Crossing the equator for any sailor is supposed to be a be a big issue as paying tribute to Neptune is supposed to ensure safe sailing where ever you go. However, most of the Jamaica crew took the crossing with a little less enthusiasm than I expected. Apparently this is because when they crossed it in the Atlantic they celebrated a little too much and lost 10 miles in one sched! Despite this, the equator novices were determined to do things properly. Dave Harper was the most prepared and brought a hula costume all the way from England for the occasion, and finished it off with my stripey bikini top and a boat rasta hat– very fetching! Dave’s sacrifice to the sea was his home made red hot chilli oil which he applies in serious amounts to all his meals, even breakfast! Matt sacrificed his last chocolate bar and I (having run out of chocolate days ago!) had to improvise and made some oragami Lilies and offered those to the sea. Most of them managed to land upside and didn’t quite achieve the effect I was going for!
Dave and me on the equator
on the equator
dave in his hula dress
Having crossed the equator with a very quick celebration and a very quick, very out of tune rendition of ‘One Love’ (our boat song) it was back to mother watch for me. At first it was thought that Chris and I would only have a short mother watch and would get away with having to make lunch or even breakfast on the last day. This dream became less and less likely as we painstakingly slowly drew closer to the finish. Dinner was served late because of the equator and hot, bumpy conditions, lunch was served as we crossed the finish line, and we were volunteered to carry on mother until we reached port as there was ‘no point in the new mothers starting now’. So the mother of all mother watches ended up lasting for around 30 hours, and ended in arriving in Batam. In terms of the race finish there was little excitement as we knew that we would be third over the line and that all the boats behind us were motor sailing. However, when we got to Batam, to Nongsa Point Marina Resort, the welcome was fantastic. People were waiting for us on the pontoon as we got off and presented us with garlands, there was then a reception up at the hotel with a stage where we had our pictures taken and the traditional bottle of champers for Skip to shake all over us, and a complimentary hot dog! Just what we needed!
Cape Breton Island were the first to arrive and quickly set-up camp with their boom banner draped across the island in the swimming pool. Apparently when we arrived, however, the bar looked more inviting than the island and they unwittingly left the banner unattended. Not surprising, it didn’t stay there very long as the mischeivious crew from Jamaica decided it would look better on the boom of Australia, the 2nd boat to arrive! Unfortunately it was discovered quite quickly as it wasn’t quite dark and they weren’t quite as drunk as we thought. They discovered the person who did the actual retrieving of the banner and I got firemans-lifted by ‘Big Phil’ (who is roughly twice my height!) straight into the deep end! After 30 hours on mother watch, the galley being like a sauna and very little sleep the night before, the dip was a welcome refreshment, no matter how much I might have protested!
Team jamaica in Batam
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