Northern Child Passage Log

Northern Child has arrived safely in Gran Canaria

Northern Child left Gibratar with 5 crew on the 23rd October, with 20 - 25 knots forecast from the NNE. Excellent conditions for a quick run down to the Canaries. On the 3rd day of the passage Northern Child hit new speed records surfing down the Atlantic Swell.  First Lucy hit 16.1 knots, quickly topped by our crew Simon who achieved an amazing 18.1 knots.  Christian saved face by reaching 18.4 knots an hour later with winds gusting up to 35 knots. Amazing for a 23 tonne Swan!

Northern Child stopped  in Lanzarotte for 3 days, a favourite spot of the crew, great for outdoor sports. We took the crew to Timanfaya a 50km² national park at the heart of Lanzarote; characterised by historic volcanic crators and lava flows.  The sporting element of the crew also took the opportunity to go for a surf on Famara beach in the North after being inspired by the Red Bull surf competition.

  

After a relaxing few days Northern Child left Lanzarotte for the last 95nm night sail to Gran Canaria. She will be moored in Las Palmas for the next 3 weeks preparing for the ARC which starts on the 21st November.

03/9/10 Malaga – Almeria – Palma

The forecast for the passage to Almeria was light head winds and was very accurate.  Andy and crew were forced to motor all the way there.   Geoff and Bernice arrived in plenty of time for their flight and departed Northern Child after almost 2000nm.  Andy and the two George’s refuelled once again with the prospect of more motoring and continued on towards Palma where we had arranged our rendezvous on 6^th September.

As Lucy and I arrived at the visitors dock in the Real Club Nautica (RCN) de Palma, Northern Child was just motoring into the marina – perfect timing.  We caught the lines and welcomed Andy and crew into Palma at 1500hrs on Monday 6^th.  It had been George’s birthday on the 5^th and the rule is that if you have your birthday on passage you are allowed another birthday the day you make landfall.  So, true to form, after washing NC down, we headed out into Palma for a meal and a few drinks to celebrate George’s birthday.

A good night had by all, next morning we took advantage of the swimming pool at RCN.  It is worth mentioning that the Spanish really know how to provide a good sailing club.  They generally have an outdoor swimming pool, gym, restaurant, wifi and several function rooms putting our very simple English clubs very much in the shade.  On the plus side, we do bring in the medals!!!

It was again time to leave Palma and head for our final destination, Sardinia where we will compete in the Swan Worlds.   Apparently there are over 100 Swans already signed on which makes certain for a great regatta.  Although I admit to being very biased, I have to say that the thought of 100 Swans is very exciting, they are in my opinion some of the most beautiful yachts in the World.

30/8/10 Cascais - Puerto Banus

After our slightly longer than planned stop, we departed Cascais, once again in nice Northerlies making for easy, fast sailing. The forecast was for Easterlys out of the straights of Gibraltar for every day apart from Thursday when the wind would vere around to the West for 24 hours before shifting back.  We arrived at the Gibraltar straights just after daybreak on Thursday with favourable wind, tide and current.  The Gibraltar straight's has an unusual phenomenon where you have tide and current sometimes in opposite directions. This is due to the water evaporation in the Mediterranean which is constantly being replaced by a surface flow of water into the Med.  Needless to say, we timed our entrance perfectly with the tide and with a Westerly wind through the straights has a very pleasant sail into the Med.

We decided that as this stop would be our last stop with Geoff and Bernice before they flew home, we would go to Puerto Banus for some people watching, car spotting and superyacht gloating, rather than the less magical Gibraltar!  I said I would tell you about our crew and so I had better tell you about Geoff and Bernice before they disappear.  Geoff works in the defence industry, manages lots of people, which he tells me is all about delegation (which watching him order Bernice and Lucy around NC to hoist sails and trim sheets I would have never guessed...) and is a life long sailor.  Geoff and Bernice sail a Laser 4000 and also have a Sigma 33 which they race and often win in the very competitive Sigma fleet.  Bernice works in hospitals and is Geoff’s crew and has also sailed all her life. Bernice and Geoff plan to do some World cruising at some stage and so came on Northern Child to get a ‘feel’ for some longer distance stuff.  Geoff thanked me personally as after the SW gale in the Bay of Biscay, Bernice agreed that they could buy a bigger boat when they head off!!

We arrived in Puerto Banus at 1600hrs on 2^nd September ready for the sights, sounds and one of the very nice 15 Euro 3 course set menus on the quay – yummy bargains!!  Before main course I had counted 6 Bentley Continentals, 3 Ferraris, 2 Aston DB9’s, 1 Lamborghini, Porsche’s & Mercedes two a penny.  Some great number plates too; DINOS, ICES, TOP BOY.............  The usual array of pretty young things looking for large wallets (err love) and lots more.  A fun place for a night for sure.

Lucy was up and off early on a flight home for her sisters’ last minute wedding on the 4^th Sep.  I settled up the bill at Puerto Banus, gave back the remote controls for the pontoons and topped up the tanks with fuel.  As our flights were booked so late, I couldn’t catch the same flight.  Lucy got the midday flight to Southampton and I got the late night flight to Bristol – Brrrrilliant........

We motored to Malaga in very light head winds and I prepared the boat for our next 2 crew; Andy and another George who were joining in Malaga where I left.  When we arrived in Malags, Andy and George were waiting. Andy is a professional skipper I met whilst we did our Oceanmaster Thoery Course.  Andy spent 8 years sailing an Oyster 55 around the World with a lady owner.  Andy came on board to skipper Northern Child to Palma and so I spent a couple of hours going through the boat systems and safety equipment, before departing for my late night flight back to BRISTOL.....

I threw off Northern Childs lines and watch them motor away – a strange feeling and the first time anyone has taken her sailing without me on board since June 2009.  However, knowing Andy and his ability, I was very relaxed about leaving NC is his charge. Andy, Geoff, Bernice, George & George headed off to Almeria to drop Geoff and Bernice off for their flights.

28/8/10 La Coruna - Cascais

We slipped our lines in La Coruna at 1600hrs on the 28^th August to head on to Cascais – a favourite stop of ours on the way down to the Med.  With a more favourable forecast of Northerlies we felt back in business and indeed we were – some great downwind sailing, averaging 8 knots for much of the passage before losing the wind and having to motor some 30nm from Cascais.  We decided to do our final run in procedure of tidying NC, getting sails packed away and showering to give maximum time ashore to enjoy Cascais.  As we approached Cabo Finisterre just a few miles from the Coast, local land/sea effect picked up a steady 30 knot wind from the quarter, so we simply unfurled the genoa, turned off the engine and sailed under genoa at about 9-10knots for the last 10nm – a real bonus and an earlier beer!!

We showed Geoff, Bernice and George the beautiful Cascais and took them to a pretty little square with outdoor tables by all the restaurants.  There’s only one thing on the menu for me after a passage at sea – steak, and mine was served on a hot stone with pepper sauce and a lovely oven baked jacket potato – Heaven.......  An added bonus was that we had arrived in Cascais on the final day of their Festival of the Sea.  Live music on the sea front, like literally a latin pop star (not that we’d heard of him) but great atmosphere.  We sat and enjoyed a few drinks in a bar over-looking the stage before heading back to the Marina and our beds.  The night wasn’t over there though, as if ordered for us, as we left the bar a firework display launched from barges in the bay similar to the Cowes week fireworks started – a brilliant treat!!

The following day some slightly jaded crew went in different directions; beach, shops, supplies and for Lucy and I, belt shopping, not fashion but spare alternator belts.  We decided to stay another night waiting for favourable conditions.

23/8/10 Brest - La Coruna

Crossing the Bay of Biscay is always something that you are glad to get behind you on your way to the Med.  It is fairly infamous and known for big seas and so if you get across easily you feel lucky and as though you have tackled the first major hurdle on the way.  Last year our crossing was easy with 100nm of broach reaching in 20knots, 100nm of motoring in absolutely no wind and flat seas and then the final 100nm in 25-30 knots on the quarter, exciting, fast sailing!!!

We always look at the weather carefully for passage, especially the Bay and the local forecast in Brest, combined with internet forecasts and downloaded forecast from our on board weather software looked like another similar crossing.  With the exception of maybe some 15-20 knot head winds for the last 100nm.  Well the first 100nm was great, sunshine and 20 knots on the quarter – the question was, how long would it hold before it died and we had to motor and then beat into head winds?  Well pretty much as forecast which was great.  In fact until the last 100nm it was all pretty good, but that’s when the wind and rain arrived.  Not the forecast 15-20knots, but a proper SW Gale – 28 to 34 knots, rain and poor visibility.  In one hour on watch, Lucy and I had had everything from full sail to motor-sailing and then 1 reef, no headsail, staysail and then 2 reefs (almost all the tricks in our bag).  As the conditions deteriated and life on board became hard work, Lucy and I decided to break the watch pattern and do the hours of darkness in the heavy weather ourselves.  A night of slamming large seas and for me mixed emotions.  On one hand, feeling for the crew who were uncomfortable and perhaps outside of their comfort zone.  On the other, really quite exhilarating sailing; pitting yourself and your boat against the raw elements of the wind and the sea.  I know one thing for sure, that’s when you’re glad you’re in a heavy displacement Swan.  Solid, safe and capable of dealing with whatever the elements throw at it.  Very happy not to be in any number of new plastic boats like cheap German or Bendy Toy boats!!!

It was a fairly long night, hard work at the wheel having to steer Northern Child up the faces of the waves and then down the back.  Then occasionally a wave out of pattern and no visibility – CRASH – off the other side, water over the foredeck, but NC the good old girl reassuringly took it all on the chin and sailed on.  As morning broke the wind had moderated to 25-30knots and life on board was a little more comfortable.  As we came off watch and Geoff and Bernice took over, we felt that we had got through the worst of it.  We did get a revised forecast which showed winds in the mid twenties for the next 2 days from the SW and so I decided to call a professional weather forecaster to get a view on the outlook.  He confirmed what I thought – if we weren’t in a hurry, head into La Coruna saving us another 100nm hard beating and spend the night there.   No arguments from the crew, that’s just what we did.  As we broke through the grey cloud some 30 miles from La Coruna the wind dropped to a confortable 10-15knots.  A pod of pilot whales was spotted swimming West astern of us, our first sighting of the trip and a welcome treat. After several more hours sailing we arrived in La Coruna at 0200.

A pleasant 36 hour stop in a new city, warm showers, a chance to properly dry out the boat and her kit and a great meal in great company.  We were treated after dinner to an open air Orchestra in the town square, the setting almost feeling Bond’esque – maybe Quantum of Solace at the Opera in the beautiful warm evening.  Back on track and the Bay behind us!!

20/8/10 Portsmouth - Brest

We departed Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth on 20^th August, 1600hrs with crew; Geoff, Bernice and George – more on them later.  The forecast for the following 48hrs was SW Force 4-5, overcast with rain showers.  This was not exactly the ideal forecast for the start of our 2000nm sail to Sardinia, however time and tide wait for no man and we have a Regatta in Sardinia to get to!!

The weather forecast didn’t disappoint; a 1 sided beat in fairly significant Channel chop, combined with almost continuous intermittent rain made for a very wet passage.  Wet on deck and then of course impossible to dry anything meant fairly damp down below – not the nicest bit of sailing but at least we are heading to the sunshine and warmth of the Med – I keep telling the crew (and myself).  We finally made landfall in Brest at 2030hrs local time on the 22^nd August.  Wet, tired and glad to be almost ashore, we decided to shower on board on the run in whilst motor-sailing against the tide, so that we could enjoy the lovely Pork Curry Lucy had been cooking as soon as we tied up.  Whilst Bernice was showering below, Geoff a keen and successful yacht and dinghy racer was taking every advantage of the wind against tide and managed 13.8 knots surfing down one of the waves!!

Dinner, a glass of wine, couple of rounds of the board game Articulate and then a nice early night, dry, warm and still – bliss.............

Delivery - UK to Sardinia

Northern Child is now ready and prepared to depart on her voyage down to Sardinia. Christian, Lucy and 3 crew plan to leave Portsmouth Harbour tomorrow afternoon. Weather permitting we plan to stop in Brest, Bayona, Cascais, Gibraltar, Palma and finally Sardinia.