So much has happened since I started this blog in May. Most of it with regard to the race.
I was offered the opportunity to be trained to be a Clipper Coxswain, one of 2 or 3 on each boat. This enables each boat to have some backup if the skipper becomes incapacitated in any way. The coxswain' a role is to support the watch leaders get the boat to a safe place. It meant a 10 day course re-doing my yachtmaster theory, some ocean sailing theory and then 5 days out doing practical navigation and dealing with incidents.
I was delighted to be selected for Team David, with David Hartshorn as my skipper. We are now Team Greenings and have a great team partner who are very interested in us and very supportive. I will provide some links when I can get an internet connection.
Handing over my job to Niki Jobson who has a secondment to do it until I get back was straightforward, and Lorraine, who I work with, has been fantastic in taking over some of my responsibilities. Toni organised a lovely evening at Beckett House for a gathering of work friends to say good luck and farewell. Thank you all; see you next August!
Packing the house up to rent it out took a while – so much to do cancelling stuff, putting the car away, selling the motorbike 😩, cleaning and trying to decide what I need for a year on a 20 kg allowance. Thanks Tim and Lorraine for your welcome help and support.
We spend 8 busy days in Gosport working on CV 24, now Greenings, repairing and replacing stuff, maintenance and taking on board for for 20 people for 42 days. I have the coxswain's role as well, which means being responsible for all the running rigging (ropes, halyards and sheets), winches for pulling sails up and adjusting then when we're using them, and other non-engineering maintenance and repairs whilst at sea. Still bits to do in Liverpool, but we'll be ready for race start on Sunday!
I'm writing this at sea on our delivery trip to Liverpool, hope I can post it ok 😳. We had a very windy and wet departure last Wednesday, and there's a short video out there taken by a helicopter to record it. Again, I'll find a link when I can get a connection. Currently moving very slowly on a lovely morning near the Isle of Man, doing more drills before our exciting entry into Liverpool tomorrow (a man overboard drill this morning as breakfast was being prepared woke the other watch somewhat abruptly). We've had a variety of weather and some of it has been the best ever. Night sailing with the moon and stars and sunny sailing with good force 6s and lots of dolphins. Some beautiful sunrises, moon rises and sunsets very much appreciated by most on board.
I'm in a great place with some supportive and wonderful people all equally excited and apprehensive about the months ahead. I'll share some photos wen I can.