Portsmouth To Gran Canaria – Another Adventure Begins

1,970 views  |   November 5th, 2018 

Challenger Yacht Portsmouth

 

On Wednesday 31st October another of our sailing adventures set sail with the FCS crew on Challenger 4 (just behind Challenger 3 above) departing Gunwharf Quay in Portsmouth for Gran Canaria: ahead of them the Bay of Biscay.

Below is their first blog and summary of the voyage so far…

Wednesday – The Big Adventure Begins

Porstmouth To Gran Canaria - Another Adventure Begins - Needles Isle of Wight

Trip started off in a bit of a blur. Slipped at 2pm from Gunwharf Quay and over to Cowes for a fuel top up. Stayed the night in Cowes and took advantage of the marina facilities for that final shower and other ablutions and Sainsbury’s for those last treats – sherbet lemons yum.

Some very pretty close quarter manoeuvering from our skipper to get us off at Portsmouth and alongside in Cowes. Various briefings along the way. This boat is huge – as is all the kit on it – sheets an inch in diameter and winches a foot in diameter and everything else in proportion!

Thursday – Sea Legs Required

Left Cowes 6am passed through Needles channel. Wind building so all sail up. Mainsail is new so reefing lines had to be rove as it went up. All sails very large !

Enthusiasm for trip badly dented by severe outbreak of seasickness on board – including yours truly and despite deployment of stuges and hyoscine patches.

These drugs are useless in my view. The first 3 watches have therefore been something of a blur, and the cuisine so far untasted.

Friday – The Healing Power of Stars and Dolphins

Friday - The Healing Power of Stars and Dolphins

Insufficient wind so engine on. A lovely morning as we passed Ushant and turned left – hooray the first milestone reached – we are now in Biscay and right on cue a pod of dolphins racing in front of the boat.

Bloggos first meal taken – and it stayed down! Woo-Hoo An excellent one too – cooked to perfection and on the time dot by Sven and Lydia – our team for today.

Early evening watch and though it’s dark more dolphins churning up a bit of phosphorescence as they leap out of the sea.

A clear night and wonderful stars. The Milky Way – something alien to bloggo’s experience as he lives in light polluted London – overhead and just awe inspiring. The Plough to our starboard quarter and Old Orion on his side to our left – easing himself out of bed and I think that’s Mars ahead – perfect to line a shroud onto from the steering position to keep us on track.

Wind is building so up goes the staysail – hopefully later we can dispense with the engine.

Matthew

Ship: Challenger 4 XF181031

Rough Position of Challenger 4

 
More blogs about this Atlantic Adventure can be read here: Portsmouth to Gran Canaria
 

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Posted by: First Class Sailing

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