Hello All! - Final Log Transatlantic 2011.
2/6/11
Daily run: 162nm
Miles towards Target: 141nm
Distance to go:116nm
3/6/11
Miles towards Target: 116nm
Distance to go: 0nm
Sail / Equipment: Full main and genoa + engine
Breakfast: Fruit salad and muesli
Lunch: Chineese Five Spice Egg Fried Crab Rice
Happy Hour: Walnut Brownies and Tea
Dinner: Spaghetti Bolognese and Red or Rose wine
Weather: Sunny throughout the day.
Hard to believe we are so close to arriving to our final destination. There is an excitement in the air as everyone's eyes are focused and on the lookout for land! Everyone expected our first sighting to be near Salcombe around luchtime but no land appeared it wasn’t until 2300 that we could see the light on Portland Bill and not until dawn on Friday that we saw Bournemouth in full colour. The suspension was nearly un barable, Markus was convinced he could see land at 1400 butunfortunately the rest of the crew did not have his eye sight.
Due to light winds and tides last night and today we have been motor sailing on and off making several strategic tacks when the wind shifts and to help capitalize on tides as our course continues East North East along the coast, approximately 25 miles offshore.
According to the weather report, winds are expected to increase significantly and shift around onto our bow. However they remained light throughout the day and into the night. Mid afternoon the Channel was mirror flat (a rare state) and reflecting spectacular colours. Nickolaus couldn’t believe the beautiful blue colour of the water was in the English Channel. Several sightings of Channel Turtles (aka diving ducks) were reported, while the crew took part in one last Scrabble game.
The crew have been discussing:
Will we be able to walk on land?
What's for dinner tomorrow night?
Is there life after Northern Child?
Where will I sleep tomorrow night?
Why did I/we do this?
Would I cross the Atlantic again?
Who exactly was John? Did he really exist or did we imagine him?
Traffic Report – There has been a significant increase in the number of vessels around us with much greater attention needing to be paid to the chart plotter and "Closest Point of Approach" of vessels motoring past us between 8 and 15 knots. There has also been an increase in air traffic with lots of planes spotted overhead.
There has been a photo exchanges taking place over the last 48 hours prompting memories of our earlier weeks; Yoga on the foredeck, swimming off the back of the boat... The moments seem like years ago.
When dawn rose on Friday morning the wind picked up and Northern Child was sailing along effortlessly close hauled. At 0700 the tide changed and aided us on our sail towards Portsmouth Harbour. We were beating upwind through the needles channel with everyone awe struck by the spectacular scenery around. The needles cliffs to the south and the saltmashes behind Hurst Castle spit to the north. The tide was giving us a speed over ground of up to 9.5 knots a very rewarding speed.
Northern Child sailed all the way up the Solent to Portsmouth Harbour lowering her sail just outside the harbour and motored into Gunwharf marina at 1215 to a welcome party of Lucy and Christian’s family who had brought along nibbles and bubbly.
Closing thought of the Crossing from David who’s sentiments are shared by the rest of the crew:
As we motor through our final night to Portsmouth, lots of different thoughts come to mind. My flight out from the UK and meeting the crew at Jolly Harbour seems a lifetime ago. Some of the novel experiences of the first few days, such as steering the boat at night under a starry sky or watching the dolphins swim alongside, have now become almost ordinary. In some ways, life on Northern Child has become our 'normal' life and I've been surprised how one adapts to our slightly strange three hours on/six hours off watch system with its irregular sleeping pattern. I've no doubt I'll cope with returning to a full, uninterrupted night's sleep in a warm stationary bed.
Overall the Transatlantic has been a fantastic experience and one which has pretty much matched my expectations. There have certainly been times, particularly during the mid-Atlantic storm and during the choppy earlier part of the second leg, when I can't claim to have been enjoying myself. Sometimes, while being woken from sleep at 3am to don damp waterproofs and face the cold and rain on the helm, I admit I wished myself elsewhere. I can however honestly say that even in these moments there was no time when I regretted the decision to do the trip.
I suspect most people joining a voyage like this will have had some anxieties about the challenge of living and working together in a very confined environment with an entirely new group of people. I can honestly say that our crew, with their different personalities and backgrounds, have got on extremely well had had great fun.
It's now time to return to our various real lives. I for one have missed my family, friends and countless mundane parts of life at home tremendously and am ready to get there.
Goodbye, Northern Child.
