| Breaking
News |
| 9th
August - Reykjavik
Harbour (cont'd) |
| |
| Location: |
Reykjavik
Harbour |
Time: |
16.54
(GMT) |
| Weather: |
Changeable |
Team
Member: |
All
Expedition members |
| Report: |
(continued) |
| Mick:
On Thursday evening as the swell begins to build, my mind is torn
between realism and optimism. On one hand the forecast gave us
another 48 hours of clear weather but on the other hand the sea
is clearly building. We saw this before and know what happened
last time. Being the on board weatherman is not an easy job! Realism
won over and by nightfall we are facing 20 foot waves again. Having
survived the last encounter and seen what the boat can survive
I am quietly optimistic but as night closes in my confidence ebbs
as the waves seem to increase in height and ferocity. Now that
it is dark we would be negotiating them blind. Bear and I keep
watch throughout the night. In the darkness you can only make
out the occasional outline of the biggest waves, which then become
the horizon. Surviving these waves is done by instinct and feeling.
Bear and I were just finishing our watch but he decided to stay
on throughout the night and helm her safe until dawn. He became
very vocal about keeping his concentration and that he would see
us home safe. Slowly we felt our way through every wave. It seemed
more sensible for the 2 of us to soldier through the night than
for everyone to have to get the feel for these waves. We would
need the others rested to take over at dawn. Plus moving around
the boat at night in these waves is dangerous. Waves breaking
over the boat can easily wash someone overboard and at night there
is no chance of finding them. The boat fights her way up each
face then once over the crest she crashes down the other side. |
| We
were hit by a huge wave that broke over the whole boat and then
seconds later by another from the side. You ignore the gallons
of cold water and just pray the boat remains upright. She lurches
violently to starboard and I think this is it but then miraculously
she comes back up again. The crew in the sardine tin are lifted
off the sodden thin mattress four inches at every wave and then
as we crash back into the water slammed back into the deck wave
after wave hour after hour. |
| On
every wave as we drop 7 tonnes of diesel and aluminium we wonder
how many knocks like this our electronics and engine can take.
It is not long and soon the electrical equipment starts to pack
in one by one. Soon only the Simrad plotter and the Caterpillar
engine remain operational without these we would be stranded.
My mind turns to those in the UK that will have tracked our progress
into the severe depression and then seen the screen go blank.
We know we are ok but everyone else will assume the worst. This
worries us as we need to get comms up to let them know we were
ok just and almost there now.
|
| Andy:
A long and hard crossing which started with calm seas rapidly
became testing for me. Constant slamming of the waves over us
and the boat had me worried for the material state of the boat,
a mechanical failure in these conditions would have been very
serious, if not fatal. I felt very small against the vastness
of the ocean all around us, which makes me feel very humble but
the strong sense of teamwork gave me strength in the knowledge
that we were all looking out for each other and focused on the
same goal - saving our arses!! The feeling of relief when Iceland
came into view was intense; I now could stop listening to the
sound of the engine and transmission with a critical ear. Warm
shower, bed and beer ahead! Simple things are the best things! |
|
| Bear:
The guys have said it all in the above, from this penultimate
and longest of our legs. It has been a very frightening time and
I will never forget looking at the laminated picture of Shara
and my son Jesse glued to the console and swearing out loud that
we will stay alive and I will lead this boat home ok. |
| I
just feel great pride in how the boys did when it really mattered.
Just normal guys who performed heroically. Well done Nige, Mick,
Andy and Charlie. You deserve to feel proud for the courage you
displayed out there. |
| We
leave for our final leg to the Faroes then Scotland, whenever these
storms pass. How can the UK have been so hot when it has been so
ferocious here?! |
| Thanks
again to our families for all your prayers and love- it has meant
a lot out there. |
| |
