Archive for August, 2009
Yesterday I got to be the in-studio guest at BBC Radio Berkshire to talk about my involvement with the Clipper Race. Amazingly I wasn’t even a tiny bit nervous, I just found it fascinating how many computer monitors a single DJ has to look at all at the same time.
Here’s the link - you just need to forward to about 2.11 otherwise you’ll be sitting through a 3 hour show.
I’m also pleased to say that our pictures are now at last live on the Clipper website - you can see them here. These are the people (well not all of them as we can only fit 18 of us on at a time) that I’ll be spending 6 weeks of my life with in a 68 foot long space. Big Brother may have been axed, but this is its replacement show.
Tomorrow we’re off for a very last minute, very nasty Haven holiday type affair for the bank holiday weekend. I was supposed to be doing media training for the race, but it’s the last weekend we’ll all have together as a family without birthday parties and imminent race starts to contend with. So I thought ‘Sod it.’ It’s going to be cheese-tastic and I feel we might have to take a lot of wine with us to get through it, but the kids will love it.
I’ve also made my final purchases for the race - including the highly recommended yet excrutiatingly priced Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream which apparently cures/solves a multitude of skin ailments likely to occur at sea.
All that’s left to do is the pre-leaving home logistics. That will take an entire blog post of its own.
On Monday the boys and I will head down to Gosport to bid the boats farewell as they make their way up to Hull. The excitement is definitely building now…
Tags: BBC Radio Berkshire, Clipper, fame
August 27th, 2009
It’s taken me a couple of days to blog about my last week of training. Mainly because I just can’t get my brain to start working again. It’s having a rest after the punishing work out it was given last week.
Apparently the work we did was equivalent to doing a full GCSE in the space of a week. And it supposedly required you to have done your Day Skipper ticket previously so that you had a working knowledge of the concepts covered, otherwise - as the book said - ‘you will have a problem trying to assimilate all the information required of this challenging course’.
They weren’t kidding.
For six solid days, we started at 9am, ended at 4.30ish and continued to do homework until 7pm. Then we were supposed to go home and study further, but by then my brain was too knackered, so I’d get up early instead to do my studying first thing in the morning before starting the next day’s slog.
We covered:
- International Collision Regulations: these are kinda important to know. They help you avoid crashing into big ships. So we had to learn off by heart all the different lights boat should show, signals they should sound in fog, shapes they should display, rules about who has right of way in any given situation and international buoyage systems. And you’ll pleased to know that the buoys in the UK aren’t the same as the buoys in say American waters (just to make things easy). But as this bit was straight studying - and I am prone to be a girly swot - I managed to get 100% for that exam. Hooray!
So by day two we’d gotten that exam out of the way, so that we could move onto:
- Tides: You see I haven’t spent much time contemplating tides. Sure I know that the sea goes in and out but beyond that I didn’t know much more than what was covered in my rudimentary primary school geography lessons. So we had a refresher on the role the moon and sun play in moving the world’s oceans about. That bit was interesting. Then we had to try and work out tidal heights, set (bearing) and drift (strength). This involves using tidal charts and computation tables and tidal ladders and crocodiles teeth diagrams (don’t ask). I can honestly say that by the end of it my brain ached, and it had nothing to do with the cheap wine the night before. I came close to tears several times at the sheer frustration of not being able to see the wood for the trees.
But just when we thought that we’d got it, bam! In came the next challenge.
- Chartwork: You get a big map with bazillions of tiny symbols on it, a plotter (think protactor type thing from school days), a set of dividers, pencil and rubber. You had to work out where a boat was, given a set of coordinates or try to take a fix using landmarks. Then you had to estimate where the boat might be, taking into account the tide and wind. Or you had to work out what course to steer taking all the factors into account and not forgetting to convert from True to Magnetic to Compass courses (more little formulas to remember). By the end of it, I was ready to stab myself through the heart with the dividers.
Then we got to put it together - the tides and the charts to do:
- Pilotage and passage planning: this is where you say in a WW2 British army general type voice: ‘We are here. We want to be thar.” And you need to figure out the best route to get there, taking the myriad of different complicating factors into account.
Having realised that we are highly unlikely to end up anywhere close to Brazil if navigation is left up to me, we moved onto:
- Meteorology: weather is a pretty big subject and I’m fairly certain that those chirpy people on the telly who’re constantly pointing out more expected rain in the UK, have had to study for several years to be able to do it. We got one day. ONE. To cover the lot. So we learnt how weather patterns are created, how land and sea breezes are created, different types of fog and how they’re created and the creation and passage of depressions (I had a depression of my own at this point). We had to learn to read weather charts (which I can now do and am proud to say that I can spot an occluded front from a thousand paces.) I actually really enjoyed meteorology and trying to figure out which way the wind was likely to be blowing when a low and high pressure system were nudging each other. It all ended with us acting out cloud formations (I believe there’s a Youtube video floating around somewhere…)
After writing another exam on weather, we also covered a bunch of assorted topics like marine pollution, stability and safety at sea. All of this involved us staring blankly as our brains were officially full.
In total we had to write three exams and submit three assignments. The final exam was the doozy - the chartwork one. By some sheer miracle I passed (with a Good Pass). As a result, I have now earned my yachtmaster theory certificate. I can add it to my competent crew and sea survival certificates. All of this is setting me up for a future career at sea, should I wish to pursue one. At this point, I’m not convinced…
There were some good things about the week. Firstly it was fabulous to use my brain in a completely different way, although I might have overdone it. Secondly learning to read weather maps is like learning a new language. I feel as though I can now understand what the weather people are saying instead of just looking at the pretty pictures of clouds stuck on the map. Thirdly, I now feel super prepared to go to sea. And lastly, being down in Gosport there was a real buzz.
There were people finishing part B training weeks, people starting part Cs, people doing first aid and sea survival courses and others doing media training. It was great to keep bumping into people I’ve already met and meeting new team members. It’s all coming together. And with less than a month to go, there’s a definite sense of excitement building.
This Sunday I’ll be heading back to Gosport to do a first run of shopping for our food supplies. Then I will attempt to go back the next week during prep week to help organise the food but I will have my kids with me. My plan is to get them to take the labels off the tins of food (a job that has to be done) but I do wonder whether their involvement will mean a lucky dip approach to what we eat on any given day.
Then I potentially have media training on 29 Aug and finally, the boats leave Gosport for Hull on 31 Aug. The boys and I will be heading down for the big farewell (husband will be abroad). Then I have a few days to get the boys used to the idea of going back to school, get them off to school, pack everything I need, hold a 4th birthday party for son 2 and then I’m off! (gulp - how did come round so fast?!)
One excellent thing that happened last week was the nanny had her first week with the boys and it was a resounding success. They loved her. My husband loved her (so much that he wants her fulltime - apparently she ironed his boxer shorts and now he’s in love). And she managed brilliantly. The house is now full of artwork (not only does she iron, she also does arts & crafts - two things I don’t).
So I can leave knowing that they are all well taken care of. Although I fear that I might be a bit of a let down when I return and we revert to the house of unironed, non crafty things.
Must go get breakfast sorted now. But will post again before I go.
Tags: meteorology, navigation, tides, Training
August 19th, 2009
In one month and three days time I will be setting sail from Hull as the start of this crazy challenge begins. Where the hell has this year gone? It seems like just the other day I was driving through a blizzard to get to the interview, and now here we are, in the final countdown.
I spent the weekend in Cowes, enjoying the tail end of Cowes Week and the start of the Fastnet race. We watched lots of boats out sailing and even more seriously yachty types strut their nautical stripes down the parade. Not to mention the fireworks and the Red Arrows who put on a spectacular display.
And I got really excited - we’re going to have the Red Arrows at our race start too. Seeing all the spectator boats heading out with the yachts as they set sail for the Fastnet race just gave me butterflies in my tummy, knowing that very soon we’ll be sailing out with just as many spectator boats following us, cheering us on and sending us on our way.
But before then, I have a little more work to do. Tomorrow I face the last of my big training weeks. Unfortunately, this one doesn’t involve being on a boat. It’s one solid week of sitting in a classroom learning about navigation and meteorology. In preparation for this ‘intensive and challenging’ week (as it’s been described) I’m supposed to have learnt all the International Collision Regulations. I haven’t. I’ve tried. I keep falling asleep.
In case you aren’t a mariner and aren’t familiar with these, its just under 40 rules (and their related appendices) that are roughly equivalent to the Highway Code (for boats). It is death by legalese.
It tells you how to not play chicken with a container ship when you’re in a small sailboat. And who has the right of way (not that you’re going to care once you’ve been mown down by a cruise liner). And it has a thoroughly scintillating section on what lights you need to display at sea, including diagrams of black background with tiny dots of colour. You need to guess what the vessel is by the lights on display.
So you can imagine how the time is going to fly…We also have to work out tides and compass bearings. You know, like those delightful sums you got in school: train A travels at 10mph from the west and train B travel 23mph from the north. At approximately what time will they arrive in Devon? (much like the questions from Dame Slap’s school in the Faraway Tree books).
I just know they’re going to ask me to figure out how to get the boat from point A to point B taking tide and winds and international shipping lanes into account. And I know I’m going to be pants-tastic. Because I don’t do maths. My brain doesn’t work that way. I am going to be the obligatory dunce in the class.
I know that I have questioned my ability to do many of the things on this race, which I have since realised I am quite capable of doing, as long as I give it a shot. I’m hoping that this will hold true for this week, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this time I’ll have met my ability match. I am almost certainly going to come away with a headache and an F on my exam. But let’s be positive. You never know, I might pass. And I might just manage to help us avoid hitting any ships while at sea. Which would be handy.
And after this week of learning, we still need to sort out the food issue. Thanks to everyone who contributed ideas for our meal planning. I think we’re getting there, although we’re still over budget. I fear an even greater number of beans might be called for to balance the books. The doldrums will be of no consequence to us given the amount of wind we as a crew will be able to generate ourselves.
Then there’s still some media training to be done as I’ve offered my services as a boat media person. I should be helping out on the boat during prep week but not sure how with kids in tow. Then the mad rush to hold a birthday party for my four year old, organise the house/business, buy all the last minute things I need before heading off to Hull for all the festivities there.
So much like the rest of the year, this last month is no quieter. I feel I might like a rest when I get home from Brazil.
I’ll report back with a swollen brain in a week’s time.
Tags: cowes, Fastnet, meteorology, navigation, Training
August 10th, 2009
So you know your normal weekly grocery shop? The one where you write a list but leave it at home accidentally and forget your bags and have the kids with you nagging for comics and it costs you double what you think because you haven’t planned meals and have fallen victim to every two-for-one offer there is? It’s not a barrell of laughs is it?
Or perhaps you are a meal planner. Perhaps you cleverly think out what you’re going to make each day and how you’ll use the leftovers in the next meal. And you save yourself a good wodge of money. But it’s still exhausting and by Friday you’ve given up and get a curry take out anyway.
Well try this.
Planning the meals for 18 people. Breakfast. Lunch. Supper. Snacks. FOR 31 DAYS.
These 18 people will be burning through roughly 5000 calories each, every day. They need energy. These meals will need to be made on a tiny camping size stove that will swing wildly as the boat it’s on crashes over waves. It’s impossible to fit more than one pot on it at a time. You also need to use a stove ring to boil water as there isn’t any hot water for washing up. The oven is too hot at the back and not hot enough at the front, making cooking anything in it an interesting juggling act.
These meals cannot include any ingredients that need to be refrigerated. So that rules out fresh meats, fresh vegetables (bar a few that have good staying power) and dairy. Because there isn’t a fridge. And it’s not like it’s cool on a fibreglass boat in the tropics, so things don’t exactly last. Which means we’re dependent on tins and long life stuff.
You need to take into account allergies, dietary preferences like vegetarianism, religious food restrictions and general fussiness.
And just when you cooking/shopping planners par excellence start rifling through your survival cook books ready to prove to me how easy it all is, let me present you with our budget:
£3.50 per person per day. Yes folks. That’s £3.50 for breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and snacks. I do believe that prisoners get a bigger budget than that for their daily meal intake. And they aren’t paying all their earnings for the priviledge.
I am one of three people on the victualling team. The team who decides what everyone is going to eat everyday. Meals have to be planned down to the very last ingredient because their aren’t many M&S Simply Foods in the Atlantic. Day bags need to be made up of the ingredients for every meal in a given day. Tins need to have labels removed and their contents written on in permanent marker as labels at sea just fall off.
Until now I’ve been a spectator rather than an actively involved person because I don’t have enough hours in the day. However, today I headed off to Costco (with children - joy!) to do an initial reckie on pricing and what’s available.
We’re screwed.
I’d like to say that it’s beans on toast for 31 days, only that requires bread and a toaster, neither of which we’ll have. We will have a bread oven, but we need some recipes to make bread simply. And we won’t have butter. Because obviously that requires a fridge, so no bread and butter either.
So I challenge all of you to share your best long life recipes with me. They need to fit the criteria outlined above. I’m particularly interested in:
- Desserts with tinned fruit that don’t require butter or too many eggs (as we’ll have to use powdered eggs). For example: Crumble without butter. how?
- Baked goods that don’t require butter or eggs
- Things to do with lentils. That blokes will want to eat.
- Your best bread recipes that are simple and fool-proof
- Any tinned items you’ve discovered that are the dogs hairy bollocks (rather than actual dogs hairy bollocks) which you’d like to recommend
And just for a final twist, we must be able to replicate these recipes with ingredients purchased in countries across the world where the language on the labels isn’t necessarily English.
Crack on and blind me with your brilliance please.
Tags: food, long life, shopping, victualling
August 4th, 2009
