Tour America

So after an emotional departure from San Francisco we headed out to Yosemite National Park, about a 4 hour drive. We found the visitor information and got some tips of where to go, then drove through the park to our B&B on the other side. The B&B was a real hippy-ish place and the buildings were all painted purple and orange! It was really cool!

We got up early on the first day and headed back into the park. Aparently we timed it just right because earlier in the year teh park is snow-bound and the trails aren't open, and later in the year it all dries up and becomes scorching. We did a good hike with millions of switch-backs up to the middle of the Yosemite Falls which were in full flow and stunning. The sheer size of the valley walls and the steepness are what really blows you away. On the second day, we went up to the quieter end of the valley and walked upto mirrow lake where you can sea the mountains and scenery reflected in the still waters. Its a really peaceful place to be and makes the valley seem twice as tall. Me and Dad aslo did a 'Ranger Stroll' in the afternoon and learnt all about the glacial geology - woopwoop!

We then flew from there down to Las Vegas to get at the other National Parks we were planning to visit. The airoplane must have seated about 20 people and has propellas on the wings - it looked more like a lego toy! We spent one night in Vegas on the strip in the Flamingo Hotel, which is the oldest casino. I didn't really leave the room and went to bed early in our maaarr hoosive room! Vegas isnt really my scene!

We then headed out towards the Grand Conyon and stopped off at the Hoover Dam. Again, like everything else in America the dam is soopersized. Someting like 400ft across at the bottom and 450 feet tall, it took five years to build, and holds back stupid amounts of water from teh Colorado River to stop it flooding in winter and the drought in summer. We did the tour round the inside of the dam which was really cool, we saw the hydroelectric generators and walked round the observation tunnels where the egineers have marked all the cracks! Nothing to worry about though!

From there we headed out to the Grand Canyon. It was too late to go into the Park when we got there so we found our motel and caught up on some sleep. In the morning we got up early and booked ourselves onto a tour run by the National Goegraphic. The guide was called Jason, or 'Tank', had long hair in a ponytail and liked to drive the bus with no hands. There were only 7 of us on the tour so we really got the most out it. Also, Tank knows all the really cool spots and told us loads about the plant life and wildlife aswell as the Geogrophy and Geology. The Canyon is a real spectacular site, and everyplace you stop at you see it differently. Climbing right out to the edge and dangling your feet over the 2000ft drop is a real thrill! One that Mum refused to even try! Unfortuantly in the afternoon it decided to snow so we couldn't see anything as the clouds were in the Canyon and on top of it, so we headed home and planned our journey to Bryce.

Its important to remember that most of these places are all in the middle of the Sierra Nevada and the Navada Desert. So even though its cold and snowy at the moment, there is very little water in most places and the freeway cuts across some of the hottest and freakiest looking places on earth!

We stayed just outside Bryce Canyon National Park at a B&B caleld Buffalo Sage, run by a lovely lady called Alice. She makes waffles for breakfast. Enough Said. We only had one full day so we made the most of it. Bryce Canyon isn't really a Canyon its just named after a section of it. Its more like cliff face which has been eroded into wierd spits, stacks, collumns and arches which look like soldiers stood to attention. And they are all made out of a bright red limestone that really stands out from the reast of the scenery. We got up early and did a hike which went down into the canyon and weaved in and out of the collumns which are called Hoodoos. Getting up close and personal with them is so much better than seeing them from on top. After a minor detour up a section of trail that we thought was the right way and turned out to be a dead-end at teh top of a very steep and crumbly path, we finally made it back to the car. We spent the afternoon doing the scenic drive and stopping at all the 'vistas'. The sheer number of Hoodoos and the vidvidness of their colours makes Bryce my favourite stop on our tour!

Our suposed last stop was Zion National Park. Its much smaller than the others but is still stunning. The Canyon is sandstone whihc has been eroded by the River which runs through it. We did a gentle hike up to small water falls which fall in three stages and have 'Emerald Pools' at the bottom of each step. We then walked up to the end of the valley where the walls of teh canyon become really narrow and the hike any further you have to go through the river! Dad was well up for it but unfortuantely the trail was closed as the spring floods were in full flow.

All four national parks we visited are completely different to each other and the diversity amazed all of us. Even within each park you can see different levels of development and different plantlife and wildlife. Also, I never really appreciated how huge America was before now. If I was going to sail across it would probably take about 4 weeks! And now we are still stuck in Las Vegas waiting to be told when we can fly home. The boats will be leaving tomorrow evening at 6pm thier time and heading off to the tropics (Jamaica leading of course) whilst we wander around watching all the free stuff and trying not to be conned into loosing fortunes! Unfortunately we have to eat but my tan is getting back to buisness! Have that, Pacific Ocean! xxx

Stranded!!

As I’m sure you have all heard, a volcano has erupted on Iceland leaving a large ash cloud over the UK and Europe, meaning that all flights to and from home have been cancelled. The next possible flight for us to catch home is on the 22nd so we will be back in the UK sometime on the 23rd. This means we have almost a whole weeks extra holiday but not very much to do! Dad is busy trying to sort out hotels, flights, trains etc, whilst Mum is making use of the hotel’s ‘Laundromat’. I’ve decided the best way to spend my time right now is to fill you in what’s been going on.


So, going back in time to what seems like forever ago now, finishing the race! As we went on watch at 4am we saw the mileage to the finish was creeping down. If we keep up good speeds, we thought, we might just make the finish as the watch changes! As it turned out we made it with 30mins to spare. With just 3miles to go, watch leader Matt asks if I want to take the helm! Hell yes! The countdown was exciting and a slightly confused sea made the steering a bit tricky, plus I was being distracted by the other watch constantly asking how have through mouth fulls of bread (still no toaster!) and porridge! Crossing the line was a bit of an anti climax as the waypoint on the GPS didn’t agree with the waypoint on the Seapro so missed the real finish and had to check with Skip and Charles in the Nav Station to make sure we had crossed the line! Still an amazing feeling to know that we’d made it over 6,000 miles across the North Pacific in winter and finally achieved our goal – with another podium as well!

Arriving in San Francisco and entering under the golden gate bridge was a really surreal experience. The weather was so damp and miserable that we couldn’t see it until we were about a mile away! As it slowly loomed out of the mist the size of it blew us away. It made our little boat seem even smaller! Once under the bridge we were met as usual by the media boat with Austin (maintenance) driving, Ian and Carey (media) taking photos and filming, and Joff (race director) doing his usual VHF thing and looking important. We were asked to raise some more sail and head back out towards sea please… WHAT?! Just a ‘quick’ photo shoot later we were rushing into the Marina to catch the customs people before they went home, we would have stuck on the boat otherwise! Lots of people’s family and friends turned up to great them in, but my rents were nowhere to be seen! There excuse was they thought we were in already so there was point in rushing to see us in! However, just half an hour after we landed they were there and there were more than a few tears – most of them from the male rent!

Once I’d been to the hotel, had a shower, put some real clothes on etc it was the usual port drill. Two and two half days boat work, crew meal and prize-giving. In between all this we managed to cycle over the Golden Gate bridge and back which was cool, do some shopping (shocked faces!), and ride the trams and eat at Pier 23. Prize-giving was at the yacht club on our last night there before heading out, with a guest appearance from the American Coastguard who helped with the California rescue. It was quite emotional as I said goodbye to all of my amazing team mates and all our friends of the other boats – especially as it was the first time I’d seen Melissa and Chris off California since waving at them across the water. But all good things must come to end and this has been the best. Ever!

The boats have been delayed departing and are due to leave on the 19/20th April depending on whether Finland will make it in or not. They’re still out there soldiering on! I hope you make it guys! xxx

Arriving under golden gate!

On the pontoon

Celebrating at prize-giving at the Gloden Gate Yacht Club

Home and dry!

Friday 2/4/10

Dear All,

Lily safely arrived in San Francisco lunchtime today.

3rd over the line but 2nd after redress applied. 4 podium finishes out of 4. What a star!

News and blog update will be posted in a couple of days.

All Hands on Deck

Wednesday 31/3/10

Position: 037degs 048' 31N  130degs 21' 67W

Boat time: 11:30hrs

Just as I had finally nodded off about 12.30 yesterday lunchtime, Lindsey came running through the accomodation calling 'All hands on deck!' It took a few minutes for what she was saying to register through the sleep, but when it did, I was up, trousers, boots, lifejacket, deck, go,go, go! We had been cruising along all morning making good speeds with the 1st. reef and poled out Yankee 3 when a random side wave rolled the boat over onto the leeward side. The inboard end of the pole gave instantly and wedged itself in the starboard rigging. When I got on deck, the yankee had been brought over to the right side of the boat and they were trying to bring it under control. We untangled the sheets, brought it in and dropped it. The next task was to untangle the pole from the rigging which Charles directed expertly, 'Ease this, take in on that!' and as if by magic the pole was returned to its housing on the deck, a little battered and slightly bent, but still in one piece!

This is only the second all hands we've had since the boat left Hull (worryingly, I have been on board for both!) and the team's reaction was fantastic! Pete was very impressed with the profesional way in which we all coped with the situation. Although at the time your heart is racing and you're trying to keep your breath under control, if anything the morale onboard has been boosted. The pacific has tried its best to knock us down but once again JLB has proved her worth!

My last mother watch is almost over and ther is less than 350mls to the finish! Today me and Bel are making burgers out of a tin for lunch which will be somewhat of a novelty! We had some interesting weather yesterday and as we were huddled into the far corner of the galley, we were still being pelted by hail coming horizontally through the hatch and stinging our ankles! Unfortunately our hatch flap is broken so there is nothing we could do! Would you like one hail or two with your tea?! This is the only Mother I have done on the whole race where I have not taken any stugeron and still survived - the irony really takes the biscuit!

Good speeds mean our ETA is getting sooner and sooner and it looks like we will be in, in the next 24hours! woopwoop!! xxxxxx

The Motion of the Ocean

Sunday 28/3/10

Position: 036degs 42'91N  142degs 11'25W

Boat Time: 21:40hrs

Having spent more time on the helm this leg, in both light and heavy weather (although the light weather is now only a distant memory!), I've come to notice the different types of waves more. We have three categories: the freindly waves; the inbetweeners; and big bad bullies!

The freindly waves: the ripple - in calm conditions that tell-tale ripple on the water is the only clue that there is wind about. The gentle swell - the background motion that reminds we are still at sea whilst gently rocking us to sleep in our bunks the rollers - variable in size to steady and reliable, these waves will just keep rolling underneath you, no need for foulies!

The inbetweeners: The breakers - building up gradually behind the boat into a peak which starts to collapse in slow motion, the rush of white water gathering speed as it falls, occaisionally washing out the pushpit and the helm but usually just giving us a gentle push in the right direction. The surfers - these steep waves come charging along from behind, lift the boat up and then launch it forwards with its full force. Surfing down the face of these waves is when we achieve our fastest speeds. The tricksters - these benign looking waves just look like your average roller or surfer but a small imperfection on the face of it will cause the boat to rock and roll and veer off course, very frustrating when you've just spent the last 5 minutes bringing the boat onto a perfect heading!

The big bad bullies: The really big beasties - as you fall off the back of the last wave and look behind you, so you see the next one stacking up, its belly swelling outwards and its height reaching 2 or 3 storeys. Convinced that you'll never make it and the boat is going to pitch-pole down the face, you shut your eyes, hold your breath, and somehow you make it over the top. The sidewinders - these fickle waves are the random wanderers that break the pattern of the other sets. Approaching from a completely different angle to the rest of them, they loom over the side of the boat to come crashing down the side deck, sweeping any unsuspecting crew member with it and turning the cockpit into a swimming pool! The Matahorns - generally formed when two waves join together. The peak rises up out the ocean in a fantastic impression of the matahorn before becoming unstable and crashing over the boat, soaking everything in-sight and pouring down the compainion hatch to flood the galley and saloon - nice!

All are diffferent and somehow we manage to adapt to it all! Whether standing or sitting we are consatantly adjusting our posture to cope with the different angles...'we're going this way that way forwards and backwards over the irish sea...' - well almost!

Today we broke the 1000miles to go waypoint! This mental barrier now makes the finish seem like a reality instead of a date in the distant future which keeps getting further and further away. In roughly five days we will be back on dry land and able to enjoy the little luxuries we miss out on at sea, fresh fruit, hot showers, a steady surface to stand on! Also, I will be seeing my parents for the first time since leaving for Cape Town! They have already left and are on their way to meet us. As my time on JLB comes to a close, a real mix of emotions are running through my head. I'm excited to see Mum and Dad and to sleep in a proper bed after so long. I can't wait to wash my hair and blow dry it straight and wear it down. But at the same time I wish I was carrying on to Panama. It's been an epic 4 months on board and I really have had the time of my life! There have been ups and downs, high and lows, but at the end of the day the good times always win! xxx

On our way again!

The Mighty Pacific

Thursday 25/3/10

Position: 037degs 33' 58N  157degs 48' 62W

Boat time: 06:30hrs

After a few days of bobbing around not really going anywhere whilst we assisted California Clipper, we are finally back on our way to San Fran. We are making good progress and speed over the ground. Originally, the delay was thought to have cost us days but now it looks like we'll be getting favourable winds and will be there by the 3rd April. Fingers crossed!

Because California has lost most of her mast and her staysail and storm jib, rigging a jury rig will be very difficult so they will have to motor most of the way in. This means that all the boats nearby have to transfer as much fuel as can be spare across to California to keep her going. Fuel transfers at sea involve siphoning the fuel out of our tanks into jerry cans. Then we go alongside California at a safe distance and they throw a rope across. We then attach the cans to the rope with a fender to help them float and chuck them over the side and then the other boat winches them onboard. It's a slow process which had to be repeated with fresh water and spare batteries etc. as they still have no power to run the water maker or charge the house batteries.

We have now been relieved of our duties as Hull & Humber and Australia are now on scene and we have resumed racing. Hopefully, with the favourable winds, although perhaps a tad stronger than we would like, we will finish 2nd or 3rd at San Fran - Come on Jamiaca! xxx

Lily's Dad says: "Dear followers of Lily's blog, Sally and I are leaving for America very soon now to meet Lily when she arrives in SF. I will continue to post Lily's blog as and when I can get on-line. Her ETA is about 3 Apr at the moment and I will get Lily to post an Easter blog before we set off on our travels in the Western USA. We will be arriving back in Chester off the VT London train at 16:10 on Saturday 17/4. If anybody is around and fancies coming down to the station to see Lily that would be great! Also, on Sunday 18/4 from 2pm, Sally and I plan to have an open-house for any friends and family who want to call in and welcome Lily home - you are all very welcome and Lily is so looking forward to seeing people again. Regards, Alan"

Oh, What a night!...and a day!...and another night...and another day...etc!

Wednesday 24/3/10

Position: 038degs 48' 89N  166degs 00' 07W

Boat time: 06:45hrs

Well! Where to begin! It's been a rough old rollercoaster for a few days. It started a couple of nights ago when our watch was ending. We recorded a drop of 5 millibars on the barometer. (Just so's you know, a drop of 2 or 3 millibars in 3 to 6 hours means bad weather so a drop of 5 millibars in one 3-hour watch spells big trouble). Just as we'd got our foulies off and were preparing for bed the Skipper says 'We might need some help on deck'. Confused, we wriggle back into our foulies wondering why they need help reefing or whatever, until we hear the call to drop the main sail.

Chaos is the only way to describe the deck as we struggled against the strengthening wind to get the main down. As this was happening we noticed the Yankee foresail that was lashed to the foredeck was going over the side, so Connor (No, Dad, not Dennis Connor!) and I were sent forward to re-attach it whilst the rest of the crew carried on the fight with the mainsail. Once it was down and lashed to the boom we settled down for another 24 hours of sailing bare-poled in winds upto 65 knots, roughly 75mph, achieving speeds of around 19 knots when surfing. We sailed through the night with just the storm jib up, trying to make the best progress we could towards to San Fran. During the morning watch, whilst warming up in the saloon, a massive wave broke over the back of the boat and came flooding through the main hatch to leave half a foot of water sloshing round the saloon and galley! Another wave during the night caught us side on and swept the 3 of us in the cockpit across from one side to the other, soaking us and setting of my lifejacket! (they inflate automatically when immersed in water).

Fortunately for us, we were the lucky ones that night and got away lightly with the tough conditions. Uniquely Singapore had 3 incidents of people being swept overboard by waves, including the Skipper and the Helmsman, but luckily all 3 were attached by their lifelines and were pulled back onboard a little shaken but unharmed. The wave that knocked the Skipper and Helm over also managed to buckle the steering wheel and completely wash the coach roof hatch off. Fortunately, there was nobody in the way of it at the time.

In the early hours of yesterday morning, we were called upon to divert to the last known position of the Californian boat as their EPIRB (emergency position indicating radar beacon) was transmitting signals which Falmouth Coastguard and Clipper HQ were recieving. California wasn't responding to any attempts to contact them so us, Uniquely Singapore, Hull and Humber and Spirit of Australia were asked to divert towards them. As we were the nearest vessel at only about 50 miles away we were the first on scene. It took us quite a while to find them as they were still moving at about 6 knots but we were getting regular updates from thier EPIRB. Before we made contact with them, a US Coastguard plane had been scrambled and they had managed to speak with California's Skipper and establish what the sitiation was onboard. They had suffered a 120degree roll with the stay sail and storm jib up, which caused the mast to break above the first spreader when the boat righted itself. All of their electrics and communications are down which is why they couldn't respond to any attempts at contact.

We were also told that there was an injury onboard and they were requesting a medevac. The unlucky crewmember had hit his head on a bulkhead during the role and suffered at 6 inch cut from the hairline to the crown, 1-2 inches wide. He was awake and didn't seem to be suffering any loss of speech etc. but the Skipper wanted to be safe rather than sorry. The CG plane had to leave the scene because of fuel shortage but not before arranging a rendezvous with a tanker in the area bound for LA to take the injured person.

We motored in convoy as fast as we could towards the rendezvous with the tanker to try and get there before dark and made it just in time. The tanker launched its 'man over baord' rib and tried to go along side Cali to pick up the casualty. However, the swell and the still strong winds made it very difficult. In the end, the tanker turned side on to provide shelter from the wind and waves and Cali had to go right up close beside them to get in the flat water and the rib could get along side from there. The injured crew member and also another person suffering from shock were evacuated onto the rib which was then craned back onto the tanker. By this time it was pitch black and most of the operation had been carried out in the dark. It was a nerve racking event watching the little rib trying to get close enough to Cali and the tanker, I was sure that on every roll of the wave the rib was going to be squashed. Thankfully, everybody got back to the tanker safely and everyone on California is much relieved that their fellow crew members will be receiving proper medical treatment.

As soon as the operation was over both Cali and JLB began making full steam through the night towards San Fransico. We're still awaiting instructions from the Clipper race office but it looks like in the morning we will be transferring fuel to them and when Singapore catch us up they will do the same and take over escort duties until H+H and Australia catch up etc. and we will contuinue racing.

Despite the dreadful conditions, stressful events and tough weather, spirits are still high onboard. We're a little disappointed that our arrival will be a little later than hoped for but, overall, we will be relieved to be back racing again soon. xxx

Lily update

Lily's Dad says: "Dear Bloggers. You may be aware of the severe storm that hit the Clipper fleet in the North Pacific during the last few days. Uniquely Singapore was knocked flat and California was rolled and has lost the top section of her mast. Jamaica Lightning Bolt came through relatively unscathed and has gone to the assistance of California. Although we knew Jamaica was alright, I hadn't had any direct word of Lily since last Saturday. Much to our relief, we got a message tonight and all appears to be well on board JLB. I've reproduced Lily's message below and I'm sure a blog will follow shortly. You can catch up with the events of the last few days at: http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/

Lily says: "Hi Daddy, just a very quick note to say that we're ok! I'm guessing you've seen the press release by now but we've stopped racing to keep California Clipper company who have lost their mast and all their communications. It was a bit scary for a while as they seemed to just disappear from contact but it was a huge relief when the US coastguard said they'd made contact! As you can imagine the email system is in high demand so I'll send you a proper update when it's a bit quieter. You can tell Mum my cold is almost better but now about 5 other people onboard have it! Speak to you soon. Love you, Lil. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

Let's do the Time Warp again!

A view of the snake pit

Saturday 20/3/10 (I think!)

Position: 041degs 03'12N  174degs 59'25W

Boat time: 02:30hrs

Back to the Future, Groundhog Day, the Time Warp. All different names for crossing the International Date Line! Almost two days ago now, we crossed the line (which is the continuation of the Greenwich Mean Time line) and managed to gain an extra day. Everybody was quite excited about the strange way the time difference works and is corrected and we all had different plans to celebrate the crossing. Little Pete had his Back to the Future impression ready and I had been practising the Time Warp in my bunk! "It's just a step to the left ... and then a jump to the ri-i-i-i-ight! With your hands on your hips etc......" However, when it came to the actual moment of crossing, I did it in true student style - flat on my back, in my bunk, fast alseep, with a comic book line of Zs coming out of my mouth! Apparently, I was woken up to witness the Time Warp but I don't remember! Instead, I went to sleep tomorrow and woke up yesterday!

The last few days have been pretty miserable with persistant rain and and some tricky sail changes. And Groundhog Day was a disaster posistion wise! Our track on the sea-pro chart looks like we've carved a great big lightning bolt into the middle of the Pacific Ocean! Unfortunately, our accidental signature has cost us two places and we have dropped from 2nd to 4th trying to avoid a low pressure system that is promising up to 60 knots of wind. We are finally heading south so, at last, its getting a little warmer! There are lots of germs going round the boat and quite a few of us have fluey-type colds - not helped by the rain! However, despite all this moaning and groaning the mood is still good and we are now even more keen and focused on an early arrival into San Fran! Come on Jamaica! xxx

Bel & Lil's Mother Watch Extrordinaire!

Working the foredeck

Friday 19th March 2010

Position: 041degs 40'43N  178degs 01'79E

Boat time: 12:50hrs

Since leaving Singapore, Mother watch has stopped being a thing to dread. With the exception of the first one on this leg, which was sprung on us by surprise so I had no chance to do the 'pre-mother stugeron ritual', I have not been ill since. Also, a change of mum-partner to Bel has made me 'girl-up' and take it on my feet! (it was decided that girls are better at coping on the boat and just getting on with things rather moaning and moping so the phrase has changed from 'man-up' to 'girl-up'!)

The last 24 hours have been the best Mother watch ever! Bel and I have developed a system in the galley which suits us and we work quickly, normally in a fit of giggles! At 42 she's old enough to be my mother but insists on acting like my big sister! Love it! Mother starts when lunch has been cleared by the previous Mothers and I get straight to work on making fresh bread, a skill learnt from Christine who was my last mother partner. 3 loaves have to be made to feed 'Vulture Squadron' (as my Uncle Barrie would say!) at breakfast. Giving them enough time to rise can be tricky if you need the oven but I've learnt the trick is warm water to kickstart the yeast and a spoonful of milk powder makes a really crusty loaf. Whilst I'm doing the bread, Bel gets the day bags ready, gets anything we need from storage, makes drinks for the on-watch, cleans the heads and cleans our allocated locker. Bel is our cheif victualler so, also today, we sorted out a new storage bag of cereal (with the help of Claudia) and allocated all the snacks and treats for the rest of the leg - I cant wait 'til we cross the date line, we have caramel popcorn then!

It's then time to start making tea. Last night was really simple but with our organisational skills anything is possible! Dried tortellini pasta was on the menu which takes about 20 minutes to heat up (once the water is boiling which takes about an hour) and we spruced it up with some tomato, pine nut and basil pesto and grated cheese all mixed in. This is a meal I am deffo adding to my Uni cookbook! Simple but GORGEOUS! For pudding (we are good Mums and always do pudding) we heated up some marble cake - unfortunately it

was already made - and made some yummy hot custard to go with it. Yum yum yum!

After we've fed both watches and hurried the off watch to get to bed, we clear up and wipe down the galley, put the kettle on and have a few minutes before going to bed. Last night was a special night because I broke into my secret stash of hot choc! Hot choc is like gold dust on the boat so in China I bought myself a little box of 10 sachets which I have saved for special occasions! Bel and I sat in the saloon with our steaming mugs, congratulating each other on another succesul tea time as we listened to the rain pouring down, thanking the stars it wasn't us out there tonight!

Normally, the Mothers are woken at quarter to 7 to start breakfast. But today I was given a lie-in until 10 past as Bel got breaky by herself. Apparently, it's because I've had the 'bad' mother 3 times in a row now. The bad mother is when you go straight from being on watch to being Mother and straight back to being on watch again which means you miss out on sleep. When I got up after my lie-in I discovered by trousers were wet. My mother treat for a full nights sleep is to put my jammy bottoms on, so I just stayed in those all morning. It felt good, however, I discoverd quite a large hole them in quite an obvious place which will need mending before I have another jammy day!

Again, after the watches are done and we've hurried the off watch off to bed, Bel and I take our breakfast at our leisure. Having sorted the cereals out yesterday, breakfast was a full affair this morning! Bel had porridge (her best yet, it has to be said!) followed by a bowl of toasted muesli, mini Shredded wWheat and mini nut Weetabix. I had porridge followed by a small bowl of Coco Pops with hot milk, mini nut Weetabix, and toasted muesli! Yum yum yum!

After breakfast it's then my turn to do some cleaning. So I do the heads and the antibacteria-ing through the boat. The rest of the morning is then spent getting lunch ready and keeping the on-watch supplied with teas and coffees etc. This leg, we have a wide variety of teas on-board, Tetley's, Lady Grey and Chai. My Granny will be pleased to know that I now enjoy Lady Grey and I can even drink it black! I also like the Chai tea with lots of milk in it because it tastes like Christmas! A great winter warmer when your on night watch in the p***sing rain! Lunch was easy, just tuna wraps and soup, so I had plenty of time to do some baking. Warm chocolate-chip cookies are a winner when its freezing on deck!

When the off watch comes down for lunch, Bel and I play a game we call 'Guess the feet'. It's a great game where we stand in the galley and try and geuss who is coming down the hatch by their feet. We're quite good at it now and scored 100%! Lunch is served and again we hurry them off to bed so we can tidy up and hand over as quickly as possible to the next Mothers. There's then time for a quick wash before heading back on deck just as the rain stops and there is a break in the clouds - perfect timing!

We are now over halfway there and its all 'downhill' from here. Our average distance per day atm is 208 miles which gives us an ETA of the 29th March in San Fran! That would be fantastic! We're all looking forward to crossing the International Date Line later today and to doing a bit of time travel and a time warp! With the sun out at last and good conditions, the mood has lifted on-board and we're ready to re-live Thursday all over again! xxx

Eggy bread and OCD!

Necessary repairs to the mainsail

Monday 15/3/10

Position: 038degs 40' 38N  161degs 15' 73E

Boat time: 12:05hrs

As I was woken up this morning for breakfast, I poked my head out of my sleeping bag cocoon, felt the rush of freezing cold, diesel-tainted air and wriggled straight back down inside again! After a few moments of lying there in semi-consciousness, a familiar smell brought me back to life. Surely, it can't be, I thought. But the smell got stronger and stronger and I leapt out of my bunk like I was doing a Usain Bolt impression and legged it to the galley. There on the side, the last piece in the bowl with my name written all over it, basking in a yellow-golden glow, was EGGY BREAD! Yummy!!!! This little miracle cannot be fully appreciated by those at home until they understand the length of the on-going campaign to have eggy bread for breakfast on the boat! It started about half way to China when somebody told Matt and I that was what we were having but it never materialised. Since then, we have been working extra hard to persuade the Mothers that it really is very easy and they can do it! Today, it finally paid off! Matt declared the day a Jamaican national holiday but, unfortunately, we dont get any time off!

After breakfast, it was all layers on and up into the hail on deck. We were quickly put to work by Skip to hoist the Yankee 3 foresail (we had been sailing without a foresail again through the night) and to shake out the 2nd reef in the mainsail. After the evolution (change of sail plan) was done, I realised I was left to tidy the (snake) pit all by myself which really peed me off! I turned round to ask if anyone would help but they all agreed it would be best if they didn't! Apparently, I have developed a bit of an OCD (Lily's Dad says: 'I had to ask! It means Obsessive Compulsive Disorder!?') when it comes to keeping the pit tidy and there is no point anyone else helping because I just re-do it anyway. I hadn't noticed this but to prove it, when I had finished, and without me knowing, they moved one of the halyards (ropes) on to a different elastic (retainer)so it was crossed with another one and timed how long I could last without moving it. I failed miserably and didn't even last 5 minutes! I've been on this boat far too long!

Every scheduled report we get in now shows we're eating miles out of most boats and it looks like we'll be getting some good points through the scoring gate. We're still heading northwards and it's getting colder. Even during the day we've got our full layers on. The sun is still shining, though, and we're screaming along at 14 knots! Real champagne sailing! xxx

Crack open the Champers!

Saturday 13th March 2010

Position: 037degs 00' 83N  152degs 36' 06E

Boat time: 18:30hrs

Today is the 6 month marker since the race start in Hull last September and all the round the worlders, and everyone who was in Hull to see the boat off on Leg 1, can hardly believe how quickly the time has gone or how much further there is still to go!

This morning on watch was fantastic! The sun was out, the foulies (foul weather gear) were off and we were cruising nicely along at a steady 8 knots. A welcome respite after the last few days of tough seas and heavy winds. We've had some damage to our main(sail), a rip about 18 inches long on the luff (the nearest edge of the sail to the mast) by the second reefing point. Charles and and Chris worked all through their morning watch and into the afternoon watch to get it fixed as fast as possible and they've done a fabulous job. Whilst they were working the rest of their watch checked over all the other sails and discovered a couple of small holes in the Yankee 3 (foresail) which were repaired by the Skipper as Chris and Charles worked the main.

We've seen some epic winds over the last few days. The biggest gust I saw on the instruments read 55knots! Luckily, at the time, we were going dead down wind with just our sturdy little stay sail pulling us along. With the surf as well, we reached upto around 17 knots with just the one sail up! Really quite unbelievable! We've seen massive waves - between 6 and 8 metres - but, fortunately, they are relatively gently sloping swells although it doesn't feel like it when you're on the bow helping with an evolution! (sail change)

All was calm when I went to bed at lunchtime and I was gently rocked to sleep - only to be rudely woken up a couple of hours later as the on watch dropped the Yankee 2 (another foresail - different size) and the pole, hoisted the (repaired) Yankee 3 and put a reef in the mainsail. Something tells me the night watch will not be a quiet one!

Thankyou for all your comments and notes of encouragement. Dad keeps forwarding them to me and they're really great to read and keep me going sometimes! Not long 'til I'm home now and I can't wait to see you all and tell you about it first hand! xxx

Spot the crew on the bow

In my next life, I want to be a dolphin

 Qingdao Clipper looking back to Jamaica Lightning Bolt

Tuesday 9th March 2010

Position: 031degs 23' 20N  139degs 11' 40E

Boat time: 12 noon

The other night we had the most fantastic display of dolphins so far. Although it was pitch black and we couldn't see the dolphins themselves, the phosphorescence was out and everywhere they moved they left a bright, sparkling trail behind them like torpedo tracks through the water. There were two of them, as far as we could tell, twisting and turning and jumping and diving under the boat and playing in the bow waves. The most playful pair we've had so far. I was sitting with my feet over the rail to get a better view and they both exploded from under the boat right under my feet! They stayed with us for about 20 minutes and it was fabulous to feel the same freedom they must have. One of the greatest privileges of living at sea.

We had a tough watch that night with lots of evolutions and sail changes to be done. From the wind seeker to the Yankee 2, 2nd reef, Yankee 3, and, with Elaine on mother watch when we put the reef in, it was my job to prep the snake pit and make sure all the lines ran smoothly. With only one error when the main halyard jammer jammed when it wasn't supposed to, I finally feel like I'm getting to grips with the boat and am pulling my weight - it's only taken 3 races! Its funny how the smallest things can make you feel good. When we were tidying the snake pit after the reef and I was putting the stay sail halyard back onto its winch, I amazed myself by being able to open the jammer all by myself! Something that only a few weeks ago, in those conditions, would have been impossible for me.

As we head east towards America (whoop, whoop!), we are passing over one of the deepest ocean trenches in the world. With depths of up to 10,000 metres, we will be sailing over water deeper than Mount Everest is high. The cause of this trench is to do with the tectonic plates and the fact that it is a converging plate boundary. The oceanic plate is being pushed towards the continental plate and vice versa by convection currents under the earth's crust. The oceanic plate is more dense so it is forced underneath the continental plate and, where it is 'sub ducted', the trench forms. The friction between the two plates causes the continental plate to buckle so big fold mountains are formed on that side of the trench and volcanoes, too. Japan is part of the volcanic mountain range that forms this trench and it is all part of the 'Ring of Fire' which surrounds the Pacific Ocean - (Lily's Daddy says...'Dear Bloggers, in case you didn't know it, Lily's into rocks! Here endeth today's Geology lesson!)

Its been a busy few days with the wind doing dances all around us and Skip has kept us on our toes with endless evolutions. The record number of evolutions per watch has climbed to 14. But I think we might have been counting re-running the preventer and putting on the back stay as separate ones so the figures may not be accurate! Despite the rain, the 35-40knots of wind on the nose for the last 72 hours, the weather is much milder than it has been and port watch is definitely in high spirits. Even though this is my last race on-board JLB and I don't want the experience to end, I'm excited to be pointing East at last and getting well on the way to San Francisco! xxx

Beijing to Japan!

Jamaica leading the way from Qingdao

Saturday 6th March 2010

Position: 031degs 10' 20N  130degs 03' 01E

Boat time: 09:00hrs

Hello from Japan! Or, at least, off the coast of Japan. As the sun came up this morning on watch the southern-most tip of Japan became visible behind the lighthouses we'd been watching in the dark. This will be our final encounter with land for 3 to 4 weeks - maybe more - until we see the distant shores of California! The wind through the night has been flukey as anything. We've tacked and gybed (boat manouevres to sail a course), been headed and lifted (effect of the wind on the boat depending on the direction it's coming from) and watched the windex (wind indcicating instrument) work its way through all the points of the compass in no particular order! Trying to keep the boat pointing in the right direction has been a major headache but at least we haven't got the predicted 40 knots I(of wind) on the nose! Skipper is definitely looking forward to getting out into the Pacific proper so that we can catch the more reliable weather systems and he can get some sleep rather than being called up every few minutes because the wind has shifted again! It's also much milder than has been predicted. Everyone is shedding layers and, dare I jinx it by saying, I'm almost disappointed we haven't had any snow! I was looking forward to building a snowman on the foredeck and making a snow angel on the side deck!

Also this morning, we had a couple of rocks to avoid. Charted properly but unlit. As I was on look-out it was my job to be making sure that we weren't heading towards them and checking the chart to see how close we were. With 5 miles to go and our course going straight over the top of them, I told the watch leader (who didn't believe me!) that we needed to alter course. So he goes below to check the charts etc. just as they come into sight looking very, very close in the pre-dawn gloom! We call him up from below and point. His reaction is 'PETE!!!'. Turns out they were pretty big rocks and if we'd looked at the spot height we would have known that. But in the dark they looked less than a mile away. It woke us up anyway for sure!

I had a really fantastic time in China and I was sorry to leave. Everybody was very friendly and welcoming although it got a bit irritating being stared at all the time! It's like they've never seen a European before. It was good to get away from the boat for a few days and go to Beijing. The trains in China are something else. Their normal class is like our First class. Everybody has a numbered seat and only as many tickets as there are seats are sold so nobody is standing up or squashed. You get a free bottle of water when you sit down and theres loads of leg room. We got the Bullet there and back and at some points during the trip we were traveling at 250kmph! (according to the useful little info window at the front of the carriage!). Whilst in Beijing, though only for 2 nights, we did a trip which took us to the Ming tombs, the Jade factory (which is very important in China), the herbal doctors and the Great Wall! We saw the flying acrobats at the theatre and visited Tianamo Square and the Forbidden City. We saw more streeet markets and the boys ate some really funny things: Starfish; Silk Worms; Scorpions; Sea Snakes and Crickets. We ate at a fabulous tiny local restaurant just opposite the hotel. Beijing is definitely a place I'd like to spend more time!

Once back on the boat and the final prep for our departure done (including fixing the blocked head which was a baby wipe! - not amused!) the farewell ceremonies from Qingdao began. They were fab. Dragons and drums and fireworks were all going off as we paraded with our Skipper and our new dress flag from the main stage back to the boat. Each boat slipped its berth to their boat song playing although we went out on our unofficial song 'Every little thing, is gonna be alright!' (Bob Marley) instead of our proper one. But we don't mind, being all laid back and Jamaican-like! As we left the harbour more fireworks went off and then the parade of sail went past the whole of the Qingdao water front. Knowing that it's the last port i'll leave on board Jamaica Lightning Bolt, it was a bit emotional and I wanted to delay the start as long as possible. But I was cheered up when our pennants snapped and I was sent up the mast to rescue them! Another mini-adventure!

Racing has been intense and the postions keep changing. This morning, we can see Qingdao (Clipper, not city) on the horizon. So the fight is on to keep the lead! I'm absolutely determined that this time we are getting a yellow pennant (racw winner) and I'm pretty sure the whole team is with me! On board this leg, we have Connor, who should have been on Cork and who I did some training with. He's a really good laugh and an asset to the boat. And we also have Wade, who should have been on Team Finland but, due to time constraints, has decided to join us instaed of waiting for Finland's new mast to be fitted before she gets underway again. After the usual ropey first couple of days where everybody finds their sea-legs again, we seem to be working well as a team and on track for another good result. COME ON, JAMAICA! xxx

PS. Thanks for all the comments and things. They're great. It feels like I've been away for so long and to read messages from people at home reminds me of where I come from and where I belong and where I'll be back soon. Please keep sending the messages - Dad sends me every one when I'm at sea - and I'm looking forward to seeing you all when I get back.

Picture special!

A few more photos from the China experience for you to view while we get geared up for another epic voyage. Across the Pacific this time - 5,680 nautical miles!

Calm weather sailing

Someone's got to fix the heads. Yum!

Our Mah Hi Mah Hi (or Dolphin fish) followed us when we were becalmed

More calm weather sailing

The team on the finish line - 2nd place!!

Port watch together outside Qingdao

Skipper Pete wearing his gifts and drinking the bubbles

'Ere, there be dragons, there be - Chinese ones!

Dancers at prize giving

Kung Fu fighters demonstrating their skills

Drummers a-drummin'

Me, Su and Skipper Pete with our 2nd place pennant!

Welcome to China

Qingdao International Yacht Club

Sunday 28 February 12.30pm

Dear Bloggers,

One of the first things I've quickly learned about China is that it is a nightmare trying to get on t'internet. If you can get on, you then find that all the sites you want to access like my blog, Facebook etc. are all blocked because of state controls and you can't do anything. So I've had to resort to e-mailing my Dad asking him to set up the blog for me, just like at sea on the boat. Even simple things like putting credit on your mobile phone? - no can do! Dad has had to do it for me in the UK but that's what Dad's are for, isn't it? Thanks Dad, I'll pay you back sometime, lol!

Seriously, though, China is a fab place and the last few days have been manic. After crossing the finish line and having to wait over night before being allowed to enter Qingdao, everybody agreed that the celebrations had better be worth it. We weren't dissappointed! On arrival all immigration was done on the pontoon, including an infra-red thermometer to the forehead which I was slightly worried about (having been delcared too ill to be on watch for the last 24 hours) but I cleared it ok - no quarantine for me! As we walked up the pontoon there were drums playing and the boat song and loads of media were filming and talking photographs. As we went through the gate at the top the crowds were all cheering (the biggest crowd turnout we've had so far!) and a child presented each of us with a bunch of roses and said 'Welcome to Qingdao. These are for you. Follow me' in perfect English and took us by the hand onto the stage. Once we were all up there the speeches began and they took forever as they were said in Chinese and then translated to english and vice versa. We all got given a lucky tiger and a red scarf, and Skipper Pete got a special cloak with his name on and a special tiger hat! The cloak he had to wear again at prize giving, much to his embarrassment! We were then lead off for tea and cakes while the next boat arrived. We were treated like celebrities as we walked down the red carpet and people gave us their kids to have their photos taken with and everybody stares and points at my blonde hair which is as rare a real Jamaican in China! As far as I know there is only one Jamiacan in China and he's the Ambassador!

The Ambassador is a really nice guy and he was at the prize giving ceremony which was held a couple of days later. We met him in the morning on the corporate sail and he was clearly very uncomfotable being on the boat - which was quite amusing in itself - and he couldn't believe how small the space is downstairs! Luckily for him it was too foggy to go sailing! On the evening of the prizegiving there was a banquet held at the Intercontinental Hotel with all the dignitaries and special guests. We then moved to the Olympic Theatre where all the prize giving ceremonies were held for the Olympic sailing events. The ceremony was opened by crazy, long haired, violin-type, thingy players. Then the speeches began again. Between the speeches and each prize giving ceremony, there were acts from dancers, singers, kung fu fighters and, apparently, a very famous Chinese pop star! The whole thing was broadcast live on QTV so there will probably be clips on You Tube! We all had to go onto the stage to collect our pennant - Pete in his cloak - and the Jamaican Ambassador read out a letter he had received from Usain Bolt congratulating us on our 2nd place!

The ceremonies were great and, yet again, we felt like real celebrities! We're all excited for the leaving ceremony as we are promised it will be something spectacular. I've attached a few pictures of our arrival, welcome and prizegiving for you to view.

Since then, a large group of Clipper people (me included) have ventured to Beijing and the Great Wall of China. I hope to be able to write again with some more pics before we leave on Tuesday 2nd March on the race across the Pacific to San Francisco. xxx

PS. Thanks for all your messages and comments. Dad copies them all to me and I can't tell you how much they mean to me especially when I feel a bit low sometimes and think about home.

Learning to use a sextant with Charles and Dave.

Nice weather sailing

Avoiding the waves

Totally becalmed!

More pics to follow soon. xxx

Nearly There!

Jamaica racing through the Yellow Sea

Sent: Saturday 20th February 2010

Position: 034degs 36' 14N  121degs 59' 07E

Boat time: 06:30hrs

Less than 100 miles to go and its getting exciting! All the boats are very close and the tactics are really under pressure to pay off. Spirit of Australia is just a few miles ahead and we're trying our bestest to catch them in time! Only 12-ish hours left!

When we arrive in Qingdao the celebrations are expected to be huge! According to Greg, one of the maintenence team in port (and my new best friend after I made flapjacks in Batam on 'maintenence mother'), people treat you like heroes and celebrities! He wasn't even sailing on one of the boats last time round but had his Clipper branded clothes on and somebody just handed him a baby to have his picture taken with! Next thing he knew, there was a whole queue of babies waiting to have their picture taken with him! Apparently, each boat has 4000 drummers and dancers dressed in team colours and a massive firework display on arrival! But if we arrive in the night, for some reason we have to wait until morning to go in. It seems the dancers need to sleep which some of the crew members aren't too happy about but, personally, I think the wait will be worth it!

Its still very chilly and the layers are on. I'm currently wearing 3 base layer leggings (normal, marino wool and cotton) two base layer tops (normal and merino), a thin fleece, my lovely snuggly romper suit-type mid layer trousers, my fab new pink fleecey mid layer jacket, two pairs of socks (cotton and merino!), two hats, gloves and full foulies and I'm still chilly on deck! The problem is it's not really much warmer down below - especially in the crew accomodation. Luckily, I have sussed the layers of my sleeping bag and keeping on the bottom base layer is essential to stay snuggly!

Despite the layers, I appear to be coming down with a bit of a cold. I've got a headache, achey arms and legs, runny nose, sore eyes, and am slightly emotional and grumpy! All in all, it's probably good for everyone that we're nearly there! Looking forward to a couple of days in Beijing whilst in China with some of the crew members and the prize giving ceremony should be fantastic! It's broadcast on Chinese national television so be sure to you-tube it!

Hope England is a little warmer than it is here but I'm still jealous we've not had any snow yet! Fingers crossed we may get some soon - I'm determined to make a Snow Angel on the side deck! Keep your fingers crossed for another top finish position for Jamaica! xxx

Greetings from the East China Sea

Jamaica takes another wave in the China Sea

Sent:: 17th February 2010

Position: 027degs 57'55 N  123degs 05'13 E

Boat time: 11:05hrs

Hello from the East China Sea. And don't we know we've arrived! The last few days have been a roller coaster of big seas, heavy weather and wet evolutions! (sail changes) Not to mention the temperature plummeting rapidly and still on the decrease! Whoop! Whoop! It's been a little while since I last wrote as, for some time, we were having to use 2 keyboards as only half the letters on each one were working! Very, very tedious so it's been a bit quiet in the nav station.

Before the weather started, I managed to get a good few days of learning in. Charles has taught me how to use a sextant to get our position from the sun. I can 'bring the sun down' to the horizon and get a pretty accurate angle reading but the sums which follow afterwards are a little out my league! They will have to wait 'til I'm some where steady and not moving and where I've got several hours to waste! I can follow the gist but would be lost by myself - apparently we're in Kenya.......dohhh!

I've been helping out with a bit of the maintenance around the boat as well. I helped Matt fix the port-side heads (loo) the other day. We took it completely apart, replaced a couple of springs, put in a new rubber washer and put it back together again. It's not working quite perfectly but a lot better than it was! I also helped him replace the diaphragm on the grey water tank pump, too, which was a much simpler procedure just in a trickier place, especially as lunch was being prepared around us as we worked! Then, whilst on the maintenence spree, Skip showed me how to tension the steering cables, something that apparently needed doing quite badly!

The phosphoresence the last few nights has been incredible, possibly because the sea has been rough so the little phosphors have been very agitated! I was trying to work out if it would be possible to catch some and take it home but I dont think American customs (when I get off the boat in San Francisco) would be too impressed: "And whats that large jar of liquid you are carrying Miss?". "Oh, it's just some phosphoresence I caught in the China Sea!" Yeah, that would work!

I'm sure most of you will have heard about Team Finland losing the top section of their mast. Not entirely sure what caused it but everybody is safe with no injuries and they are in a Taiwanese port repairing it as we speak. It is expected that they will sail under jury rig (a sort of heath robinson thing cobbled together from what's left of the rig) and motor to Qingdoa but we don't know if they will be able to rejoin the race yet. However, the newsletter says they had a warm welcome and everybody is in good spirits, joining the local coastgaurds for a bit of karaoke!

We have suffered some minor damage, too, but nothing on a major scale. The other night we lost the top six hanks on the stay sail and ended up having to replace all of them before we could re-hoist. Also, this morning, just as we came on watch at 8am, the snap shackle at the top of the Yankee halyard snapped (thats the bit that holds the foresail up) and it came crashing to the deck. Luckily, we got hold of it before it went over board and we quickly swapped to the spare and re-hoisted.

After spending a couple of days with the minium amount of mainsail (3 reefs in) and the storm jib and stay sail, its a relief to finally have a more normal sail plan! 1 reef in the main, Yankee 3 foresail and stay sail. Some of the waves we've had have been crazy and I've found myself: being physically thrown into the bunk above me as the boat comes crashing down off the back of a wave; clinging to the inner stay trying to get the staysail down; swinging off the lazy sheet to allow it to come down; screaming "Yeehaaa!" as the next wave crashes over us and.....I woke up this morning to the sight of my breath condensing in the air above my face. It's getting very cold! Apparently, this is what we signed up for! But despite how horrific it sounds, I've still possibly had some of the best moments so far! xxx

PS. Thankyou for all the comments. Dad keeps passing them on. It's really great to know that everyone is still so interested and following the race so closely! We'll be getting those points again dont you worry!

Lily update

Dear followers of Lily's blog, I've been trying for several days to get word of Lily and finally got a message from her early this morning. They are in the China Sea and have been suffering severe weather and mountainous seas for the last few days. But she said all is well and they are pushing on for Quingdao. I will post blog in next day or so. Regards, Alan (Lily's Daddy)

Is there anybody out thereee! / The pros and cons of being at sea - Part 2

Sent: 10th February 2010

Position: 016degs 34' 65N 116degs 06' 48E

Boat time: 08:20hrs

Part 2! The pros and cons of life onboard!

Before joining the boat, whether as a round the worlder, a legger or a somewhere-in-betweener (like me!), everybody has thier own ideas of what they expect the boat to be like, how they expect to cope and how they will get on with people. They will also think they know what they want to get out of the race and what they will have acheived by the end of it. For the most part, these ideas are completely changed within the first few days on board. For me, here are some the unexpected things that I didn't necesarily expect......

The bad bit first!:

There is no privacy! Even in the heads (loo) people know what you're doing and hidden away in your bunk people can still see you and talk to you, and sometimes you just want to escape and have a bit of time to yourself;

There is also no escaping the smells of yourself and of other people. Fortunately, over time you build an immunity to the regular smells;

Sometimes - after a hard watch of racing, headsail changes, putting in and shaking out reefs, tough weather and hard work - all you want is a few minutes to catch your breath, relax and re-focus. However you know that when the conditions are like that, then the call for next task will be almost immediate whether it's to repack a sail, rehoist, tack, or any number of tasks, and you know it will keep going until your watch is finally over;

There is no respite from the weather extremes, whether hot or cold. We have fans in our bunks but even with them on when it is really hot they offer little comfort. With cold, after sitting on deck in freezing conditions for 4 hours, even getting into a fully lined ocean sleeping bag has little effect on your frozen toes! When your kit gets wet with salt water it will stay wet until you next get a chance to wash it in fresh water - sometimes not until you get to port - and finding shade from the sun is almost impossible, especially near Midday;

Mother watch! 24hours of being stuck below decks, hot and sweaty, cooking and cleaning for everybody and often feeling ill (although this time I survived a whole Mother with no hiccups or squiffy moments at all - progress!). You can only cook what you are told to cook and you only eat what your given;

Hygiene could be a lot better! Especially in the heads which often leak and, if one is broken, the other has to serve all 18 people onboard sometimes. Smells around the boat are really bad, and showers are few and far between;

Sleep is quite often hard because of conditions above and below deck e.g. too hot or cold, too rough, the other watch doing a noisey evolution (sail change). Also, when you are told to get up there is no snooze button. you have to get up no matter how tired you are and whatever the conditions. This is possibly one of the hardest bits for me being a teenager!

Being cut off from the outside world can sometimes leave you feeling out of touch with what is going on in the world.

And the good bits:

The team environment is fantastic and there is always somebody around if you need them. I expected to make friends but not as firmly and quickly as has happened;

Everybody onboard has found that it is easiest just to be yourelf completely and there is no pretence;

Keeping us going through the tough moments is the united competetitive spirit and the excitement of the race. There is nothing more satisfying than when the sched (scheduled reports from all the other boats) comes in and you see that we've taken miles out of all the other boats and we know our hard work has paid off;

When the weather is good it's fantastic. With warm sunshine and good breezes an excellent tan is just one of the side effects, one I have not experienced properly before;

Sunrise, sunset, starry nights, phosphoresence, shooting stars, wildlife and sounds of the ocean. Nothing will be able to replace these when I get home! My favourite time of day is from about an hour before dawn until the sun is about half way up. The colours of dawn are much more subtle and relaxing than sunset and the gentle, fresh sunlight on your face as it just appears over the horizon on a clear morning is one of the best feelings ever;

We have seen quite a lot of wildlife including dolphins, whales, tuna, flying fish and a variety of birds. When you see these animals you are always over come by a great sense of privilege that you have been lucky enough to see them in the wild;

Mother watch means you only have to cook and clean once a week and the rest of the time you have somebody else attending to your every need! Also, when you do Mother watch you are allowed your weekly shower!!!

No one cares if you wear the same t-shirt for a week because everybody does anyway;

Exactly half your time is dedicated to eating or sleeping so you can usually find time somewhere to catch up;

Being cut off from the internet, mobiles, cars, rush hour etc is really refreshing. Sometimes in port, you miss the peace and quiet of being on the boat;

On watch is never boring! whether you're chatting, playing games (eye-spy, the name game, I went to ... and I bought ...), enjoying the scenery, lots of tea, coffee, biscuits and chocolate, or whether learning skills from rope work to cooking to coping with life on board in general. There is always plenty going on.

And of course, the most important 'pro' of them all:

We are sailing round the world and nothing can beat that!

Thanks for all your comments on the blog. It's really nice to know you're all out there following our progress. Don't stop posting comments. Dad copies them all back to me and I can't tell you how nice it to hear from people and what a lift I get when I read the messages.

Things have been fairly quiet sailing wise since we left 'Singers' but I've a feeling it's about to change with some stronger NE winds setting in that mean big seas and a rough ride.

Keep an eye on the blog and do visit: http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/ for regular race updates. Lily x