean races. It was to be a race that focused on the fun of taking part and one that would increase safety and confidence, especially amongst those making their first long ocean passage. “I read about the first ARC in Yachting World. It was a small article but it made me curious,” remembers Manfred Kerstan, nicknamed Mr. ARC by the German press as 2015 was his 20th Atlantic crossing with the rally, more than any other sailor. “After the circumnavigation I’d recently completed, it seemed a good way to return to the Caribbean again.” Over 200 other skippers agreed with Manfred and boats of all shapes and sizes answered Jimmy’s call to sail as an organised fleet from Muelle Deportivo in Las Palmas. They probably didn’t realise it at the time, but they were making history as the rally went into the Guinness Book of Records for the largest sailing rally in the world!
Manfred Kerstan - 2015 was the 20th rally for Mr ARC
ARC 2015 ARC’86 veteran Chris Tibbs, sailed again in 2015 with his wife Helen on Taistealai
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has hosted fleet for their pre-rally preparations and spectacular start, every year since. The city-scape and local services have evolved over the years, but the warm welcome that sailors receive and excellent facilities it provides for preparing for a transatlantic voyage continue to make it perfect starting port for the rally. “The first ARC in 1986 had such an extraordinary atmosphere. It was quite an adventure!” reflected Tim Aitken who sailed his 47ft Wauquiez Centurion, Airwave on the first edition and returned in 2015 sailing with his son on his magnificent Hoek-designed Truly Classic 75, Braveheart of Sark. “It’s really special seeing all the boats here in Las Palmas this year,” he said shortly before start day, “I walked across to the northern breakwater where there’s such a diversity of boats now. The rally has changed dramatically; the size of the boats, the size of the crew and there’s obviously a lot of ‘pro’ crews, but when I walked over onto the main pontoons, it felt like I was back again in the days of the first ARC.” One of the early ARC sailors who has since become closely involved with the rally is ocean weather router Chris Tibbs, who sailed in 1986 on board Moody 38, Meanmy, owned by Geoff Pitcher. Chris was sailing on Meanmy as the professional skipper and he brought it down to Las Palmas as a delivery trip. They were at anchor when they arrived and then just drove into the marina berth as there was no breakwater in those days. He then went home to England but then
received a phone call the next day asking him to come back to join the crew across the Atlantic as they didn’t think they had enough experience on the boat. Chris had just come back from racing in the Whitbread Round the World Race! “I didn’t know anything about the ARC because the previous year I was away on the Whitbread and then working in the Med, so I turned up and there’s over 200 boats in the marina for the rally! There was still so much work to do on the boat though and I only had about three or four days to do it, so I just got onto the boat and worked.” Chris certainly had a bit more time to prepare in 2015, sailing on his own boat this time a Wauquiez Centurion 40, Taistealai together with his wife Helen - herself a veteran of the ARC in 1989 - with William Yonge and Jeremy Wyatt as crew. Delivering the weather forecast to the packed hall in the Hotel Santa Catalina, Chris Tibbs poignantly mentioned that since the rally began, “The boats are bigger, the boats are faster, and communications have changed and so has navigation. But the wind and the waves are still the same.” With that ringing in their ears, the hall emptied, and the crews returned to the docks. In the two weeks before, close friendships had formed over nightly socials and comparing preparation notes around the marina, but as start day loomed many were keen to get underway and start sailing. The Caribbean shores of Saint Lucia were calling.
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LATITUDES
Summer 2016
Happenings at Sea
Final approach
The strong tradewinds and fast passage times took a toll on boats in the 2015 ARC, with a larger than usual number of breakages of gear and sails. Pogo 40 Talanta (SWE) managed to finish despite losing one and half of their two rudders; Loupan had to sail 40nm upwind to transfer repair materials to SeaBee to fix another steering problem, and Emily Morgan met with Duffy to give them extra fuel following the racing Dufour’s dismasting early on in the ARC. A crewmember from Lottus had to be medically evacuated following the sudden onset of symptoms related
to a suspected brain tumour, and a crewmember on Hanse Sailor received medical advice from the fleet following a serious finger injury. Saddest of all was the loss of the yacht Magritte 12 days into the crossing, following an uncontrollable water leak on the 1981 Moody. At the ARC Prizegiving, crews joined in spontaneous applause for owners Steve and Teresa Arnold, by then safely back in the UK after being evacuated onto a commercial ship.
Team Brunel set a new ARC Course Record On the 30 November, VO65 Team Brunel broke the ARC Course Record sailing from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia in an elapsed time of 8d 7h 39m 30s.
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Staggeringly, this was the third consecutive year that the Course Record has been beaten; a year ago, Mike Slade’s super-maxi Farr 100 Leopard by Finland took over two days off the previous record set by Caro, a Knierim 65 in 2013. ‘Near-perfect’ conditions for the crossing saw Team Brunel propelled towards Saint Lucia and into the ARC history books for breaking the record on the rally’s 30th edition. The 15 strong crew on the round the world racing yacht consisted of 5 professional sailors and 10 experienced amateurs who were chasing a bucket list adventure and they were not disappointed! From the day ARC 2015 set sail from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Team Brunel sprinted towards the sun-soaked shores of Saint Lucia, with an average VMG of 13.5kts since the start and top wave surfing speeds of double that at times. Persistent north easterly winds allowed them to
zig-zag down the rhumb line route for much of their crossing. Interestingly, the total distance covered on their transatlantic route is greater than the two previous record holders at 3342NM. But their ARC experience was not without drama; a potentially speedkilling mainsail tear occurred during one routine gybe. After a night reefed down, it was all hands on deck for a race ready repair the following morning as Koen Lockefeer explained. “Johnny and Tomas started to organize the ripped sail part, climbing up the end of the swinging boom. They tied the top and bottom end of the sail together with lashes between the sail battens as if the ripped middle part had never been there. All hands on deck again to hoist the sail to max height, about as high as 1.5 reef and carefully sheet in the main again. To everyone’s joy the boat started speeding off again ... As the old sailor’s wisdom states: before you can win a race you first have to finish it. The broken mainsail and subsequent repair were a very close escape from not finishing at all!”
worldcruising.com Repairs in Rodney Bay
ARC 2015 Four Seasons - Dyneema rope repair of steering
Carango damaged spinnaker pole
Breakages Almost 38% of ARC and ARC+ boats logged some form of equipment breakage during ARC 2015, which, whilst it seems high, is perhaps not unexpected for a year that was considerably windier than usual most of the way across. That said, even in a light-wind year, boats can expect damage from chafe and torn sails will occur if squalls strike. As expected, breezy conditions caused most damage to sails, poles, rigging and chafe, accounting for 56% of reported breakages. Overpowered sails are the most likely reason for the reports of sail damage - 22% of all breakages. Common problems were tears in spinnakers/ cruising chutes, clews ripped and battens or mastcar/track damage. Valeting sails before setting off on your Atlantic adventure is always sensible. A good sailmaker will check over your sails, repairing stitching and reinforcing stress points. Triplestitching is a good insurance, and do remember that UV light degrades sail cloth and stitches over time. Make sure you have a well-stocked sail repair kit on board: sticky dacron, spinnaker tape, sailmaker’s palms and needles with thread. Have a suitable board, or flip over a cabin floorboard, and use pins to keep the sail in place when affecting repairs. Very heavy sail cloth may require a punch to get the needle through. Prevention is better than cure, so ensure you reef early and keep a good look out for squalls. After sail damage, chafe was the second largest area of reports, with 17% of boats recording damage. This highlights the need to paying attention to chafe prevention in boat preparations
prior to the crossing, and whilst at sea during the passage. Spreader patches on the mainsail, not forgetting for reefing positions will help. Using snatch-blocks and barber-haulers can also be useful to work sheets and guys away from each other. Keeping sheets tight into the ends of poles will also prevent unnecessary movement resulting in chafe. At the masthead, make sure blocks for spinnaker halyards can articulate and that lead angles don’t cause a chafe risk on mast sheaves. Thirty-two boats reported broken or damaged spinnaker poles; ether completely broken or fittings at either end damaged. Rigging related problems accounted for 10% of the breakages. One was a total rig failure, the Dufour 34 Duffy in the Racing Division, whereas the other failures in this category were on hardware including boom goosenecks, vang fittings, blocks or shackles, travellers and furlers. Probable causes include undersized or worn blocks – remember these need to turn freely and be correctly sized for the loads and displacement of your boat, allowing for all the extra food, fuel and cruising equipment. Boom vangs take a lot of punishment downwind; boats stall into wave troughs and partial gybes when dead-downwind also add to the strain. Boats will roll much more in ocean conditions and for longer periods than in normal coastal sailing. Main boom preventers
will help, but always ensure that the preventer is attached at the outboard end of the boom, and run forward before leading back to the cockpit. Four boats tangled ropes or fishing lines around propellers or snagged fishing nets at sea; two reported broken steering cables (one fixed by using dynema lines) and at least three boats had to use their emergency steering, at least whilst affecting repairs to steering. Whilst it is difficult to draw conclusions from the data, general advice is to be careful of overloading boats before a passage as this puts considerable extra strain onto steering gear. Service your steering before the passage – look for dust build-ups or frayed cables – and carry dynema lines or spare steering cable. Two boats lost use of propellers which either jammed open or dropped off. A folding/ feathering propeller in open will cause vibrations that can be damaging, test thoroughly before putting to sea. Losing a propeller just means an expensive repair and a tow into the marina on arrival in the Caribbean. Fifteen boats – 5% of the fleet – reported autopilot failure. Again, the advice is to ensure your pilot is specified for the loaded displacement of your boat and check for loose connections, worn rams and mountings working loose. At sea, don’t use your pilot all the time; give it a rest at least once per watch. Hand steering will give you a better feel for the trim of the boat and help you to recognise when the sails are unbalanced. If sailing double-handed, consider a windvane steering system as a back-up to your electrical pilot. Most of the failures, with the exception of the dismasting, did not prevent boats from safely arriving in Saint Lucia. They may well have slowed the boats down, or reduced the level of comfort on board but were successfully coped with by the crews without outside assistance. Steering failures and broken booms were the most serious problems in 2015, but in each of these situations the hull was intact and the crew safe. Resourceful crews problem solved and repaired to get the boats going again. Having a good tool kit and being able to think of on-board solutions, or using alternatives to overcome the difficulty is the best preparation for ocean sailing, and of course, constant vigilance against chafe and other failing equipment to help prevent minor damage becoming major.
Southern Child - repairs to boom
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14°04'32.72"N
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Chillin’ in Saint Lucia
CHILLIN’ IN SAINT LUCIA
Rum punch on arrival
As the number of arrivals into Rodney Bay Marina increased with each passing day, so the dockside buzz grew with it. The first boats to arrive via the direct route were mixing with the tail-enders of the ARC+ route so the buzz was there from day one. Quickly the empty docks began to fill-up as a constant stream of boats crossed the finish line in Rodney Bay; at its peak it would see almost fifty boats in one 24-hour period.
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Congratulations and hugs are offered, quickly followed by an ice-cold rum punch and a basket of tropical fruits and Saint Lucian rum.”
Reunited with friends and family
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worldcruising.com
CHILLIN’ IN SAINT LUCIA
Hera celebrate crossing the finish line
Saint Lucia to explore the delights of the West Indies. Now was the time to relax, enjoy the heat, chat with friends and make plans for where to go next; the joy of being a cruising sailor now apparent. The sun always shines, the winds are fair, and boats are now well proven by Atlantic winds and waves.
For new arrivals, the excitement of crossing the line produces one of the lasting memories of an ARC, a rush of adrenaline followed by a frantic few minutes putting away sails, preparing lines and fenders and starting the engine, ready to navigate the channel into the marina. A friendly voice on the finish line radio confirms the finish time and switches the new arrivals over to the docking VHF channel where helpful ARC yellowshirts are standing by to guide boats into their slips. A cheerful wave and claps from neighbours, a shout to friends and a welcome hand to take lines, as congratulations and hugs are offered, quickly followed by an ice-cold rum punch and a basket of tropical fruits and Saint Lucian rum. There were of course jobs to be done after arrival; laundry to sort, boat cleans to start; sails to dry and pack away; foulies and lifejackets to clean and dry. Then after two days, once the whirlwind of arrival had passed, there was a noticeable shift into Saint Lucia chill-out mood. Crews would wander along the docks, reconnecting with friends made in Las Palmas before the start and meeting new friends made during the crossing. There was always time for a chat; a quick or more often slow conversation about the crossing. “How long did you take?”, or “When did you get in?” were almost always the first questions, before moving on to weather and equipment breakages. Everyone wanted to hear each other’s tales of the Atlantic, or pass on some gossip of a fish caught or a sail ripped.
Helping ARC sailors to enjoy the fun of Saint Lucia was a daily social programme, drawing ever bigger crowds as more arrivals docked at the marina. Taking in the pulsating rhythms of the traditional Gros Islet street-party – the Jump Up, or the beach-side fish fry at Anse Le Rey, a fishing village to the south of the marina, there was always something happening. Even for the later arrivals there were still highlights to enjoy with the IGY Rodney Bay Marina Manager’s Party and Prizegiving in the final week. For those wanting to explore more of the natural beauty of Saint Lucia, there were tours to the rainforest and climbs of the famous Pitons, whilst other sailors, keen to flex muscles after days at sea took trips to ride horses along beaches, learned to kite surf and joined diving excursions.
Hat Man, John Marley
board. Such a chance to look around other boats and meet other ARC sailors was often offered and rarely declined, such is the camaraderie of ARC sailors. There was a noticeable change of atmosphere amongst the crews, gradually shifting from the hectic pace of boat preparation in Las Palmas, the challenges of the Atlantic crossing, into a relaxed Caribbean cruising mode. For this was the reason they all came to the Caribbean, starting their lives as bluewater cruisers and launching on from Party time!
By early evening the chill-out would move onto boats or to the marina board-walk bars. A sundowner beer, a cheerful greeting to a new arrival, or an invitation to impromptu drinks on
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worldcruising.com
SO MANY WINNERS
Live Edge - Spirit of the ARC
Scarlet Oyster crew marriage proposal
AWOL crew
So Many Winners In an evening of high emotion and just a little drama, focusing on the achievements of the crews taking part in the 30th Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), the traditional Prize-giving Party brought the ARC to a close for another year. It was an evening of celebration; a chance to cheer on friends and family members in the spirit of the ARC, one of camaraderie and adventure, which makes every one of the 1,122 ARC sailors a winner, not just those on stage receiving awards. In the competitive side of the ARC it was Team Brunel, new course record holders, who scooped up both the line honours for Division II (IRC Racing) and overall division winner, with ARC regular Scarlet Oyster picking up first in Racing Class B. During the Prizegiving, whether swept up by the emotion of the evening or as a carefully planned move, the ARC crowd were on their feet cheering after Scarlet Oyster crewmember Tijs Van Langenhove proposed marriage on stage to his partner of 3 years Anna Vugbblija; the couple having met originally sailing on Scarlet Oyster. A surprised and delighted Anna said yes! In the Multihull Division it was My Cherie Amour (USA) picking up top-spot just ahead of La Caravelle (FRA) on corrected time.
Division I (Cruising), has the most entries and is split into 7 classes, each class having awards for places 1, 2 and 3. Marisja (NED), Haico Endstra’s X-562 sailing in the ARC for the second time, was overall winner in this division, taking away the Jimmy Cornell Trophy. In addition to the competitive prizes more than 40 special prizes were awarded for a number of fun categories. For the second year, random awards were given to yachts, with 7th and 10th place finishers on corrected time. Other boats were recognised for crossing the finish line in the same order as their ARC ID numbers; two boats managed this feat, number 22 Albatros and number 30 Far Out. Other awards went to oldest and youngest participants; best prepared boat and best party boat - the Scottish crew on AWOL, awarded the Arch Marez Trophy for their contributions to shoreside activities, recognising the late Marez’ contributions to the success of the ARC. It was his decision to expand Rodney
30th ARC cake
Bay Marina in the early days of the event to accommodate the growing fleet. As always it is the coveted The Spirit of the ARC award that is the last to be presented each year. This unique trophy is given annually to the ARC crew that best displays the spirit of goodwill and enthusiasm which the ARC creates amongst the fleet. After recounting what was an emotional journey for them, there was huge applause when Andrew Bishop announced that the Schjelderup family from Norway, Petter and Camilla with their children Oscar (12), Nicolai (10) and Joachim (4), were the 2015 winners. In the true spirit of the ARC they had overcome the challenges Atlantic weather and a leaking boat, sailing just as a couple with young children on board Live Edge, their 1976 Swan 47.
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ARC MEMORIES
ARC Memories
Day 1, skipper Chris at the helm as big winds give a fast start from Gran Canaria
A question I am often asked at Boat Shows is “How many times have you done the ARC?” Well with some little embarrassment I have always had to explain that my role as a rally organiser does not allow me to be on a boat sailing with the ARC. So, whilst I have sailed across the Pacific and Indian Oceans, I have never “done the ARC”. Well, that was until last year, when I was lucky enough to be invited to sail with Chris and Helen Tibbs on their Wauquiez 40 Taistealai [pronounced as Tash-to-lee or Tashy for short] for ARC 2015. Thankfully the team at World Cruising Club rallied around to reorganise tasks and cover my role, so that I was able to swap my ARC yellow shirt for a Taistealai crew shirt and spend 20 days as a transatlantic sailor.
Jeremy, mid-Atlantic as the days get hotter
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“Try to imagine our world for the first few days; the boat is rolling and bumping around like a demented roller-coaster... and stripping off our foulies becomes a crazy one-legged dance”
Now that some months have passed since the crossing, and individual memories have merged into a single blur of Atlantic sailing, it has been rewarding to read again the logs I sent into the ARC website whilst at sea and reflect on what were a special few weeks for me.
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LATITUDES
Summer 2016 Moonrise over the Atlantic
Previous experiences and personal fears as much as a particular boat’s routing and weather mean that each and every person who sails in the ARC will have a different experience and viewpoint of the crossing, different even from their crewmates aboard the same boat. So these are my personal recollections and reflections, which I hope will encourage and delight readers, whether armchair sailors or fellow cruisers about to embark on their voyages.
Weather There is always much talk about weather before the start; on the dockside, at the briefings, as well as with prospective cruisers at boat shows preceding each year’s ARC. And the weather is probably the hardest topic to advise upon, not only because it varies both on the route south to Gran Canaria and transatlantic to Saint Lucia, but also it varies from year to year and with the chosen routing during the passage. The passage charts will give averages for wind strength and directions, but these are just a guide. Most boats will experience a wide range of weather conditions, so both boat and crew need to be prepared and ready for whatever the ocean decides to offer them. A well set-up boat will have all the equipment and supplies securely stored, in itself a huge task; sails in good condition and a well proven reefing system. Why? Well here is a reflection on the first few days of our passage. “Try to imagine our world for the first few days; the boat is rolling and bumping around like a demented roller-coaster, nothing stays where you put it down, and striping off our foulies becomes a crazy one-legged dance, slip-sliding around whilst holding onto the boat. Never has the phrase “one hand for you and one for the boat” seemed so relevant. And the cause of all this? Day one of the ARC and full-on ocean sailing as we charged down the coast of Gran Canaria before heading west to cut through the infamous wind acceleration zones off the Canary Islands. We knew what to expect - Chris, our illustrious skipper explained all about them at the pre-start weather briefings - but the reality was still a surprise. At over 4,000m and 2,000m high the islands and Tenerife
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and Gran Canaria are giants pushing up from sea level into the tradewind airstream above, causing turbulence in their wake. That said, we were well prepared; suited and booted and with reefs in our mainsail and jib. The NE 20 knot winds of the start day were pushed up to a gusting 30+ knots in the acceleration zone, giving a wild ride for the first day and night.” Whilst this may sound like a Crew from left: Chris Tibbs, Helen Tibbs, William Yonge, Jeremy Wyatt cold and miserable experience, it was far removed from sailing in similar winds and seas in northern latitudes. Despite the full force of the winds and waves, gusting 30+ knots and 3m+ Atlantic tradewind sailing is delightful. These waves, the air was still pleasingly warm and seasonal winds in the tropical north Atlantic start muggy, the spray simply refreshing instead of icy. to blow towards the Caribbean from December, Foulies were obligatory to fend off the occasional consistently from a Northeast or Easterly direction. cross swell that sent a plume of spray across the At their most gentle they will be around 12-15 cockpit and down the necks of the unwary, but knots, pushing up to 25 knots when in full force. there was no need for the layers of fleeces one As the route offers us downwind sailing, boats would wear in similar conditions at home. It was will be surging along in apparent winds of 8 to 20 a strange feeling, to be wearing clothing that we knots; the wind’s constant force giving solid daily were accustomed to have on when feeling cold, runs, nibbling away at the course distance in a very yet to be feeling warm. Welcome to the world of pleasing way. warm water cruising.
Tradewinds & Rain Squalls
By day 6, we were well into our crossing and the weather had eased, so much so that were concerned about no wind, rather than too much! “If we are not looking at the sails, or the compass, we are gazing out over the waves and in particular at the clouds, floating by on a big blue sky. Clouds hold special interest at the moment as we have struggled over the last two days with very light winds. Whilst this has been great for sunning ourselves, drying laundry and giving us an easy ride on the lightest of ocean swells, it has played havoc with our boat speed. So our skyward search for clouds is a lookout for tell-tale signs of fresh wind approaching, or even a rain squall. Squalls, our feared foe of earlier days have become potential allies if we can just ride some of the extra breeze they can bring.”
Classic tradewinds bring with them little puffy pillows of cloud, in an endless line, marching onwards like soldiers. Sometimes, often more in the latter part of the crossing, the heat of the day driving moisture off the ocean surface will generate rain squalls, changing clouds from friends to foes. “Yesterday’s tradewind clouds, our friendly little pillows, have morphed overnight into rain squalls, great mattresses of moisture, like muscular teenagers with attitude. They are determined to vent their pent up energy upon us. The 0800 onwatch had a sudden need for foulies and on-deck action to reef before the first of the morning’s troubled teenagers came knocking on our hull. Since then, it has been a game of dodge the squall. Luckily our Raymarine digital radar shows the squalls very well, so we haven’t been taken by surprise.” Expect the winds to be forceful at times, as this log shows.
Midway to Saint Lucia
“The night was dark; no moon to sail by and clouds obscuring the stars. Twenty knot gusty winds and criss-crossing swells bumped and bashed us around making helming tricky and giving the on-watch crew a strenuous workout. In a flash-back we were again on ARC Day Two, was this Groundhog Day? Not quite, with the warm moist tradewinds now pushing us along, we were all in shorts and T-shirts, not the full foulies we began the voyage in.”
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ARC MEMORIES
But the winds will ease at times giving days of pleasurable ocean sailing to be savoured. “Daybreak and winds and seas have eased. Overnight squalls have dispersed and once more we are riding along on the crest of a wave, surfing in the sunshine to 9 or 10 knots. The bothersome bully-boy waves have now been tamed; we ride them like a surf-dude now.”
Sail Changes Having a good reefing system is essential, as it will be used frequently. Early on in the passage, we were mainly using white sails, the sea-state and wind too strong for coloured sails. As the wind would increase or drop away, we had plenty of practice with reefing. “The winds stayed up at 25 knots and with them the sea state, making for exhilarating sailing; polled out jib and mainsail, first or second reefs in, as we scudded down 3m waves that had a short sharp frequency, which gave us a bumpy if fast ride.” Day four saw the beginnings of what we hoped were sustained tradewinds, the magic NE 10 to 15 knots with a sky full of puffy white clouds in place of rain squalls, a gentle rolling sea state and best of all, sunshine!
“Our polled-out white sails have been swapped for the first of our wide selection of spinnakers. Yesterday we popped-up our heavy kite, our sunshine yellow all-weather stalwart of a sail. Less rolling, more boat speed and a happy crew. Tashy is revelling in the conditions now, pulled along handsomely by our yellow prince of a sail, leaving smiles across the faces of all her crew as we scoot down the waves. We may only be drinking a cup of tea today, but this is still champagne sailing!”
Tropical Sun As the journey progressed, our route took us further south and west, into tropical latitudes where the intensity of the sun grew ever stronger. The daily experience of sitting on deck for long periods whilst on watch would gradually change from enjoying the pleasurable warm of the sun’s first rays, massaging tired limbs at the end of the dog-watch, to positioning ourselves as best we could to avoid the intensifying tropical glare. By midday in the central Atlantic the sun was relentless; any cloud crossing its rays a welcome relief from the intensity of the growing heat. “We do our best to shield ourselves from the power of the tropical sun; floppy hats galore and long sleeves are the rig of the day for the on-watch crew. Helen in particular has produced
Taistealai Sail Plans Different boat types will have varying characteristics and responses to changing wind strength and sea states. hite sails W 100%
PERCENTAGE OF TIME SPENT WITH DIFFERENT SAIL CONFIGURATIONS ON THE ARC 2015
White sails 100% + staysail White sails reef level 1
12%
13%
8% 19% 20% 13%
7%
8%
White sails reef level 2 White sails reef level 3 Heavy spinnaker Medium spinnaker Parasailor
an array of impressive sun hats, her latest, her “tropical hat”, is bound with ribbons and shells, setting the mood for our Caribbean destination. Will had a “hatastrophe“ a few days ago and lost his prized wide-brimmed helming hat overboard. He has now brought out his reserve hat, an exsafari floppy, complete with fold-up side flaps. Jem, as always supporting the sponsors, is proudly wearing his Mackay Marina hat, a full brimmed Aussie sun protector, which was a gift from the marina team at Mackay in Queensland. So far, the antipodean head-gear is proving very effective.” However, there are also some wonderful positives with the ever strengthening sunshine. Under the tropical sun, the ocean takes on an intensity of colour undreamt of in days spent beneath leaden British December skies. Deep, deep blue waves were crested by scudding white caps whipped up by the westbound tradewinds, an almost poetic vision of a watery wilderness. Is this seascape monotonous and boring? Not at all, in fact it is almost hypnotic, studying each foamy blue wave, no two alike, yet all seemingly the same.
The Night Sky The ocean seems vast during the daytime, when all you can see from horizon to horizon is blue sea and blue sky.
As the pie chart shows, for more than half of the ARC passage we flew a variation of white sails on board Taistealai, a Wauquiez Centurion 40s. The particular combination of wave height, direction and apparent wind speed and angle we experienced, frequently meant we could sail more comfortably, but just as fast, with white sails. Often we would adjust the combinations; reefing the mainsail, but with a staysail up and a reduced jib poled-out made easier helming in stronger conditions. Having a flexible sail plan helped greatly to cope with variations of wind strengths and waves we met. Owners Chris and Helen Tibbs had given much thought to the sail inventory so Taistealai was well provided for. A 110 % furling jib that could be poled-out; the pole supported independently with fore and aft-guys plus topping lift meant it could easily be rolled away to reef or when squalls approached. A removable inner-forestay allowed a staysail to be flown, both as a balancing sail and as a strong-wind jib. Single-line
reefing, with reef points marked on the halyards with whipping bands, made for relatively easy reefing of the mainsail day or night. We also found that small pocket-torches (flashlights) on neck straps were preferable to head torches for night time sail trim and reefing, as they avoided the danger of accidentally shining into another person’s face. Our coloured sails came in three flavours, all of which were used as the chart demonstrates. We experimented with our Parasailor, which in very light conditions flew well with no mainsail up; sailing heresy to a crew more comfortable with traditional spinnakers. Our heavyweight spinnaker was well used, giving us some excellent daily runs when reaching or in stronger apparent winds. Big-blue, our lighter spinnaker also proved versatile and was flown extensively in the latter part of the trip, only coming down on the final day as we gybed at the northern tip of Saint Lucia and prepared to finish our ARC.
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LATITUDES
Tashy had a well deserved clean on arrival.
However at night the sea appears to shrink, disappearing into inky blackness as the horizon is lost and sea and sky merge into a shared darkness. Yet above us the night sky, at least before moonrise, appeared to stretch in an endless arc, and we experienced stars in a way few get to enjoy in our modern electrically illuminated world. “Last night, for the two hours before moonrise, the on-watch crew were rewarded by a clear cloudless night-sky, unaffected by light pollution and showing the constellations and stars at their best. An occasional shooting star burning its way across the sky in a brief fiery dash, added to the magnificence of the view.” Tracking the constellations as they moved across the heavens, trying to identify the planets and the brightest stars provided an entertaining interlude to night time cockpit conversation; our celestial knowledge aided by the excellent Google Skymap app on my smartphone.
Routine “Don’t you get bored at sea for all that time?” is another frequently asked question. Well, in short no, there is too much to do, and if you like sailing, then plenty of good stuff to enjoy. On board Tashy life soon fell into a gentle rhythm, a pattern regulated by the watch routine, punctuated by meals or the occasional sail change or infrequent gybe. Sail changes and boat checks were usually done at the change of watch. Perhaps a change of sail plan or a check on spinnaker sheets, guys and halyards for chafe. At other times, occasional sudden wind shifts or a rain squall might bring all hands on deck for a few hectic minutes dropping the spinnaker. After the busy change of watch, briefing the next watch, checking navigation, weather or writing the boat’s log, the boat would go quiet. The off-watch might head straight to their bunks to catch up on sleep, or set about daily tasks; washing and cleaning, preparing food, checking
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Summer 2016 our stores, especially the fresh provisions to spot early signs of decay. During the morning, skipper Chris would pull down the latest weather information and brief us on our course options and preferred routing. Then we had the “chat show” the daily ARC radio net on SSB HF radio - long range radio that allowed us to talk with boats several hundred miles away from our position. As well as social contact, this was useful for hearing the wind speed and direction that other boats are getting; helping confirm that our weather forecasts are holding true or not, and aiding our routing decisions. Afternoons tended to be quiet after a shared lunch. As we entered the tropics - the zone between 23N to 23S - the sun got hotter, encouraging the off-watch into an afternoon nap, and the on-watch to don sun hats and sunscreen. Our communal supper, eaten together in the cockpit, marked the start of the night. Off-watch headed to bed for a couple of hours and on-watch filled drink-flasks ready for the next four hours. Darkness falls swiftly in the tropics and as well as reducing our power consumption, our night time routine of red lights and minimal visits to the galley prevented us from disturbing the sleeping crew and kept our night vision intact.
Wildlife Encounters with marine wildlife mid-ocean are always magical. I challenge any sailor to be unmoved by the sudden appearance of a pod of dolphins effortlessly powering passed a yacht at sea. Our first visit from playful dolphins was fairly early into the trip. First a few curious night time visitors, then in daylight a pod of 10, complete with high leaps and bow riding. Next, as if this was not enough, Helen spotted a finned whale; its tell-tail breathing spouts clearly visible a hundred and fifty meters off our starboard side. Finally, just to confirm that we are definitely in tropical waters, shoals of flying fish burst out from the Atlantic swell greeting the morning watch change that day! The cry of “fish!!!” from Helen, caused our hearts to race one morning around halfway across the Atlantic. It was only our second time fishing on the voyage; Skipper Chris had put out our lures at first light and now, about two hours later, we had a result; not one but two fabulous dorado! They were easy to land and the first was swiftly dispatched with a liberal application of gin to its gills. However, at this point the wind gods decided
to have some fun and directed a morning squall our way just as fish two was landed. Needless to say we had a few frantic minutes with a fully powered up boat, two slippery fish in the cockpit and pouring rain! With fresh fish for supper that day, ceviche for lunch and a four more dinners in the freezer, we had no further need to fish and the lines were stowed for the remainder of the trip.
Camaraderie It is hard for those who have not experienced life at sea to appreciate just how the closeness and camaraderie of being a crew produces a special bond. We lived in a tight space, rotating our waking hours around each other, talking, doing and interacting continually. With our two-on watch pattern, there was never a moment alone, so my watch-mate William and I spent many hours helming, talking and chatting. Even the silence was enjoyable, pausing to watch waves, clouds or stars. Conversations might be about sails and trim, shifts in wind or waves, then at other times ranging far across our different life experiences. Rarely in life ashore does one spend so much time in such varied and enjoyable conversation. Shared meal times are an important part of daily life at sea; the one time each day when the whole boat is up and awake, so food could be described as the cement that builds the foundations of a good crew, and ours had solid ground. The hours of planning by Helen, her well-ordered lists, stowage plans and epic shopping expeditions in Las Palmas, paid handsome dividends on the passage. Having small celebrations and producing special meals added to the fun of the passage and boosted crew morale. Be it a special box of biscuits, the skipper’s favourite dinner, or a surprise dessert, they worked wonders for the crew and it was smiles all around afterwards. My crewmates on Taistealai - owners Helen and Chris, plus watch buddy William were wonderful to sail with. Not only did I learn much from them, but their company and conversation contributed so much to a very memorable ARC for me. There were tough times with some difficult sailing, but equally many moments of sailing magic; scooting along on the wave crests across a big blue sea with our spinnaker flying is a memory that will stay forever. It may not have been the passage any of us expected, but it was fun all the way, and even the bad bits faded quickly in the sunshine of Saint Lucia!
worldcruising.com
ARC+
ARC+ One Big Family Party Leaving two weeks ahead of the larger direct ARC fleet, it was all sunshine and smiles offshore as the warm breeze launched the 2015 ARC+ fleet south towards Cape Verde, and the port of Mindelo on São Vicente, 825NM SW of Gran Canaria. Since being added to the ARC as a route choice, the ARC+ has established its own special identity of becoming like a family sailing under the ARC banner Being close to the African coast boats were also joined by inquisitive wildlife; crews spotting turtles and whales, and small birds choosing to hitch a ride on a hydrovane or guardrail. “Once clear of the start we were joined straight away by a good size pod of dolphins who stayed with us for quite a while in our bow wave, frequently diving in and out of the water to look at us and show off.” Wrote the crew of Bamarandi.
ARC+ gets underway from Las Palmas
Briefings on board before setting off
“
Once clear of the start we were joined straight away by a good size pod of dolphins who stayed with us for quite a while in our bow wave...” Bamarandi
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LATITUDES
Summer 2016
Leading the fleet consistently, yacht Bepa, a Shipman 63 arrived first alongside in Mindelo, and soon the harbour was busy with excited arrivals. Crews congratulated one another and shared stories from their first sail together as a fleet. The lighter winds towards the end of the passage provided the opportunity for some fishing with reports of crew catching marlin, dorado and tuna, which seemed to grow in size as jubilant crews enjoyed a few drinks at the dockside bar! During their visit, the programme provided the chance for crews to explore more of what Cape Verde has to offer beyond Marina Mindelo. Tours of São Vicente (the home for the fleet), and the beautiful island of Santo Antão were popular leaving crews feeling relaxed for the second leg of their crossing. Bright and breezy conditions made for an exciting departure for the fleet on 18 November. “The pontoon was buzzing with all of the other yachts making their preparations too and many a hasty “good luck and a safe passage” were exchanged.” Wrote Stephen on Hejira in the boat’s log on start day, “The multihulls went off 15 minutes ahead then the rest of the fleet made a dash for the line, a beautiful sight to behold. The sea was as lively as a toddler fed on smarties and the wind more fickle than lady luck but we made good time and soon it was dark.” With relatively constant tradewind conditions, the majority of the fleet almost halfway to Saint Lucia as the ARC boats back in Las Palmas were slipping their lines to leave the dock. Vitamina wrote, “We have had 4 days sailing with very good ENE wind about 15-20 knots and sunny days... we are enjoying it all so much! We spend the days cooking... gazpacho, tortilla, hamburgers... and reading, listening music and “playing” with the gennaker... We speak every day with all the fleet by SSB, sharing recipes, jokes and weather forecast and we feel more safe knowing they are around. Soon we will cross the 1500 miles line and we will expect celebrate it eating pizza and ice cream!” Multihull fleet sail away from Mindelo
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A hive of activity on the pontoons in Mindelo
Although there is no Racing Division in ARC+, two front runners were jostling for position throughout the passage. And with just over 200nm to go, it was neck and neck between Nico Cortlever’s X-612 Nix and Swedish Swan 651 Adrienne II skippered by Martin Andersson, with both hoping for the glory of rounding Pigeon Island and heading over the ARC+ Finish Line first. In an elapsed time of 10 days 4 hours 51 minutes 18 seconds, Nico and the Nix crew triumphed in the end, and arrived in great spirits having enjoyed their passage with “Constant tradewind conditions since we left Mindelo between 20-25 knots with occasional squalls and gusts blowing up to 30 knots. Even so we always had our sit down dinner! Although losing our second genoa and spinnaker we were able to keep up our speed and never got under 10 knots.”
Mindelo welcome party
Over the following week, the once-quiet dockside at the IGY Rodney Bay marina was transformed into the venue for a mobile party, each new arrival greeted to cheers, waves from friends, and of course ice-cold Saint Lucian rum punch. The Crew of Timshel shared their details of their dawn arrival - 15 days after leaving Mindelo. “It was a relief to see the lights of St Lucia appear ahead - after so many days of seeing nothing you do wonder... In a way we were sorry to have to stop, however we gybed round the north of the island and in to Rodney Bay. The folk on the finish-line boat where really helpful, and we crossed at 10.07.46 UTC according to my watch, which was just about dawn local time. At least there was some light for the photographer buzzing around in the RIB, and we could see to drive through the channel into the lagoon.
worldcruising.com
ARC+
“
The eclectic ARC+ fleet in Mindelo
We speak every day with all the fleet by SSB, sharing recipes, jokes and weather forecast and we feel more safe knowing they are around. Soon we will cross the 1500 miles line and we will expect celebrate it eating pizza and ice cream!” Vitamina
Mojeka who was driving out gave us a cheer and the crew of Arriba who seemed to be up early gave us a great welcome. I chose to hoist the flags before doing the ropes and fenders, but it was great to have Manuel with yellow shirt there to greet us and take the lines for us. We enjoyed the rum punch welcome on the pontoon, the St Lucia tourist board guy even gave us a certificate as well as the basket of fruit (and more rum). We didn’t even mind the extended procedure for checking in; it was all part of the experience. And now for the parties!” And there were certainly plenty of parties for the crews to enjoy. The ambience at the final prize-giving reflected a large family party, everyone knowing each other so well within the fleet. Ice cold fruit punch was presented on arrival at the Pigeon Island National Park and crews relaxed with magnificent views out to sea and across the northwest coast of Saint Lucia.
Those visiting the stage to collect their prizes included Nix, who took Line Honours and Division winners Havhunden (Multihulls), Anorak (Class B), and Corona AQ (Class C). As is traditional in the ARC too, it was not just crews who were successful in the competitive side of the rally who received prizes; there were many other awards given out for happenings at sea, successes and achievements as well as recognising the families and double-handed crews who took part. The shortest distance sailed, and therefore closest to the rhumb line route, won a bottle of rum, whilst a joke picked up in a blog which involved a yellow shirt buying a can of deodorant won themselves just that! Numerous participants took the opportunity of being on stage to say a few words to the assembled group, praising their own crew, congratulating all the participants as having crossed the Atlantic, and thanking the team of
Nix arrival in Saint Lucia
yellow shirts for their contribution to the success of ARC+ 2015. The last participants to be called to the stage were the crew of Corona AQ who were given a special accolade in recognition of a unique achievement. Swedish skipper Pekka Karlsson sailed the same 32ft Corona AQ in the very first ARC in 1986, and again in 1995 and 2001; Having thought his transatlantic sailing days were over, together with his wife Barbro they joined the first ARC+ in 2013 as he wanted to visit the Cape Verde Islands and the newly introduce route choice gave him the opportunity to do that! Pekka and Barbaro enjoyed the split route so much they agreed to come back and sail again this year to join in the celebrations of the 30th ARC, sailing the Cape Verde route, helped by their crew member Tomas Nilsson. As they arrived on stage, they received huge applause from their fellow crews and afterwards an emotional Pekka took Andrew aside to thank him for the recognition and simply said “My English is not good enough to explain how I feel right now”. It was an emotional way to round off the rally for 2015, but the memories of the adventure and the friendships made are sure to stay with the crews of ARC+ for some time to come.
Pekka and Barbro Karlson Corona AQ arrival
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ARC PHOTO COMPETITION Crew Satisfaction - by Marie-Clare Scragg on Dona Flor
Photo Competition Over 300 photos were submitted by crews for the ARC 2015 Photo Competition and the entries this year certainly captured all aspects of ocean sailing. From sunrises to squalls, fishing triumphs to deck showers and spinnakers to sundowners, the WCC judging panel selected winners in the following categories: Life on Board, Moods of the Sea, Other Boats and Sighting Land. The voting was then opened to fans and followers of the ARC Facebook Page to vote for the best overall image from ARC 2015. This years’ winner was chosen as Will Barnes’ photo of a stormy sunset from onboard Friskus. Sighting Land - by the crew of Sea Symphony
Stormy Sunset - by Will Barnes on Friskus
Belladonna in high seas - by Anders Asplund on Spirit V
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LATITUDES
Crew Matters
Summer 2016
‘Hanging out the washing’ Eupraxia
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, most skippers, and all skippers on an ARC rally, need crew. Finding, managing and keeping crew is key to both a happy ship and a fruitful rally experience for all parties. Many key points are covered in the excellent ARC rally handbook. However, with the professional and personal perspective of a recent World ARC circumnavigating psychologist, this article brings together, unscientifically, individual experiences, anecdotes and lessons learnt from our fleet. A simple practical framework for managing the dynamics of human behaviour and communication is explained. Together these will help crews and skippers alike avoid some of the pitfalls and enhance their rally experiences.
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Dinner at sea on Isbjorn
Marian Borde is a chartered business psychologist and circumnavigator. She has 25+ years experience as an executive coach, facilitator and communicator. Marian first crossed the Atlantic in a nine metre yacht in 1982. Completing ARC + 2014, World ARC 2015-2016 on Exody, a Sadler Starlight 39, she has just sailed on ARC USA, en route home to Scotland via Greenland and Iceland.
CREW MATTERS
So how did we choose our crew? Nothing scientific but still well considered. We asked only family and friends who had already sailed with us either in the Caribbean or Scotland - even if forty years ago! We drew the line at strangers as we felt we would have to embrace too many unknowns. On a compact boat at sea it would prove too challenging. Where possible we also invited potential participants to the short hops in Europe to make sure they were okay with being on an ocean. This helped with self-selection as one pulled out well in advance of being stuck amidst the Indian Ocean. Tendency to recurrent and debilitating seasickness was also really important to rule out. Our method of choosing crew was echoed by others in the fleet. There was emphasis on the ability to be flexible, on people who were easy going, with a sense of humour, and with ‘handson’ attitudes - no prima donnas. Others have agreed that they chose some crew deliberately for a distinct skill set, not necessarily directly sailing related, mechanical and electrical engineering background, IT skills, cooking, teaching. A positive attitude, curiosity still intact, a proactive approach, broad conversation and a willingness to learn were generally much more important than credentials in sailing. To have both of course would be a score!
Understanding Folk Many people think they’re communicating clearly when in fact their words and meanings are passing like ships in the night. If we are thinking about picking, choosing and keeping crew then knowing something about personality types is helpful. Not that you would not have someone who is a particular type, more how you manage the dynamic onboard Sail maintenance Thalassa
‘Deckwork’ Eupraxia
by understanding and respecting different preferences.It is all about communication and may seem like common sense but do we apply it in practice? Communicating in any relationship brings out the best and the worst of each of our preferences, bringing both similarities and differences into sharper focus. Some will have been on team development courses and be familiar with this personality profiling and preference material. For them it is a recap, for others an introduction. We all have distinct fundamental preferences which cause us to behave in certain ways in all aspects of life. These are not right or wrong nor are they good or bad - they are simply how each of us instinctively prefer to interpret the world. Much used and tested globally and cross-culturally over five decades, the framework has been proven. So with a bit of observation and self-awareness most of us can improve our understanding both of ourselves and of others.
There are four pairs of preferences, and everyone is somewhere along the spectrum for each pair.
1) How we are energised - extroverts versus introverts Extroverts speak their thoughts out loud, so if you wish to know what they are thinking, listen to them. They also enjoy bouncing ideas off of others, and talking through things which energises them. At the other end of the spectrum Introverts like to think things through before they speak and recharge their batteries by needing space and quiet time for concentration. A taciturn skipper may simply be thinking through the options. A questioning mate simply needs to know when to hold back on the asking of questions.
2) What we pay attention to - detail versus big picture There are those who delight in specifics and fine detail, and enjoy the nitty-gritty of sorting through a challenge. There are others who want to understand the context, and big picture and may find they wish to avoid getting bogged down in the detail. Listen to the VHF transmissions, you can hear those who want as much detail as possible and others who are after the broad brush. Our safety brief, very necessary, yet it was easy to observe some crew’s eyes glazing over quickly with the level of detail while others, really appreciated the fact that we had been so thorough.
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CREW MATTERS Life on board Homer
What do World ARC 2015/2016 participants say? Skippers and crew have given a flavour of the kind of issues that astute skippers and crew need to apply their personality profiling skills to! If one party loves tasty food and will try their best on a crossing, but the other is happy with pot noodles, there is disparity to address. Their attitudes to fresh fruit and vegetables. For some these are vital ingredients for others they may be happy opening a tin. Are you a dry boat (no alcohol while sailing) or a no-smoking boat - be upfront and very clear on the non-negotiables. Cleaning/tidying after use of bathroom and kitchen facilities. One cannot assume that everyone has the same standards of cleanliness so explaining what is expected on a particular boat is crucial. If you are really tidy, someone who is the opposite will drive you mad and long term this will have a negative impact on morale.
3) How a person decides things: logical versus emotional
4) How a person lives and the lifestyle they adopt: organised or spontaneous.
Some are pragmatic, logical and objective in structuring the information for decisions, others are more emotionally considerate or values driven - seeking harmony and to include others in the process to avoid conflict.
For some, if there is a deadline to meet or a goal to complete, it is more comfortable to get that thing done before they have fun. For others, the emphasis is on keeping their options open and not living what to them might seem too controlling a lifestyle. For them a deadline may only be a guideline!
A decisive skipper may be completely blind to the emotional needs of the crew - logic for the safety of the boat overriding all else. For that skipper, communication is what it is: information, and nothing more. In and of itself it is entirely impersonal. A considerate mate may unrealistically wish to involve the whole crew in most decisions, e.g options in port, provisioning and meal plans. For the mate communication is an experience- it is entirely personal. Onboard Koko
Meeting a tidal-gate, doing a pre-departure checklist or a rigorous MOB drill may come easier to one type. Yet the other’s ability to adapt quickly if the situation were to change also has value. When we look at these four personality preferences and their spectrums, we can recognise ourselves and others and agree that to a large extent it may be a matter of common sense to understand and respect each other. Yet when we are stressed, anxious or dealing with a challenging situation, our common sense can go out of the window.
Small irritants grew that became a problem - for example interpretations of respect and responsibilities. While independence/self-sufficiency doesn’t mean taciturnity it’s often a trait, so I suspect crew must get the right balance of intelligent conversation, novel insights, humour and silence. After all, one of their main duties is to contribute to the social milieu. Great scope to learn from each other: we had a towing generator and the rope when retrieved was always very twisted - crew showed us that just trailing it behind the boat, untangled it simply.
The crew from Toujours Belle
Knowing how your crew fit into this framework before you set sail can really help in setting parameters for communication and expectation.
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CREW MATTERS Exody winner of the Tahiti Pearl Regata
Clear expectations. The skipper should be really clear and list tasks they would expect crew to perform, e.g. help keep general areas tidy, do the provisioning, deep clean boat after a long crossing etc. I think this should be as extensive as possible and leave little ambiguity. From the crew’s point of view they have to be trustworthy, relatively healthy and not be a potential emotional burden. There should be some preapproved way of resolving matters if ever they flare up.
Our main advice is to be clear about expectations regarding monetary contributions, watches and miscellaneous work on board (rust patrol, for example), cleaning, cooking, dining out, etc. Be sure to state clearly that if someone doesn’t like the conditions aboard, then they ought to not come along. If you sense that a potential crew is not happy with the expectations, pass on them. Neither side should expect that the rules can bend too much.
Embrace the fact that nothing on a boat is straight-forward, positively reframe that to state that being on a boat keeps one being resourceful and resilient. Flexibility, tolerance, patience, respect and a sense of humour will go a long way to enjoying cruising in company.
Avoiding torpedoes Finally, here is a quote from the literature on personality profiling that can be directly applied to the skippers and crew of a boat at sea “Most leaders (skippers) have learned from experience that until the multiple – sometimes conflicting – realities of key individuals and constituents have been explored, implementing a plan can be a decidedly tentative endeavour. To the degree that you resist or disallow the exploration of differing realities in your workplace (on your boat) and at home, you will spend time, money, energy, and emotion cleaning up the aftermath of plans quietly but effectively torpedoed by individuals (crew) who resent the fact that their experience, opinions, and strongly held beliefs are apparently of little interest to the organisation.” So please try and understand your own and your crews’ personalities and preferences before signing up and setting sail.
‘The hard life’ Eupraxia
Independence is a key characteristic to look for in potential crew - otherwise you end up with an extra child or a gooseberry! Would you invite someone to live with you in your home for weeks on end and bring them out with you to dinner most times you went out? No! Owners, before your spouse convinces you that someone’s sailing skills make up for the fact that they are an over-talkative pessimistic bore, please consider that you’ll be foisting this person on your rally friends at each port. Be nice to your rally friends, you will be spending a lot of time with them!
Meteorologist at work on Spirit V
Foredeck party - Myburgh
If crew ever wanted to bring a romantic partner we always said yes as then they can keep each other entertained and they can look after each other. Sensitivity around rooting around in owner’s cupboards. Be clear that it is OK to know where food stores are kept- it is ‘all of our’ boat - at least in some regards! If possible get potential crew to cook a one or two pot meal and clean up after themselves before they come on board You need to find out about the people you will be crewing for, have some face to face or Skype meetings to find get a feeling of whether they are the kind of people with whom you could spend time on a boat. Have a list of questions ready too.
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LATITUDES
Summer 2016
Around the World from A to Z
World ARC 2015-16 came to a close in Saint Lucia in April. Since the rally set off from the same shores 15 months earlier, the crews have enjoyed many extraordinary experiences together.
Ready to set off from Saint Lucia
Taking inspiration from the rally’s final prize giving speeches, and logs and surveys from the boats themselves, read on for an alphabetical reflection of the fifth edition of the round the world rally.
AROUND THE WORLD On 11 January 2015, the World ARC 2015-16 fleet set out from Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia to sail around the world. They sailed well over 26,000 nautical miles, crossed 3 oceans and visited 18 countries.
Luis & Manuela, Allegro
World ARC logo in the sand by Starblazer and Allegro
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“
When the gates of the Miraflores Lock opened, the way forward led us to the Pacific. The start is when we passed beneath the Bridge of the Americas, which we marked with blasts on the ships horn and applause.”
worldcruising.com
B – BOATS
AROUND THE WORLD FROM A TO Z Mount Rinjan, Lombok
In total, 24 boats sailed with World ARC 2015 – 10 circumnavigated with the one edition, 7 sailed half the rally to Australia and 4 joined the second half, 3 of which completed their circumnavigation having sailed the first half of the rally with the 2014/15 fleet. The largest boat, an Amel 64 Tulasi joined the fleet in Australia, but the smallest boat, sailed entirely double-handed around the world in 15 months is Luna Quest, a Rival 38.
C – CREW In all, 174 people sailed with the rally, most of whom were family of those taking part. Boats also used www.oceancrewlink.com or found crew locally along the way.
D – DOUBLE-HANDERS A Plus 2 and Luna Quest sailed their entire circumnavigation double-handed. Many others sailed multiple stages as couples, including Ayama, Exody, Garlix, Hugur, Starblazer and Tulasi.
E – EQUIPMENT A minimum level of safety and communications equipment is part of the entry requirement for World ARC, but crews of the 2015-2016 rally also had plenty of essentials and toys on board for their cruising comfort. Top items ranged from iPads to Hydrovanes, kite surfers to watermakers and Watt & Seas to SSBs, the list goes on, but all crews agreed that carrying spares and knowing how to maintain items was vitally important. Of course, crossing oceans puts greater strain on boats and equipment than simple island-hopping or coast cruising and there were breakages and equipment failures along the way. At the final prize-giving, it was commented that Wayward Wind may very well have a piece from every country that they visited now fitted in their engine!
F – FAMILY BOATS The Craven family - Team Aretha - joined in San Blas initially planning to only be part of the rally for ARC Panama – then 15 months later, they sailed into Saint Lucia as World ARC circumnavigators! Every day during the last 15 months Caspar, Nichola and their children (Bluebell, Columbus and Willow) proved to everyone in the fleet and people at each stopover that “Yes! It is possible to sail around the world with your 3 kids; just go for what you want to do in your life as long as you get organize and plan it.” Read Caspar’s story on page 54. Three generations transited the Panama Canal on board Makena – boasting the oldest (at 83) and
youngest (at 2 years old) crew members on the rally! The core crew of Luc, his wife Sarah and baby Kai, embraced the rally as a way to see the world with a schedule, and, in all, 32 crew made up of friends and family joined them along the way.
G – GALAPAGOS The leg from Panama was a testing one with the first few days of strong winds in the Bay of Panama and then a day or two of motoring for most of the boats, before they picked up light trade winds from the SE into the Galapagos Islands. As the yachts anchored in Puerto Baquerizo in San Cristobal, the wildlife which crews had been promised was in abundance. Early visits from inquisitive sea lions tested the defences which crews had made to protect their boat from unwanted visits, from these playful but smelly mammals. Also in abundance were the authorities whose mission it is to welcome and clear international yachts into Ecuador and also to protect the Galapagos National Park from introduced species. So for each yacht to arrive, a team of up to 11 officials, visited the boat to complete the formalities. Fortunately the boats had been cleaning and scrubbing their hulls since the San Blas Islands and took the opportunity of the peace and quiet anchorage in Las Perlas to finish making hulls look like new.
“What we have seen here is so unique; we will miss this unusual “zoo”. Never before have we been so close to so many animals and birds.” Jens, Dagma & Ana, GarliX
H – HELPING HANDS They say a problem shared is a problem halved and having a helping hand to call via VHF, throwline or just along the dock is one of the major benefits of sailing with a fleet of boats. The fleet became ‘a little village’ often borrowing more than just a cup of sugar from their neighbour! From electricians to engineers, computer experts to linguists having people from all over the world with a broad range of skills to call on for assistance proved invaluable.
Meeting the local wildlife in Galapagos
Crews then visited Kicker Rock for an amazing snorkelling experience with sharks and other sea life and visited the Highlands with stunning views and the chance to learn about one of the breeding programmes for the famous Galapagos giant tortoises.
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LATITUDES
Summer 2016 One boat was completely new into the family Lagoon 45 Chat Eau Bleu. The Australian based boat joined the fleet for their big journey taking them to the Caribbean and then onto Europe.
The fleet at anchor in Cocos (Keeling)
K – KEEPING IN TOUCH Which the crews do in many ways. In port or cruising, the VHF is always on the rally channel, able to raise a friend or share a lift ashore. At sea via SSB radio the chat-net keeps everyone in contact over hundreds of miles. Emails are sent via satellite telephones and with a clever box attached to an SSB radio – slow but effective email is achieved. New for the 2015 rally was two-way messaging via the YB3 trackers. Propagating their news via the rally website using their World Cruising Club blogs was another popular pass-time, as well as personal blogs and of course Facebook, which has its very own World ARC page.
Just some examples from the 2015 fleet included a surgeon on board Allegro providing medical advice via the radio net when the young Willow fell from her bed on passage and required stitches to her forehead; Ayama sailed back in rough sea conditions to give assistance to Aretha who had rigging problems; and Makena who were always quick to provide help with their dinghy, or advice over SSB for the last boats to arrive into port, sometimes becoming the water taxi of the fleet or hosts for Skippers Briefings or cocktail parties.
I – ISLANDS Possibly unsurprisingly, the islands of the Pacific were rated as the fleet’s favourite locations of their circumnavigation. Each island group has a distinct geography and culture, from the mountains of the Marquesas, to the atolls of the Tuamotos anchoring next to the pink sandy beach, to the bustling cosmopolitan city of Papeete. The rally visits remote atolls like Suwarrow and the unique rock of Nuie, famous for being the second smallest country in the world with the clearest water in the world, and the independent cruising time enabled crews to explore the Tuamotos and Society Islands for themselves. Other favourite islands were Cocos (Keeling), hailed as one of the most beautiful anchorages on World ARC, where the children got the opportunity to swim with dolphins. The Atlantic outpost of St. Helena was also an unexpected favourite where crews swam with huge 30ft whale sharks during the 72 hour stopover.
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J - JOINING THE FAMILY After nine months sailing across the Pacific Ocean the fleet arrived at the half way point of their circumnavigation in Mackay, Australia, where sadly it was time to say goodbye to five members of the village – an unforgettable dock party was the fleet’s way of bidding them farewell. The boats then cruised the east coast of Australia to Darwin where they met four new World ARC members. Three boats Circe, Tulasi and Starblazer had sailed on the previous edition of World ARC 2014-15 and stopped for a year in the area taking part to ARC New Zealand spending time cruising from Noumea to the Bay of Islands. Victor & Mindy diving in Niue
“As usual the camaraderie over the radio net is both supportive and fun - we also had much VHF traffic over the first couple of days with the leaders warning the followers on Saturday of the imminent and sudden increase of wind and waves.” - Exody
L – LEGS And there are 29 of them; more if you include stopovers within some of the legs. The longest of them is the 2,980 nautical mile passage from Galapagos to Hiva Oa. And the shortest? The 24 hour “hop” from Mauritius to La Reunion . The open ocean passages have a combined start for the fleet, with routed weather forecasting and friendly competition. Between ocean legs there are cruising periods when boats head off alone or with buddy boats to explore islands and anchorages along the route, or coast hop to the next rally port.
worldcruising.com
AROUND THE WORLD FROM A TO Z
M – MONEY
Transitting the Panama Canal
During their circumnavigation, crews have needed to use all of these currencies: East Caribbean Dollar, Colombian Peso, Balboa, United States Dollar, French Polynesian Franc, Fijian Dollar, Tongan Pa‘anga, New Zealand Dollar, Vatu, Australian Dollar, Indonesian Rupiah, Mauritian Rupee, Euro, South African Rand, Saint Helena Pound, and the Brazilian Real.
N – NEW STOPOVERS Whilst the route around the world is set by the trade winds enabling oceans to be crossed at the optimum time, the ports along the route do vary. For 2015 a new and very welcoming stopover at Santa Marta in Columbia was added for the first time. In French Polynesia Raiatea was swapped in for Bora Bora and Lombok in place of Bali; both changes to take advantage of better facilities and avoiding shoreside difficulties. Our arrival in to Santa Marta was as spectacular as a departure usually is; the first World ARC boat to arrive, Juno of London, was welcomed by the coast Guard boat as well as the owner of the brand new IGY marina on his motor yacht who escorted Juno all the way onto her berth. For the rally’s first visit to Colombia crews had the chance to explore the city of Santa Marta and the Bolivar Park, as well as enjoy a beach BBQ afternoon. Participants also enjoyed helicopter tour of the city and went visiting a coffee plantation and a local school where WCC is sponsoring a development project. Finally the boats left under salty water sprayed by the coast guard tug over the fleet and helicopters flying around to take pictures of the start!
O – OCEANS Over the course of their circumnavigation, World ARC boats and crews sail the equivalent of an Atlantic crossing every six weeks – that’s a lot of miles. The longest passage of the circumnavigation across the Pacific Ocean is just shy of 3000nm. The Indian Ocean is split into legs via Lombok, Cocos (Keeling) Mauritius and Reunion sailing to Richards Bay, South Africa. The fleet then cross the southern Atlantic Ocean, from Cape Town to Salvador, Brazil via St. Helena.
Leaving Santa Marta
P – PANAMA AND INTO THE PACIFIC The Panama Canal transit, a highlight of any circumnavigation, began in Shelter Bay Marina with a briefing about the procedures and timings, and the long lines and extra fenders that are required during the transit were delivered to the yachts. Each yacht has an advisor from the Panama Canal Authority, on board to assist non-commercial yachts pass through the locks safely. Yachts then raft together in nests of 2 or 3 before entering the first Gatun lock at approximately 21:00. Entering the vast locks in what now seem to be very small boats was a daunting manoeuvre. Long lines are taken to the chamber walls, the huge gates close behind and soon the water starts bubbling all around as the chamber floods. Up locking is slightly more difficult than down locking because of the water turbulence in the chamber, but the skippers and line handlers all did an excellent job keeping the rafted nests safely in the centre of the locks. After completing the third of the Gatun Locks the gates open into Gatun Lake where the nest separates and moors overnight. The following morning the group motored across Gatun Lake before making the first down lock at Pedro Miguel Locks and then two more at Miraflores. “When the gates of the Miraflores Lock opened, the way forward led us to the Pacific. The start is when we passed beneath the Bridge of the Americas, which we marked with blasts on the ships horn and applause.” - Luis & Manuela, Allegro
Q – QUARANTINE The rally yellowshirts are in each rally port ahead of the fleet to make sure the arrival and clearance process runs smoothly, one of the major benefits of sailing with the rally. In Australia, despite its reputation for being a “difficult” country to enter, World ARC has developed an excellent working relationship with the Australian Quarantine Service, whose courteous and friendly staff meet boats on arrival in Mackay, Queensland to ensure that the country’ strict bio-security regulations are maintained. Advance notice and clear information is provided to crews about the requirements helping make for a smooth and stress-free clearance into Australia.
R – RECEPTIONS AND PRIZE GIVING PARTIES At each port of call where World ARC makes landfall participants are warmly welcomed by local people giving them a real a taste of the country in which they have just arrived. On the programme of activities, dinners, receptions, tours, prize giving, beach BBQ or Happy Hours are organised, well supported by officials, the marine community and local guests, who attend to show their support for the circumnavigators visit. No two welcome receptions, or prizegiving ceremonies are ever quite the same with traditional dancers performing, cultural displays, school children serenading the fleet and delicious buffets of local cuisine for the crews to enjoy.
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AROUND THE WORLD FROM A TO Z Practical gifts and donations of time, money and equipment will be forever appreciated by the people of Port Resolution.
W – WEATHER
Gift exchange in Vanuatu
S – STARTS
V – VANUATU
Propelled in to the Pacific from Contadora, or ghosting over the line in Musket Cove, Fiji , each leg of World ARC has a formal start to see off the fleet. Hosts for Rally Control came in all shapes and sizes – sometimes they were perched on a breakwater, or on board an official vessel such as the Australian Federal Police patrol boat Platypus I from Cocos (Keeling) or a local boat offered by a member of the marine community in port.
On 17 March 2015, the island of Tanna was one of the hardest hit by the Category 5 Cyclone Pam and many of the villages, homes and tourist accommodation at Port Resolution were severely damaged. The process of reconstruction began quickly after the cyclone as villagers were determined to welcome back tourism and the World ARC 2015-16 fleet to Tanna. Carrying mattresses, cooking pots, axes, and other items the fleet arrived the scheduled stopover on 11 July, to receive as warm a welcome as ever from the villagers. Crews assembled a volunteer working party and assisted some of the villagers in clearing land in preparation for a building project, whilst others devoted their time and skills to the villagers, helping with tasks such as basic electrical work.
T – TRANSPORT Taking a break from sailing, crews used a variety of different modes of transport to explore stopover locations. Helicopters provided a bird’s eye view in South America, with crews taking flights in Santa Marta and during their time in Brazil, whilst kayaks were the best way to get ashore in Fakarava and a rickety community bus, driven by a high ranking island policeman, ferried them across the island of Vava’u, Tonga. Two legs took them up the 699 steps of Jacob’s Ladder in St. Helena, up to the peak of Mount Tapioi in Raiatea and around the island on the traditional ‘hashing’ trail in Las Perlas.
A constant for the entire circumnavigation, unsurprisingly, is talk about the weather. Living on board a yacht 24/7 means that weather has a direct impact on the crews all the time. As a tradewind route, there should be plenty of downwind sailing in the sunshine, at least on the ocean passages. However, winds can be fickle and not all the sailing is across oceans. At times there were some weather challenges. In the Pacific, after leaving from Raiatea with nearly no wind at all and motoring for the first 48 hours towards Niue, the fleet then had 12 hours of storm conditions with gusts over 50 knots and swells over 4m. At this time the fleet was sailing as a group and were in permanent SSB radio contact to discuss weather and best routing options. The Indian Ocean also provided some surprises, although perhaps not unexpected on the passage to South Africa from La Reunion. Here the route drops out of the oceanic tradewind zone and is impacted by weather systems coming up from the south. A low pressure system coming from Madagascar obliged boats to sail further south of the rhumb line to avoid it, but still had to work their way through bigs seas and squalls to get to Africa. Keeping an eye on the weather ahead was the job of rally forecasters WRI. They provided a steady flow of advice, with forecasts sent to the boats at sea throughout the rally. Local briefings before coastal cruising also added to the mix, helping crews to plan and prepare for coastal legs, such as the cruise around South Africa, taking short hops, to safely navigate to Cape Town.
Local transport for the tour in St. Helena
U – UNKNOWN World ARC is often described as a big family sailing around the world. However to begin with, unless crews have sailed together in a previous rally such as the ARC or Caribbean 1500, most people will be unknown to each other. A handy “meet the crews” newsletter before the start and regularly updated “social lists” during the cruise help strangers become friends and the rally spirit to grow.
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AROUND THE WORLD FROM A TO Z
From St Helena to Brazil - the final ocean
X – XMAS & NEW YEAR
Y – YELLOW SHIRTS
Z – ZULULAND
After 10 months sailing from St. Lucia the fleet arrived in South Africa for their longest stopover of the rally. Leaving from La Reunion in early November they reached the East Coast of South Africa at Richards Bay, where Game Parks and Zulu culture were the big draw before boats left to cruise independently to Cape Town. With its delightful summer climate, and cosmopolitan feel, crew all enjoyed the very convenient V&A Marina with its plethora of shopping and entertainments. Some crews opted to use the long break to fly home to visit family, while others stayed one, inviting their friends and family to come down to Cape Town. On New Year’s Eve, a pontoon party next to the big Lagoon 620 Makena, ended with dancing on Makena’s top deck of until late into the night watching the famous fireworks over the V&A water front.
Arriving at a new port, one of the first things that participants do is to call Rally Control on channel 72 to notify their arrival. Except in St. Helena, where there is still no airport, participants have always been in port with a staff member from World Cruising Club, known informally as “yellowshirts”. Along the route, crews got to know the different yellow shirts working on the rally, always there to help, support and assist the fleet, dealing with paperwork and authorities at each port of entry, organizing tours, dinners and happy hours, calling ship chandlers to organize some repairs, giving skipper’s briefing and prizes, organizing the berthing and refuelling in some places, but also working from anywhere else in the world when the fleet is at sea to provide them the weather, correct information in arrivals sending them fleet message, publishing blogs and pictures from previous stops.
More correctly called Kwzulu-Natal, but to fill-in our last letter we will stick with the old name of Zululand. Our first of two stops on the African continent brought a change from Indian Ocean island-hopping to coastal cruising and inland exploration. After experiencing a true South African welcome with a braai and Zulu dancing, it was an opportunity to discover the amazing game parks of Natal, cameras at the ready.
Victor in Grenada
Sarah and Willow pulling crackers at Christmas dinner in Cape Town
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LATITUDES
Summer 2016
World ARC Thomas Cook for the Open Ocean? By Casper Craven
It was Pippa, my sister who coined the phrase, “Thomas Cook for the Open Ocean”. She was referring to the service that the World ARC provide supporting skippers and crews to sail around the world and achieve a lifetime ambition. She’d joined us for our transit of the Panama Canal having flown out from the UK for the 50 mile passage from Atlantic to Pacific. She penned three logs describing her experience as part of a World ARC crew member on board our Oyster 53, Aretha. We’re a family boat - we have 3 children (ages 2, 7 and 9 at the time of leaving the UK some 15 months ago) and we decided to join the World ARC in Panama, a few weeks after the World ARC started in January 2015. Her description made us consider how rallies are perceived by the sailing community as a whole. I’m pretty certain that other sailors have a range of descriptions for people who partake in rallies. I think the most common thing I’ve experienced when you tell someone you’re on the World ARC is a sharp intake of breath, a quizzical look and the comment, gosh, you’re doing it so quick you won’t see anything.
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Aretha crew family
“
I think the most common thing I’ve experienced when you tell someone you’re on the World ARC is a sharp intake of breath, a quizzical look and the comment, gosh, you’re doing it so quick - you won’t see anything.”
worldcruising.com
WORLD ARC
I get it. I really get it. It would it be great to take 5 or 6 years and to take our time as we cruise our way around the world - to experience lots more out of the way places, to spend more time relaxing and chilling in certain islands, to meet other people travelling on their own timeline, to spend more time meeting local people and experiencing more of the local cultures. It’s something we plan to do in the future to take longer to travel round the world but 5-6 years is not for everyone and for us not this time around. When we first left the UK, our plan was to circumnavigate on our own. I remember whenever someone mentioned an organised rally I’d instantly rail against it. It reminded me in part of my reaction that after years of doing bare boat charter when someone suggested that we take a flotilla holiday. Why would I do that? I want to do my own thing I don’t want to be part of a crowd - I don’t want to be told what to do, I just want my own experience and to pick my own route and timeline. After some coaxing by my wife Nichola and friends who’d done flotillas before, I decided to give it a go. Actually it wasn’t bad. It was pretty good. We went to the same places I’d have gone if we’d gone on our own, the timescales weren’t far off what we would have done anyway and we got the bonus of having some events planned and meeting up with lots of super interesting people.
So, at first pass, we sold ourselves the benefits as the safety and being part of a rally means you have a support network around you, it doesn’t really cost that much more than you’d pay anyway and someone is there to save you a load of time - ergo more time for cool stuff.
So, after a number of months sailing on our own since we left UK shores, why exactly did we join the World ARC in Panama?
The Community
The first reason interestingly wasn’t one we had thought of or truly considered. It was for peace of mind for our relatives and friends back at home. We had many critics when we decided to sail round the world and despite 5 years of planning and preparation, we still had critics telling us we were mad. Anyone who has sailed any distance will almost certainly tell you they have had their critics as well. It was my father in law who offered to contribute to the not insignificant World ARC fees if we joined the rally in Panama. They wanted peace of mind that their grandchildren were going to be safe, and the safety in numbers theory is compelling - sailing with other boats at the same time certainly means you have people who can assist if there is anything wrong. This doesn’t mean you all have to steer the same course and speed, it just means you all set off at the same time and you end up in the same place.
Back in the Caribbean - Aretha in Granada
Over time, four other benefits became apparent that just weren’t clear to me at first pass and certainly weren’t marketed to us when we’d first heard about different rallies. For example:
Being part of a community around the world has been remarkable. Meeting and spending quality time with people over an extended period of time - different nationalities, backgrounds, cultures but all bonded by a common love of adventure. We’ve made some very deep friendships - people we’ve shared massive highs and a bunch of lows with. People who will understand and get your stories because they were there at the same time, experiencing the same things. One of my observations is that the sailing community as a whole is so energising that when you suggest a new idea, most people respond by saying that’s a great idea - how can we make that stronger. Back home in the real world, the default word I experience when you suggest something new is no and the reasons you shouldn’t do things. This sailing lark - they are an inspiring bunch of can do people - rally or no rally.
On hand in every port
So, with some trepidation we joined. We rationalised that the number of days free in a marina at different parts of the world and the other various admin fees that the rally cost covered (Panama Canal, Galapagos etc) actually came pretty close to the cost of the rally itself. The realisation that the cost was close to what we’d have to pay anyway came as quite a shock to us.
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LATITUDES
Deadlines I believe that in life, nothing ever happens without a deadline. For us, we planned to do our circumnavigation over a 2 year period. Why? Because when we first came up with the idea, we figured we needed 5 years to get the money together to buy a boat and the funds needed to sail around the world (no small feat), and secondly to be back in time for my oldest daughter to start secondary school at the age of 11.
Summer 2016 You need all the time you can get for schooling, boat maintenance (which all sailors will be familiar with), and or course for experiencing places and enjoying yourself - the reason why we do this anyway, right?
Safety
We like the fact we have a deadline - when we have unlimited time in years to come, we may consider a longer open ended passage. Right now, us like the rest of the fleet have carved out time to have this experience and it is great to now be sharing plans and ideas for future experiences both on and off the oceans.
We’ve had various incidents over time - 3 days of a dark boat with no power after dirty diesel caused power failure, rigging failure and medical incidents with my 3 year old and 10 year old. In each occasion having Rally Control and boats around us who we can call on the VHF and SSB to get advice and arrange help has been invaluable. Added to this is the comfort of a twice daily SSB call to check in with other boats, share weather information, sea conditions, boat problems and so on. We have found that we may be knowledgeable in some areas of the boat, but l am the first to admit we are not expert on all parts. Having help a radio call away to diagnose problems and prompt solutions has been the difference between motoring to the quayside and sailing up to a quayside in a busy unforgiving harbour.
One big help that that has been apparent and which we didn’t appreciate at the outset was the World ARC handle pretty much all of the admin and paperwork - especially important in countries which love paperwork in duplicate and triplicate. For a boat with three very active and lively children, having someone to do the admin and paperwork is no small thing which there is not only a cost element, but a big time saving too.
The World ARC also demands that all the boats are up to a certain safety standard before they are allowed to join, while you might be a competent sailor the wide ocean is a pretty unforgiving place. Forcing the boats to keep up to scratch safety wise may seem a bit of a tedious tick in the box job, but you never know when one of those ticks in the box might be the bit of comms or equipment that saves you.
We had a fixed amount of time. Whilst on the rally, having someone drive the timeline for us to make sure we get around inside 2 years has meant we’ve had to focus less on timings and focus more on the children and the experiences. It’s been vital for us having someone drive this and has meant we’ve made the weather windows in the different oceans.
“
it’s you, your boat and the elements as it always will be whether you go on a rally or not.”
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Entertainment There are of course the parties and events which all add to the fun. While I am generally against some mass organised tours, some of the group visits have been exceptional and had we not been part of the World ARC there is a very real chance we would have missed some brilliant highlights of some the countries. We have heard many people on the radio asking for berths and being told to hove to and wait until one comes available. Having a rep welcome you in no matter the hour may seem a bit over the top to people not on the World ARC, but after 20 days at sea, at 3am, trying to navigate a complicated marina with a closed port office, a friendly voice on the VHF helping guide you in and saying there is a space with your name on and help is at hand to take your ropes while the other fleet boats toot to welcome you is truly an experience that is difficult to describe in appreciative words how big a smile it puts on your face. For us with hindsight now, it is a no-brainer being part of a rally. Especially with the children and what I consider to be our extended family - the children have learnt so much from getting to know different members of the fleet and we get the added bonus of having people around to help with babysitting on the rare occasions we get a night out alone! The seas are open to all of us – our boats all float in the same water and are pushed by the same wind but there are many ways to experience them.
Mindy from Wayward Wind arriving in Grenada
M
worldcruising.com
WORLD ARC
I am absolutely certain that for a large number of people, the idea of an organised rally is anathema to them. For others, I would encourage a look at it. For us as family boat it has been way beyond our best expectations and I’m glad I have been converted. Thomas Cook for the open ocean? I think anyone who has been several hundreds or thousands miles offshore, will know that when you are out there, it is you and your boat. No entrance fee or rep can fix your boat, reef the main sail or help you sail it when your tired - it’s you, your boat and the elements as it always will be whether you go on a rally or not. The big difference is how much extra spare time you have to enjoy a country and how many real friendships have grown not over a pint in the port bar but over a year or shared experiences of laughter and tears… this is where the World ARC experience to us has been priceless. Happy and safe sailing everyone
Caspar Craven, Aretha Marlec x2 ADS 200x138 HR.pdf
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INSURANCE TIPS
Admiral Yacht Insurance representatives visit their clients in Las Palmas before the ARC start.
When the worst happens! Advice for cruisers from Admiral Yacht Insurance
Despite all the best preparations, equipment and sailing experience, many active and adventurous sailors will experience an incident or accident at least once in their sailing career. Some of these experiences will just leave bruised egos. Others will be more serious and will unfortunately result in damaged craft but hopefully not injury. Bob Samuels, who is a keen sailor and the Claims Manager at Admiral Yacht Insurance, a corporate sponsor of WCC rallies for many years, gives his guidance on what to do when the worst happens. Yachting incidents and accidents happen in a whole variety of circumstances and my aim is to provide some advice as to what to do if you have an accident in your vessel. For simplicity we will deal with one of the most common examples – colliding with a moored yacht when leaving a marina as can often happen when visitors are not familiar with local conditions, and marinas are crammed full at the height of the season. In this example, imagine you have been blown down on to another yacht and despite your crews’ best efforts at fending off, you have caused some damage to it.
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INSURANCE TIPS to provide information to their Underwriters and local support to you.
After an accident, take steps to prevent further damage.
It is very useful for your insurer to have photos of the damage to your yacht and the other vessel at the earliest opportunity, so if you are able to provide these and send them by e-mail, it will help the understanding of your situation in the early stages. It is also important, if you can, to provide photos showing the condition of the third party yacht and undamaged areas, and relevant features such as inadequate mooring lines that may have contributed to the damage. Your insurer will send you a claim form to complete and return along with repair estimates when you have them.
Control the situation The important thing is to try to keep everything under control, so that further applications of throttle and rudder don’t make the situation worse with subsequent collisions with other yachts. Once you have extracted your yacht and secured it, your first priority is to make sure no one has been hurt by the impact either on your yacht or vessel you have collided with or on the pontoon.
At this early stage do not accept liability or offer apologies as there may be circumstances that will surface later that mean that they or the marina facility providers or some other vessel operator were partly liable. Help them as necessary, advise them to check to make sure they haven’t got a leak, and then arrange a time to meet again to exchange insurance and contact details. Possibly the other vessel involved will be unattended, so you will need to check her as best you can externally. Marina staff will also help with this.
Check for damage
Report the incident
Then you need to check whether your yacht has been holed in the collision, and is taking on water. If it is, you obviously need to try to stem the leak. Ask someone to quickly arrange with the marina or yard for emergency pumping and lift out at the earliest opportunity.
Your next visit must be to the harbour or marina office to report the incident. If the other vessel is unattended ask them for her owners contact details so that you can contact them. Often the marina staff will notify them, and if they are local, they or their representative will soon appear on the scene. Subject to local regulations, you may also need to report the incident to the local maritime police or coastguard; the marina/ harbourmaster will advise on this. They will wish to examine your ship’s papers and insurance certificate. So far you have made sure everyone and everything is safe, notified all you need to, and it is now time to return to your yacht to call your insurance company to let them know what has happened.
Talk to witnesses Your next priority is to see whether there were any independent witnesses to what happened, perhaps on other yachts. Witnesses disappear from the scene very quickly, and their contact details need to be captured in case a statement is required to support your position, if you think someone else has some liability for what happened.
Communicate with the other party or their representative Your next task is to visit the other party’s vessel to check their situation. Most owners are very understanding, but naturally owners can be very upset that their pride and joy has been damaged.
If you subsequently receive some correspondence from the third party or their insurer pass it unanswered to your insurer who will respond appropriately. Marina and harbour incidents can attract shady individuals who will offer to take and pass on money to the absent owner to cover repairs. Clearly this is not a good idea! Similarly don’t be tempted to take money at the time for your repairs if the other party is at fault. Your damage may turn out to be more extensive than initially apparent. For other incidents, such as groundings and strandings your priorities remain the same; safety of all involved and the vessels, preventing the situation getting worse and getting to a place of safety, reporting, contact capture, and obtaining repair estimates. Good communication all round is key. If possible involve your insurer in making and agreeing salvage arrangements or tows at significant cost at the time, but if not act as if uninsured throughout , mitigating further risks and minimising costs to everyone’s advantage. A calm, methodical approach from the beginning can allow any claims to be resolved without drama later.
Contact your insurers with as much information as possible Admiral has an SOS e-mail address which is monitored out of hours to enable incidents to be notified immediately and assistance provided. They will provide useful advice and decide whether they need to appoint a local surveyor
Talk with any witnesses after an accident.
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BOOKS & GEAR
footwear and documentation to be kept separate from the rest wheeled alternative and a substantial amount of space with
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Books & Gear 1: QUICKSTART Circumnavigation Guide: Proven Route and Sailing Itinerary Timed for Weather ISBN/EAN13: 1530491975 / 9781530491971 US$39.95
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2: Marina Jacket Colours: Graphite, Grey, Red and Vivid Blue Sizes: XS-XXL Price: £69.00 (15% discount for WCC members via WCC website & Free UK Delivery) Ideal for a sudden tropical shower, Gill’s Marina Jacket weighs less and packs smaller than any other jacket in their range but still offers fully waterproof and breathable protection as you’d expect from a Gill waterproof. This lightweight jacked includes a hood with 2-way adjustment, protected front zipper, adjustable cuffs and outer pockets can also be secured with a zip.
Charlie & Cathy Simon Feel like you are on your world cruise with this overview guidebook for sailing the world co-authored by Captain Charlie Simon and, his wife, Cathy, while on their sailboat Celebrate, a Taswell 58. Easy-to read, wellorganized and entertaining, at the end of reading this book one could ask, “Do you want to take this trip?” The emphatic answer is, “Yes. Let the voyage begin!” For those fantasizing about a longer sailing voyage, a Pacific Ocean cruise or more, this book gives readers an excellent place to start. Although possibilities are limitless, most cruising circumnavigators follow a basic route similar to the one described in the book. It’s the most comfortable way to go (dictated by global weather patterns) as explained in the book’s useful reference section. 172 pages, full color, 154 color pictures, 18 maps, 49 satellite/aerial diagrams, numerous website links, blog entry quotes, index, and bibliography. Available at Amazon.com and retailers for $39.95, and at http://worldsailing.guru/book
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3: Atlantic Islands 6th edition Author RCCPF / Anne Hammick & Hilary Keatinge Price: £45.00 (10% discount for WCC members) This new sixth edition of Atlantic Islands builds on solid foundations - the authors’ long familiarity with the area, invaluable local contacts and feedback received from yachtsmen and women during its lifetime of almost three decades - makes it an invaluable companion for those cruising the area. Atlantic Islands covers the Azores, Canaries, Madeira and Cape Verde Islands, and this new edition has been extended to include Bermuda. This additional section will be especially important for US-based yachts and the eastbound Atlantic crossing such as ARC Europe.
4: Imray Digital Charts are now available on Raymarine chartplotters Imray charts are now available for Raymarine chartplotters. Updated quarterly, Imray Digital Charts use raster images so that they correspond exactly to the Imray paper charts. Each digital chart pack is georeferenced and quilted to zoom and pan smoothly among hundreds of the equivalent paper charts for that area. Imray’s acclaimed large scale harbour plans are included, providing all necessary information in one place. Collaborating with Johnson Outdoors Canada Inc. (formerly Northport Systems Inc.), these digital versions available via the Raymarine Lighthouse Chart Store (choose Brand>Imray). Packs include: ID10 North Sea South & East; ID20 English Channel; ID30 West Coast of Britain & Ireland; ID50 Western Mediterranean; ID60 Central Mediterranean; ID40 Atlantic France & Iberia
5: Luggage range from Gill Colours: Dark Grey / Jet Black Prices: From £15 (15% discount for WCC members via WCC website & Free UK Delivery) Gill’s extensive luggage range has been designed with sailors in mind; the large capacity Cargo range includes designs from 40L to 115L and features ventilated compartments and zippered sections allowing wet kit, footwear and documentation to be kept separate. A firm favourite is the Tarp Barrel Bag, constructed from a puncture resistant tarpaulin fabric to really stand the test of time and survive the hardest of journeys. The Waterproof Backpack is also made from a puncture resistant waterproof fabric with stitch-free welded construction to provide 20 litres of fully waterproof storage with an adjustable roll-top closure.
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SAINT LUCIA WELCOMES ALL ARC PARTICIPANTS TO ITS SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL SHORES
A Warm Welcome to Saint Lucia The idyllic island of Saint Lucia is a sensory delight, full of beautiful scenery, scents and sounds. From the UNESCO world heritage Piton Mountains, to the Caribbean’s only ‘drive-thru’ volcano, beautiful palm-fringed beaches and award-winning accommodation, there’s something for everyone. For more information visit stlucia.org or email information@stlucia.org