H.Breed's progress across the Atlantic

H.Breed heading for Le Marin, on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean.

H. Breed's location at 10.41 am this morning, New Year's day 2020. Exactly 21 days since they left Gran Canaria

The boys have timed their arrival in the Caribbean to perfection, arriving today - New Year's day 2020. No records broken for their crossing but starting later meant they missed the stronger winds that helped the 250 ARC participants to break a few records. Some of the faster boats crossed the Pond in under two weeks! The boat is now moored in the marina at Le Marin on the southern end of Martinique where it will stay until mid February. The skipper is hoping to return after some home leave in Norway.


The picture above also shows a pretty scary looking low pressure system, a good distance north but moving eastwards towards southern Europe - look out Cascais!

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Changing Lives

I want to share an experience that I had while I was sailing on Tall Ship Pelican earlier this year. There was a girl in my watch, I'll call her Emily, we were sailing under a clear night sky and I started chatting with her. She told me about her tough upbringing in Ireland that led to her sleeping rough on the streets of Dublin. As a young teenager her family life had disintegrated, she became addicted to heroin and was very, very close to the edge of that slipperiest of slopes...

Somehow she managed to connect with a council authority in Dublin. They helped her get off the evil drug and she was recommended to sail on TS Pelican for a 'life changing experience'. She's been clean for more than a year now and has since become a member of Pelican's permanent crew. Emily has an engaging personality and her infectious smile lights up her face and those around her; she's a fantastic role model for the youngsters that she now helps on the ship. 

Thanks to Adrian and his team that run the charity Adventure Under Sail, kids like Emily, from troubled backgrounds, get a life changing experience. They learn to work in a team for a week and gain the skills required to sail a boat with twelve huge sails. Many of them embark on the voyage not wanting to be there, but as Abby the ship's cook told me, most of them finish their journey inspired with hope, some new friends, not wanting to leave the ship. 

Sailing on TS Pelican was a real highlight for me during 2019

A few days after my trip to Dublin on TS Pelican, I met up with a friend for a coffee. We were sitting outside a cafe when a girl came up to me asking for money. One look into her eyes told me everything; absolute emptiness, not a trace of hope, just misery. I gave her £5 and she scurried off, probably for her next fix. A woman on an adjacent table then screamed at me "What did you do that for, she'll just spend it on drugs!" I was tempted to argue with her but I didn't. Like me, she was probably fortunate to have had a normal and loving upbringing. But unlike me, she believes these folk choose this life style. They don't, none of them.

I hope our new government understands the need to give these lost souls a helping hand and with it, some lasting hope. There are many thousands of homeless people in Britain today, what a sad indictment of our society in 2020. Bereshit no, utter bearshit!

TS Pelican also gives some privileged kids sailing opportunities in cooperation with several ocean colleges. These students, usually from more affluent families, help AUS to pay the bills to maintain and operate a tall ship, circa £2m per year! Please check out their website below.

https://www.adventureundersail.com/  I'll say no more.

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Some of my sailing highlights from 2019...

Approaching the Rion Bridge on Phtha in in the gulf of Corinth

Two days later, going through the iconic Corinth canal on Phtha

Phtha sailing in company in the Aegean sea

Without question, the most impressive yacht I've ever sailed on - a Discovery 55

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Direct translation from the H.Breed Norwegian blog...

At this stage, the newly baked grandfather and skipper Tom Grunde, first mate Yngvar, assisted Svein and Gunnar.

Friday 27 December
We sail at 5 knots speed in 10 knots wind with mainsail and two genoa. The wind is increasing a bit during the evening. Low clouds and very hot, Svein measures 23.5 degrees Celsius in the shade in the morning twig and 30 degrees Celsius in the middle of the day inside and outside the boat, with an estimated 27 degrees in the sea. We got updated English football results from Jostein. We eat pizza, in the golden's absent absence in the heat. We still have the same times for our night watches, where the sun goes down at 2030 and up at 0915, after our London time on the boat, here we are several hours after the time zone, we take the rush when we arrive at the port of Martinique. Great atmosphere aboard!

Thursday, December 26 
A small bird of the little sailors we saw along the way, took refuge in the boat at night and did not disappear until after a few hours and were offered spaghetti leftovers which did not taste. We clean the floor after a few gas alarms at night, a little methane gas develops quickly in a humid environment. A large flock of dolphins swim around the boat in the middle of the day and we see a Portuguese warship, one of these jellyfish that moves with natural winds. The stew served an excellent taco and lefser. 5.9 knots sailing on average this day.

Wednesday, December 25 - Christmas Day
A new and hot day across the Atlantic, 6.4 knots sailing on average. A small Christmas brunch of edible gifts from home with, among other things, red wine sausage and the long-awaited Gudbrandsdals cheese. We sail through belts of detached yellow-brown seaweed, which gives us fewer fishing opportunities. We saw a cargo boat in the evening, the first in over a week and a half. Stuert Svein served a delicious spaghetti carbonara.

Tuesday December 24 - Christmas Eve itself ;-)
We sail with two genoa, with good drift in good wind. We had a plan for a day of leisurely sailing and time for some Christmas celebration, however the wind increased throughout the day. We then took one of them down and had a little Christmas party. It was called home and sent Christmas messages by. satellite phone, packages and Christmas greetings were opened with some warm thoughts to and from loved ones at home, while the Atlantic Ocean and its sea spray gave us an unforgettable Christmas Eve. Svein played Christmas music with shared response, with a great span from Maria Carey to Jussi Bjørling, the latter Gunnar's favorite. Christmas peace gradually settled as Svein provided a good Christmas dinner with pork, homemade meat cakes and pralines, rice and pepper sauce. After that there were Christmas treats with gingerbread, marzipan and Twist. Some dolphins followed us for a while this evening. When darkness dawned, yesterday's effort turned out in luminous black Christmas ornaments, beautiful scenery for a long evening with ear-rock and mouth-watering for thirsty palates.
The night guards were divided into a rather hot and warm Christmas night, with the skipper half asleep on the deck.

Monday, December 23
We wash and decorate for Christmas Eve, the skipper is eager, with Svein with his Christmas music as a good No. 2. Yngvar takes the Christmas bath hanging from the boat. Still clear weather and warm, scorching sun. 5 knots sailing with two more genoa, with slightly less wind. Slightly cloudy towards evening. Good atmosphere!

Sunday 22 December
Took down the mainsail, which Yngvar sewed a 30 cm back in, which the salmon had gnawed. Set up wing-on-wing with two genoa. A little calmer wind and clear weather. Fantastic starry sky when all the lights are off on the evening, with fluorescent lights from morild in the wake of H.Breed. We push the time back an hour for the night guards

Saturday 21 December
The time for sunrise changes as we sail through the different time zones. Still good wind and good sailing. During the day we are halfway across the Atlantic. Got a fish that was released again. Lots of fly fishing, one on deck. Skips in fire and flame after finding mold in one of the food stores on board.

Friday 20 December
Set up scattered sails during the night. 10 seconds of wind, 6.5 knots in average sailing speed. Still slightly cloudy weather. Five days ago we saw some other ships.

Thursday 19 December
We sail south-south-west. In beautiful sunshine, good wind and some waves. Good atmosphere aboard, where it is tipped about arrival date and remaining stage. We wash clothes and clean the cockpit. For the fourth day in a row, there are no other ships to see. A few fly fishers landed aboard, they are also in large numbers around the boat at times, along with the snip-like sailors that hunt them. Lovely dinner with minced meat and rice was served by steward Svein. Towards evening, the northeast wind was slightly low.

Wednesday 18 December
We still sail southwest, good sailing with over 150 nautical miles a day with scattered sails. Svein got great movie clips of playful dolphins in the morning. Wash off cabin and toilets. Still slightly cloudy weather. A small squid was found on the deck.

Tuesday 17 December
A little less wind in light weather, with scattered sails and a little motor for charging. Today it bet on 2 Dorados, which were released again. After 5 days we have left behind 736 nautical miles. With a week left for Christmas Eve, Svein and Yngvar called home. Coffee and Baileys with some rock on the deck, great atmosphere. The stew served various sandwiches, to get away from some toppings and breads with limited shelf life.

Monday, December 16
3.5 meter waves in 10 second intervals, with good northeast wind gives us good sailing with 170 nautical miles traveled. Sails southwest. Today we had a fish happiness with what we think is Dorado at 3 kg and subsequent dinner with fillets, potatoes and vegetables. Skipper has big wash in his cabin and Yngvar and Svein have body wash on the bathing platform.

Sunday December 15th
Met a cargo ship in the night. Clear weather, fantastic starry sky and moonlight. 2 - 3 dolphins were playing along the keel at sunrise. Silk dress all day with little sea. We have tried the fishing luck, with no results. Some of the same small birds were also observed today. We have replaced the rudder wire, which seems to work fine. Slightly low charge on the solar panels, poses challenges for power consumption, recharges a bit with motor. A boat observed in the distance in the evening. Stuert Svein continued to impress with a chicken dish. Still no fishing luck. Good atmosphere on board.

Saturday 14 December
Quieter sea, good wind on still scattered sails gives us around 24 nautical miles daily. Continuing in a southwesterly direction after the search for the Sahara wind belt. Noticeably warmer weather, with shorts and t-shirt. Observed a group of dolphins. Stuert served an undefined but delicious dinner, with a subsequent coffee and Baileys. We divide into three-hour night watches.

Friday 13 December
Fine wind provides sailing speed of 4 - 8 knots, with scattered sails. Observed a small bird that was on the boat. After waiting for us to the sea, our newly appointed steward Svein served a good chicken dish.

Thursday, December 12
Leave from Puerto Rico at 15.00. We started with clear weather, calm wind, gradually northwest strength 15 m / s. We see about 12 - 15 dolphins, great sight. A little tighter sea, a couple of waves ended up in the cockpit and some became starfish for a few hours. The helmsman smoked and got all the men on deck at dusk.

Some interesting English in that translation but no worse than mine... Great to see that the boys are doing fine and eating well too, I'm not in the slightest bit envious...

I'm feeling much better and rested now having been home for 3 weeks and hopefully looking forward to rejoining Grunde and Gunnar in the New Year.

Happy New Year to you all - let's hope it bring us all peace and happiness.

God bless you and with much love, Jeremy x

* Thanks to Marcus for some of the photos