Cookie's Jester Challenge 2010

Finally got some pics and video links online!

2011-02-16T13:21:00.003Z

Hiya followers! Cookie has been having a good restful snooze in Lympstone Inner harbour for the winter and has had snow on her decks for the first time in 20 years!!!! Yikes! It snowed so hard it even covered Cookies foredeck net??!! Michelle is telling me to hurry up and go to the nice warm pub round the corner!

Link to Jester Challenge Cookie pics uploaded so far - http://wharrambuilders.ning.com/photo/photo/listForContributor?screenName=1f98u7y6bbldz

Link to Jester Challenge Cookie video clips uploaded so far - http://wharrambuilders.ning.com/video/video/listForContributor?screenName=1f98u7y6bbldz

Don't forget all you folks out there...................follow your dreams !

Rory & Cookie resting up!!!!!

2010-08-08T18:04:00.004+01:00

Thanks to all who gave Cookie and I a fantastic welcome back to Terra Firma late Monday night. Even Tiki 21 designers - James Wharram and Hanneke Boon had made the trip up from Cornwall to be there. A great surprise to a dazed sailor stepping ashore to have all this noise and hubbub going on. I tried hard to make sure everyone got a bit of champagne spray on them!!

It was certainly a dream run back across the North Atlantic. Cookie as capable as ever, needing no repairs at all this time. After a slow start the first 3 days, we had a weather front pass over and we were off, riding SW winds the whole way for the next 19 days!! I got bored! Read 5 paperbacks in all and wrote the first 100 pages of the 'book'! I had time this trip to enjoy cooking and even put on a little weight for a change!!

As with the Jester Challenge to USA, the last miles were the most frustrating. When you can just about see the finish line, the wind gives out. I did more sail changes from Scillies to Exmouth than I did the whole Atlantic!

Big thanks to Dave de la Cour, who was my weather eyes for the trip home and added a joke of the day on each text. Good on ya mate!

It is fantastic to be with my kids Josh and Soph again. 2 months is the longest we have been apart and I missed them like mad. We have lots of fun kids' stuff to catch up on!!

Thank you one and all to all of you who have donated to the Francis Chichester Trust. Now we have nearly reached the 2,500 pound mark with some additional cheques forthcoming. That means we will have made it possible for 3 more young kids to have the chance to go on an Outward Bound course. Just brilliant!!!!

For my part, I have had a very successful adventure and thank you again to all those who have helped to make it possible. I urge all of you who read this, to recognise your dreams and take the first bold step towards making them reality. Go on!! I for one, know you can do it!! Happy trails dreamers :-)

Monday 2nd August 2010 Position Update - Home At Last!

2010-08-03T02:02:00.005+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:50.64788
Longitude:-3.43231
GPS location
Date/Time:08/02/2010 23:36:51 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=
0eU7hBIn
3zf3pdPunKi3eP
4m0RUyAZreC

Well at long last, Rory is home! Big thanks to Adam Butt & Maximus, Alan Dixon & Richard Crisp for that last little tow home. And also Lympstone Sailing Club for the welcome home & mum, dad & family for champagne & pasties! I am sure after a night's rest, Rory will post his comments tomorrow.

It has been a fantastic adventure,and I will be a little lost now that the blog is nearly done, but thanks to all that have followed!

Monday 2nd August Position Update

2010-08-02T09:10:00.002+01:00

It's going to be a long day!! No wind...... it always starts and finishes like this!! Maybe tonight?

Rory's Spot
Latitude:50.02382
Longitude:-4.61017
GPS location Date/Time:08/02/2010 07:04:28 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Sunday 1st August Position Update

2010-08-01T10:50:00.002+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:49.92023
Longitude:-5.18234
GPS location Date/Time:08/02/2010 00:09:12 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn
3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Saturday 31st July 2010 Position Update

2010-07-31T16:51:00.001+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:49.33268
Longitude:-8.98737
GPS location Date/Time:07/31/2010 14:16:15 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

He is right around the corner!! Come on Cookie!

Friday 30th July 2010 Position Update

2010-07-30T15:08:00.010+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitidude: 48.51221
Longitude: -12.58462
GPS Location Date/Time:07/30/2010 14:04:06 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Thursday 29th July Position Update

2010-07-29T22:31:00.003+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:48.17496
Longitude:-15.92254
GPS location Date/Time:07/29/2010 14:17:30 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?
glId=0eU7hBIn
3zf3pdPunKi3
eP4m0RUyAZreC

Wednesday 28th July Position Update

2010-07-28T23:11:00.002+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:48.08329
Longitude:-19.29789
GPS location Date/Time:07/28/2010 14:21:40 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn
3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Well only a few days left of blogging for this trip! Hmm, I will have to find something else to do with my time now! Rory & Cookie are still flying along!

Tuesday 27th July Position Update

2010-07-27T20:26:00.005+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:47.66364
Longitude:-23.27153
GPS location Date/Time:07/27/2010 14:15:46 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBI
n3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Very brief chat with Rory tonight. He is happy to be marking the miles off. 10 knots of breeze, with full sail up when I spoke to him. And they topped the best run again, so Cookie's best 24hr run is now 185 miles!! He reckons he has about 800 miles to go, so I think early next week he should be arriving back into Lympstone Harbour!!
What a fantastic trip they are having!! I am really very proud of both of them :)

Monday 26th July Position Update

2010-07-26T21:13:00.003+01:00

Rory's Spot Latitude:47.14458 Longitude:-27.10954
GPS location
Date/Time:07/26/2010 14:09:08 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?
glId=0eU7hBIn
3zf3pdPunKi3eP4
m0RUyAZreC

Sunday 25th July Position Update

2010-07-25T23:55:00.007+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:46.64534
Longitude:-29.42083
GPS location
Date/Time:07/25/2010 14:30:00 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3z
f3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Rory & Cookie are flying along, looking at the latest update! Way to go guys!

Friday 23rd July Position Update

2010-07-23T10:23:00.000+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:43.62888
Longitude:-36.80536
GPS location Date/Time:07/23/2010 14:25:33 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp
?glId=0eU7
hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3e
P4m0RUyAZreC

Not much news to report. I did speak to Rory, and he said he is bobbing along nicely, enjoying life in the Tropics. What a difference a month makes! Instead of being bundled up in his drysuit, and fighting his way into wet clothes, he is back to Mother Nature,.......naked. Which makes life aboard a lot easier. it is very hard to move around when you are dressed like the Michelin man!!
Dolphins have finally come back, and he also had an amazing encounter with a pilot whale, who decided to swim right between the sterns of Cookie, and sounded like it was talking to Cookie at the same time!!.
As the weather has been so nice, he is reading lots of books and has finally started writing"his" book!! Up to page 55 so far, so watch this space!!

They have just past the half way mark, so will soon be home. We are also running low on satellite phone credit, so I will not be talking to him again until next Wednesday, so no news until then.

Thursday 22nd July Position Update

2010-07-22T10:18:00.001+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:42.40186
Longitude:-39.55052
GPS location Date/Time:07/22/2010 14:18:21 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3z
f3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Wednesday 21st July 2010 Position Update

2010-07-21T22:36:00.005+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:41.74798
Longitude:-43.06776
GPS location
Date/Time:07/21/2010 14:04:09 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3
zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Tuesday 20th July 2010 Position Update

2010-07-20T16:59:00.010+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:41.40828
Longitude:-46.18605
GPS location
Date/Time:07/20/2010 14:29:30
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/view
spots.jsp?glId=0eU7h BIn3zf3pdPunKi3e
P4m0RUyAZreC

Had a quick chat with Rory last night and all is well aboard Cookie. He had his best run ever yesterday, 180 miles!! And the GPS recorded 17.1 knots, which Rory says would have been on the peak of a surf, but still impressive for little Cookie!
He has also learnt that when sailing downwind, the seas run over the boat and down the hatches...if you are not paying attention!!! So, only a few drenchings so far this trip :)
Very hot weather at the moment, so easy to dry everything out down below. Also perfect weather for bucket baths, although he did come very close to losing the bucket, as the safety rope slipped through his soapy hands.......he just managed to cling on with his fingernails!
He has perfected the art of bread making in a saucepan, by using foil as a spacer in the bottom of the pan to stop the charcoal burn he was getting, so is very pleased with himself. (He didn't say that, but I could tell that he was delighted to have resolved this problem!!)

Boatwise, she is still in good shape, although the mast light is no longer working, and although Rory managed to haul himself up on a calm day, he couldn't quite reach it. And poor old Manuel, (the monster jib), is suffering with several blown grommets, although I am sure he will reach home.
And so the journey continues.......more news later this week!

Monday 19th July Position Update

2010-07-19T11:17:00.003+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:41.213 Longitude:-49.27428
GPS location
Date/Time:07/19/2010 14:28:11 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?
glId=0eU7hBIn3zf
3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Sunday 18th July Position Update

2010-07-18T14:46:00.000+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude: 40.78274
Longitude:-53.120.72
GPS location
Date/Time: 18/07/2010
14:19:34 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Saturday 17th July Position Update

2010-07-17T18:58:00.000+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:40.53695

Longitude:-55.99495
GPS location Date/Time:07/17/2010 14:43:42 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Friday 16th July Position Update

2010-07-16T22:27:00.000+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:40.01649
Longitude:-58.82595
GPS location Date/Time:07/16/2010 14:51:26 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=
0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunK
i3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Quick update from Rory this evening to say that all is fine. He drifted out of Newport Harbour last Saturday, with all the other Jesters there, plus Norman Bailey (Commodore of Newport Yacht Club) and George & Mary Beth Pike, who have all been a great help since Rory arrived in Newport.

The first four days were very calm, so no drysuit required, just regular clothing!
Lots of fog whilst sailing through the busy shipping lanes, so the AIS was a life saver again , meaning Rory did manage to get some good sleeping hours in
The weather front he had been waiting for finally came through on Wednesday, with big swells coming up from the south, so back in the drysuit and reefs back in the main. They were zooming along at 10 knots, but then dropped to a steady 6 knots.
Of course, the weather is always changing, and as you can see by the track, winds switched again, so a slower day yesterday.
Rory also saw lots of wildlife in the first few days. Several sharks around the Nantucket Shoals, only about 5ft long and quite skinny was his description.
Three whales, two of which were only about 50ft away from Cookie, and very near to the shipping lanes. Also pilot whales, dolphins & turtles in abundance.

Due to condition being slightly easier heading this way, I am only talking to Rory
once or twice a week, so my next update from him should be on Monday evening!
That's all for now folks!

Thursday 15th July

2010-07-15T22:32:00.000+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:40.91074
Longitude:-60.9977
GPS location Date/Time:07/15/2010 14:23:18 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=
0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Wednesday 14th July Position Update

2010-07-14T21:07:00.000+01:00

Nav Station aboard Cookie
(Photo by Rory McDougall)

Rory's Spot
Latitude:41.03495
Longitude:-64.68441
GPS location Date/Time:07/14/2010 14:18:02 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=
0eU7hBIn3zf3pd
PunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Tuesday 13th July Position Update

2010-07-13T21:58:00.000+01:00

Photo: Cookie heading to Newport (R McDougall)

Rory's Spot
Latitude:41.02206
Longitude:-67.39726
GPS location Date/Time:07/13/2010 15:25:56 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=
0eU7hBIn3zf3pd
PunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Should be talking to Rory tomorrow night, so will have a more detailed update about how the return voyage is going!

Monday 12th July Position Update

2010-07-12T20:10:00.000+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:40.54196
Longitude:-69.06708
GPS location Date/Time:07/12/2010 14:27:14 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?
glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pd
PunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Sunday 11th July 2010 - Latest Position

2010-07-11T23:51:00.000+01:00

Well having had a two week break, I guess it is time to start posting again :) Rory set sail from Newport yesterday, and is heading back home to the UK. I will post his position update daily, and will get an verbal update from him every three days. Should be a lot less dramatic heading this way!!

Rory's Spot
Latitude:40.86936
Longitude:-70.14464
GPS location Date/Time:07/11/2010 14:30:01 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Picture above is of Cookie docked at Newport Yacht Club........yes, she really is that small!

Farewell to Newport

2010-07-10T12:26:00.000+01:00

After 2 weeks of fabulous rest and a little time away from Cookie, we are all set to depart the Newport Yacht Club at 9am this morning, Sat 10th July. I have 5 gallons more water aboard so shouldn't have to be collecting off the sails this time ........I hope! Cookie has a new mainsheet and I sorted out the jib halyard so it doesn't chafe any more. The bows are better sealed now with a whole lot less bailing out especially as we wont be slicing into the waves as much. I'm looking forward to some good downwind surfing for a change! This trip may well be the last ocean crossing I do in Cookie (where have I heard that before!!!!), so it's a good time to reflect on all the years of adventure that we've shared. I have lots of pens and notepads to jot down details for the book!!

Newport has been a wonderful and friendly host to us, especially the Newport Yacht Club. Norm Bailey & Dianne Stewart and George & Mary-Beth Pike have been so warm and welcoming to us weary Jester sailors and have gone above and beyond to assist us in any way they can. A HUGE thanks to the Newport Yacht Club from Team Cookie!! Michelle joined me for a week and we spent lots of time exploring the town, walking the Cliff Walk and catching up with our good friends Frank & Meredith who kindly let us have a comfortable cabin aboard their 47ft cat. I miss my kids like crazy, so it's time to be winging our way eastwards.

I'm so glad that I got to see 5 other Jester Sailors come in these past 2 weeks. It is a close comraderie we share and it's fascinating to swap stories and details of our struggles to reach Newport. Good luck to the boats out there still climbing uphill to reach their goal! You can do it!

Many, many thanks to all folks who have generously donated to the Francis Chichester Trust. It was a dream of mine to raise a good sum for a charity years ago when I sailed round the world, but it just didn't come together. Now the dream has come true, and with your help some struggling kids will get the chance to receive some amazing motivation through the Outward Bound programme.

I still have the satphone aboard and so on the return voyage will be calling Michelle every 3-4 days to give updates. So stay tuned as the adventure isn't over yet!!!!

Rory and Cookie in Newport

2010-06-30T14:36:00.000+01:00

Hi Folks, Rory here at long last!!
Wow, is it good to be here. Of course there is a huge list of thank yous to shout out. Biggest of all is to my wife Michelle, who was always at the end of the satphone to give me an emotional boost when I was low and to decipher my quick garbled news updates and turn them into something worth reading on the blog - fantastic job Michelle - love you!
Big thank you to all who sent messages of support and of course to all who have donated to the Chichester Trust.

The finish was all I ever dreamed of. Michelle kept me updated how close it was between The Grand and Cookie on our converging courses. I never regarded the Jester as a race but rather my personal goal to arrive in Newport safely and in the best time for Cookie and I. However I did get hooked a little and after getting good sleep the 23rd, I pushed hard the last few miles and didn't sleep the last 2 days. I did reflect on all the legendary OSTAR sailors that have sailed the same waters into Newport before me and felt so proud of Cookie to be sailing in their wake. The last night I arrived was a gorgeous clear sky with full moon and gentle SW breeze making me feel extra lucky to be finishing the Jester after the sad news of Andy and Amadeous and of course all the other skippers that had to retire for difficult reasons. I pay tribute to you all and hope one day you get to cross your finish line.

Crossing the finish off Castle Hill at 0904BST on the 26th June 2010 was amazing. I had just pushed the Spot Tracker button to alert all the followers when Michelle called me on the phone as I crossed the line, so she really was with me as I finished - perfect. Got a bit tricky trying to talk and gybe at the same time when the jib sheet wrapped round the tiller!!! But we made it.

As I approached the harbour, the Newport Yacht Club sent out a launch to escort me in and my good friends Paul and Dave were aboard to take photos and complete the welcome - fantastic. Also great friends Frank & Meredith from catamaran 'Out of Practice' were out in their RIB to give a hoop and holler. Cookie and I really did receive our OSTAR-style Newport welcome!!!!

I sincerely congratulate Igor and The Grand on their 1st place. For Igor to be the 1st Russian to win a singlehanded event is so fitting and therefore is perfect he pipped me to the post. I am just so proud of Cookie and her simplicity to have given a 25ft racing monohull a run for her money!!!!

Finally I would like to say a big thank you to Norm Bailey and George Pike of the Newport Yacht Club for their very special welcome and their warm hospitality. They are making every effort to help us little guys out and make us feel at home in the 'sailing capital' of the USA.

For now, Cookie is resting on a mooring while I spend time with Michelle, catch up on sleep, eat lots of good food and heal the sores on me bum! I'll be getting a few repairs done on Cookie and then should be taking off to head back for English shores 2nd week of July. Still looking for crew..........!!

The Sir Francis Chichester Trust

2010-06-27T00:08:00.000+01:00

Rory and Cookie have arrived safely in Newport!

If you have enjoyed the blog, please think about making a donation of any size to the Sir Francis Chichester Trust, so that Rory can try to reach his goal of 5,000 pounds. The Trust allows disadvantaged youths from Devon to attend Outward bound courses to discover themselves through adventure and personal development. This is perfectly in line with his aims to motivate young folks to "reach for their dreams". Come on guys............let's do it!
PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY, Thanks - Rory & Cookie.

Newport Arrival

2010-06-26T18:52:00.000+01:00

Igor & Rory

Photo Credit: Mary Beth Pike

Docked at Newport Yacht Club

Photo Credit:Dave De La Cour

Yeah.....Rory & Cookie Finish The Jester Challenge!!

2010-06-26T11:23:00.000+01:00

Congratulations Rory & Cookie!!
The news we have all been waiting for finally arrived!!

Rory's Spot
Latitude:41.44927
Longitude:-71.37223
GPS location Date/Time:06/26/2010 08:52:51 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Congratulations to Igor & The Grand who just beat Rory in! Igor finished 2.5 hours before Rory
.......close finish after all those days at sea!!
I am sure Rory will post an update tomorrow for you all, as I've got a plane to catch!!
And for those who are interested.............there is still the journey home!.....

Big big thank you to everyone for your support & generous donations.

Three cheers for Rory & Cookie.......Hip Hip Hooray. And big well done to all the other Jesters
still fighting their way to Newport.

Saturday 26th June 2010

2010-06-26T08:10:00.001+01:00

Still fighting his way to the finish! Sometime this morning hopefully, I am sat by the phone just waiting for that call.

No news on Igor & The Grand either.......although he did have a slight lead yesterday..............

Rory's Spot
Latitude:41.28838
Longitude:-71.05867
GPS location Date/Time:06/26/2010 05:01:30 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunK
i3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Come on wind.......blow.............blow.................blow!!!

Friday 25th June 2010 Update

2010-06-25T22:27:00.000+01:00

What a frustrating day! I know you are all waiting to hear the news, but Rory & Cookie have been becalmed all day!
Big big thunderstorm last night, Rory disconnected all the electronics and dangled the anchor chain in the water to try and dissipate a charge if they got hit. They had some close calls!
They had sou' westerly winds until early morning & managed to clock 110 miles in their 24 hour run, but then the winds died.
Rory & Cookie have spent the day trying to get passed the Nantucket Shoals, whilst listening to endless "tide rips" under the boat......sounds like waves breaking on the shore...very un-nerving. He has also been shouting & yelling for some wind....but to no avail.
He did have a close encounter today, which quite frankly scared the bejesus out of him.....and he has vowed never to go swimming around Newport, after a 15-16ft shark swam passed Cookie, about 15ft away. Now remember Cookie is only 21ft and is very low to the water. ( I have spent the evening with the theme music from Jaws going around in my head!!)

So now we just have to wait.......start shouting for breeze everyone! Come on Cookie......you are so nearly there! Rory will ring the moment he crosses the line, so I hope to have some news for you by the morning. Fingers crossed.
Here are the updated positions I have received today, most current one is first:

Rory's Spot
Latitude:41.07097
Longitude:-70.39966
GPS location Date/Time:06/25/2010 20:59:42 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Rory's Spot
Latitude:41.07054
Longitude:-70.25132
GPS location Date/Time:06/25/2010 17:17:35 BST

Rory's Spot
Latitude:41.02482
Longitude:-70.01576
GPS location Date/Time:06/25/2010 13:14:21 BST

Friday 25th June 2010 - Position Update

2010-06-25T08:30:00.000+01:00

OK, I am guessing Rory gets that we are all excited, because he has sent an earlier
position update for us!

Rory's Spot
Latitude:40.9206
Longitude:-69.71793
GPS location Date/Time:06/25/2010 07:24:36 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Next update will be sometime after 1.00pmBST !!

Rory & Cookie vs Igor & The Grand!

2010-06-24T22:46:00.001+01:00

OK, official it is not a race, it is a Challenge, and it is a hell of a tough one at that. So far, twelve boats have retired, and these aren't namby pamby sailors, these are guys who have been sailing for years and know their boats inside out. It's tough.

So the fact that after 33 days at sea, Rory & Igor are so close, having sailed completely different routes, is insane!
And..........exciting!

I have Igor's latest position for 24 June: N41,37 W68,30

I spoke to Rory tonight at 7.30pm and he was 135 miles from his Newport waypoint...........SW winds 15-20 knots
but it is due to switch to NW, so will be bang on the nose.

And just to prove just how much work "Harry" does........
Rory slept for 6 hours last night, and they still did 112 miles from noon to noon.

I am guessing they will cross the line sometime tomorrow evening, 25th June.........which is a
lovely omen.......it is our son's 11th birthday tomorrow!!

So tomorrow we will see who it will be...............

PS Of course......there is still the journey home!!!

Thursday 24th June 2010 Position Update

2010-06-24T15:45:00.000+01:00

Fly Cookie fly!!

Rory's Spot
Latitude:40.63655
Longitude:-67.93347
GPS location Date/Time:06/24/2010 13:25:47 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunK
i3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Ocean Race Track:

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.aspx?id=34&ent=663

Quick Update - The Grand & Cooking Fat

2010-06-24T09:39:00.000+01:00

OK just got The Grand & Igor Zaretskiy position, as of 23 June 2010 ...it is sooo close!

N41,43 W66,20

At this point, I really don't know who will cross the line first, and although it is a Challenge, not
a race ........ ahh what the heck.....we're cheering them on!!

Here is a link to the Russian entries updates: (Google babelfish & you can translate Russian to English!)

http://yachtrussia.ru/JesterChallenge2010/

I will post Rory's updated position at around 1.30pm !

The Sir Francis Chichester Trust

2010-06-23T22:10:00.000+01:00

If you are enjoying the blog, please think about making a donation of any size to the Sir Francis Chichester Trust, so that Rory can try to reach his goal of 5,000 pounds. The Trust allows disadvantaged youths from Devon to attend Outward bound courses to discover themselves through adventure and personal development. This is perfectly in line with his aims to motivate young folks to "reach for their dreams". Come on guys............let's do it!
PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY, Thanks - Rory & Cookie.

Wednesday 23rd June 2010 Position Update

2010-06-23T19:09:00.000+01:00

Newport is round the corner!! Come on Cookie!
Shall we start a sweepstake.......what day/time do you think Rory & Cookie will cross the line??

Rory's Spot
Latitude:40.17538
Longitude:-65.5625
GPS location Date/Time:06/23/2010 13:14:45 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pd
PunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Ocean Race Track

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.aspx?id=34&ent=663

Tuesday 22nd June 2010 Position Update

2010-06-22T18:28:00.000+01:00

Wow.........here is Rory's latest position. Go Cookie go!!

Rory's Spot
Latitude:40.0353
Longitude:-63.45386
GPS location Date/Time:06/22/2010 13:38:53 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/
shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId
=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi
3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Ocean Race Track

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.
aspx?id=34&ent=663

Rory said yesterday was an awful day of "boiling seas". Huge ground swell from the South,
and then just ploughing into big, big waves. Very yucky seas. Then around 3pm BST, wind shifted to N-NW, so put up big sail "Manuel" (Manuel is the monster jib..........what can I say.....Rory has spent an awful lot of time aboard Cookie alone, so I guess "Manuel" & "Harry"
became good friends to Rory over the years as they did alot of the "work" for him!! :)

He has finished reading all the books he had on board, and also has worked his way through all
the food packet labels & tins, so continues to do lots of small jobs around the boat, to keep occupied. He was busy fixing some more holes in the net this morning, with the winds blowing about 20-25knots, when a huge wave dumped all over the boat. Nothing unusually about this, except Rory had he head down............and no longer has a neck seal on his dry suit.........so he got
completely soaked....to the point where there was a large amount of water sloshing around inside the suit!!!! (it's ok....you can laugh...I did!)

This afternoon, flat calm again, sailed into another high pressure, so back to baking bread,
and sieving water through tea towels, due to weird sediment, that has appeared in Rory's
waterbottles.

Yesterday they ticked off another 142 miles, and today (early hours) they cleared the
Gulf Stream, and clocked another 114 miles. Not bad for a little boat!

400 miles to go............

Monday 21st June 2010 Position Update

2010-06-21T20:00:00.000+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:39.31123
Longitude:-61.28775
GPS location Date/Time:06/21/2010 13:28:11 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunK
i3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Ocean Race Track

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.aspx?id=34&ent=663

Well I don't know about you guys out there reading the blog.......but I am on tenterhooks daily, waiting for Rory's latest position updates!!
Go Cookie go!

Sunday 20th June 2010 Position Update

2010-06-20T17:53:00.000+01:00

Happy Father's Day to all the dad's competing in the Jester
Challenge!

Rory has had a nice easy day today, with Cookie scooting along in very little breeze. He spent the morning baking some bread and also decided to treat himself to a sea bath on the back net, ...........after 28 days at sea!!
The result is he now has fluffy hair (as opposed to the salt encrusted nest) and is kitted out in his last set of clean clothes.
(Turns out he didn't take enough boxers with him.....so also had to do some laundry!!!)

He's finished the last of the three books he took with him (this nearly impresses me more than the Challenge itself.........he doesn't normally sit still long enough to read a book......or..........he falls asleep with the book in his hand......thus average reading time per book is at least a month!!)

And finally, he enjoyed his Father's Day treats that Josh & Sophie had sneaked aboard before he left Plymouth. A big bar of Mint Aero, and cards they had made for him.
It is a limited update tonight at the kids both had a good chat with him this evening, Josh especially giving him all the updates on the World Cup Football results!!
Happy family all round.

Rory's Spot
Latitude:38.99469
Longitude:-58.49192
GPS location Date/Time:06/20/2010 13:47:18 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Ocean Race Track:

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.aspx?id=34&ent=663

19th June 2010 Position Update

2010-06-19T23:19:00.000+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:38.99207
Longitude:-56.964 GPS location
Date/Time:06/19/2010 13:24:00 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces
/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi
3eP4m0RUyAZreC


Ocean Race Track:

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.
aspx?id=34&ent=663

18th June 2010 Position Update

2010-06-19T20:40:00.000+01:00

Good Evening Folks, well apologies for being a day late............I took a day off....but don't tell the
Captain!
Had a brief chat with Rory last night, but very bad connection on the sat phone.
He said that Thursday's evening he kept the main triple-reefed & the storm jib up, and Cookie took some big, big hits that night.......but every time she got hit, she just popped straight back up and kept on bobbing along.

When he woke up Friday morning, they were becalmed!! So big breakfast and than he took the opportunity to check Cookie over, ..........re-lashed the nets, checked the rigging, pumped out the bows etc, and over all, she is in great shape........which is a big relief because they really have been banging to windward. He said the seas around them were very churned up, lots of seaweed floating around. Also lots of wildlife, pilot whales, dolphins and he even spotted a baby shark.

6pm Friday evening and the winds were back upto 20-25 knots, and the seas a lot clearer, he also reckons he has about a knot of current pushing them along.
The neck seal on his drysuit split today, he tried some dinghy glue he's got on board......but just ended up fuming out the very small area down below, as well as spacing himself out!!
He now has "100 mile" checkpoints marked on his chart, and they have about 900 miles to go!! Yahooooo.

Next up.......the Gulf Stream!

Rory's Spot 
 Latitude:38.68984 
 Longitude:-54.14406 
 GPS location Date/Time:06/18/2010 13:16:48 BST 


 http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=38.68984,-54.14406&ll=38.68984,
-54.14406&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1


Ocean Race Track:

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.aspx?id=34&ent=663

17th June 2010 Position Update

2010-06-17T22:15:00.000+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:38.35499
Longitude:-51.64261 GPS location Date/Time:06/17/2010 13:00:42BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7h
BIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Ocean Race Track:

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.aspx?id=34&ent=663

16th June 2010 Update

2010-06-16T23:15:00.000+01:00

Sometime I find this blog really hard to write. People often ask how do I cope when Rory
goes to sea, and the honest answer is.....I carry on like it is any other day. And then every once in
awhile, on days like today, I will have a quiet moment of concern.

It has been a tough 36 hours out there. Sunday morning the sunrise was ablaze, and as the old saying goes........"red sky at morning, sailor's warning". And sure enough, shortly after sunrise, the front started moving in rapidly, with the skies growing darker & darker by the minute and unlike anything Rory has seen before.
He triple-reefed the main and put the storm jib up (which has had very little use over the last 15 years!!) and Cookie jogged along steadily.
By mid afternoon the wind was blowing 40-45 knots, so he put the sea anchor out, which instantly helped in the big seas.
Bang on 9pm the rain started and the winds eased, but the waves were very everywhere. Rory decided to hove-to, and hunkered down for the night and just rest up.
Around 5am and the wind started picking up again, and it has been howling all day When we spoke at 7.30pm this evening (Weds) it was still blowing 25-30 knots, and Cookie was taking some big hits. But...she is as brave as ever and was jogging along with a very small sail area, at 3 knots.........with Rory safely down below. I am exhausted just sat at home listening to him!!!

Yesterday's 24hr run was 110 miles and today, under sea anchor, 30 miles. Here is their latest
position:

Rory's Spot
Latitude:39.22513
Longitude:-51.02978
GPS location Date/Time:06/16/2010 13:31:53 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Ocean Race Track:

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.aspx?id=34&ent=663

(NB: Above photo is not Rory but he took the picture on board Cookie!! This was taken
sometime in 1997, I believe in the Indian Ocean, when he managed to convince Toto
to go sailing with him!!)

Andy Lane & Amadeus

2010-06-16T10:49:00.001+01:00

I was very sad to read this morning that unfortunately Andy Lane & Amadeus are no longer competiting in the Jester Challenge. I for sure, and I know Rory feels the same way......would much rather have Amadeus & Andy ahead of Cookie than not in the Challenge at all.
I feel for his lose but I am happy & relieved to hear he has been picked up safely, as I am sure his family are. Here's hoping that Andy makes it to the start line in 2012!

Short report below:

"Andy’s yacht was holed today (15th June) and following activation of the EPIRB and his SPOT, he has been rescued by a Belgian ship, having got to 40N 51W in good time and order.
He will get to Antwerp early next week. Amadeus has been abandoned at sea. Mr. Andrew Lane is currently on the M/V Courage and will remain onboard until they reach Belgium. Mr. Lane will then catch a train back to France. (US coastguards)

15/06/10 22H41
I have just had a call from Falmouth Coastguards to say the Andy has been picked up by MV Courage en route to Antwerp and will arrive on Monday evening – Amadeus dis-masted and hull holed, so likely lost. He has just rung my Dad and is in very good spirits, but paradoxically regretting the loss of the unopened bottle of Drambuie Dad gave him for his 60th on 7th June!
We so appreciate all your efforts and no doubt will see you for 2012!
Fair winds to everyone still sailing!
The Lanes"

15th June 2010 Position Update

2010-06-15T20:31:00.000+01:00

19 years ago today a little boat went afloat for the first time. Many thought she was too small to sail around the world, but how wrong were they! She is one tough Cookie!
She is still out there battling against the waves and keeping Rory safe, so from one tough cookie to another.....Happy Birthday Cookie!!

Here is her latest position.....she still chasing those boats in front!!

Rory's Spot
Latitude:39.31137
Longitude:-50.50621
GPS location Date/Time:06/15/2010 13:26:19 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Ocean Race Track:

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/raceplayer/raceplayer.aspx?event=34

The Sir Francis Chichester Trust

If you are enjoying the blog, please think about making a donation of any size to the Sir Francis Chichester Trust, so that Rory can try to reach his goal of 5,000 pounds. The Trust allows disadvantaged youths from Devon to attend Outward bound courses to discover themselves through adventure and personal development. This is perfectly in line with his aims to motivate young folks to "reach for their dreams". Come on guys............let's do it!
PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY, Thanks - Rory & Cookie.

P.S. If you have already made a donation.........BIG heartfelt thanks!

14th June 2010 Update

2010-06-14T23:20:00.000+01:00

Great chat with Rory this evening. He said an hour after I spoke to him on Saturday, the rain came in…..and he managed to catch 14 litres of water off the mainsail. This is brilliant news, as due to a miscalculation, he had been rationing his water (he hadn’t registered that some of the bottles the kids filled were actually only one litre bottles, not two litre!!)

"The winds started picking up, reaching about 30 knots, so triple reefed the main, set Harry up....and got some sleep. With the triple reefed main, Cookie sails along steady enough for me to rest.

Sunday was a bumpy day with southerly seas peaking in all directions, and waves crashing together constantly. Really uncomfortable aboard, worse day to date, and stressful just physically hanging on. (120 miles on day 21

Steady easterly, force one, this morning (Mon).....nice high pressure coming in. Tacked across and hove-to & decided to get everything up from down below....... towels, clothes, sleeping bag, pillow etc & hoisted them up into the rigging, to dry out! It is great to get the boat back in order, and although initially I felt like I had to keep pushing on, calm seas really are a great respite and an opportunity for me to recoup and recover! I even cooked a loaf of bread today!! Sailed 114 miles today and estimate I have about 1300 miles to Newport.

30 knots of south westerlies right now, and Cookie is jogging along happily, which means I can grab some sleep."

It was great hearing Rory so upbeat and back to his usual self. Last few times we have chatted, he has sounded very weary and tired.

Rory's Spot
Latitude:39.05022
Longitude:-48.26292
GPS location Date/Time:06/14/2010 13:29:11 BST

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/raceplayer/raceplayer.aspx?event=34

13th June 2010 Position Update

2010-06-13T15:22:00.000+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:39.14708
Longitude:-45.67401
GPS location Date/Time:06/13/2010 13:42:08 BST

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=39.14708,-45.67401&ll=39.14708,-45.67401&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Ocean Race Track:

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.aspx?id=34&ent=663

12th June 2010 - Update from Rory

2010-06-13T15:19:00.000+01:00

Quick update from Rory yesterday:

“Best day’s run of the trip, so far, on Saturday……….168 miles!! (Whoop whoop Rory & Cookie…..go…..go…..go.) The winds were up, but nice calm seas, so put a reef in the main and set “Harry” to work!
Rors decided he would treat himself to a new set of dry clean clothes and then snuggled down in his sleeping bag.
Felt great to be in clean, dry clothes but….was short lived!! Huge wave crashed over the dodger…….straight in over his sleeping head, pillow and dry fleece. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr……have been grumpy for the rest of the day.
He managed to finally fix the leak, where the compass is bolted on, which had been dripping on everything down below, but the boat is still very wet below with condensation raining down. So the first five minutes down below, he just sits and waits for the water to stop running off him, before he can attempt any task…..such a chart plotting etc.
No ships spotted for the last few days, but lots of dolphins still swimming alongside.
Also two more turtles spotted, one teenie tiny one drifted underneath the nets, and then a larger one, about 2ft with white & brown markings.

Another low pressure heading their way, and when we spoke Saturday evening (8pm BST)
Rory said the seas were beginning to build and the sky was full of low cumulus clouds. Maybe time to batten down the hatches? I guess time will tell.

12th June 2010 Position Update

2010-06-13T09:24:00.000+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:38.82599
Longitude:-43.32012
GPS location Date/Time:06/12/2010 13:07:43 BST

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=38.82599,-43.32012&ll=38.82599,-43.32012&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Ocean Race Track:

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.aspx?id=34&ent=663

Will post more news later today!

11th June 2010 Position Update

2010-06-11T19:51:00.000+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:38.94173
Longitude:-39.83776
GPS location Date/Time:06/11/2010 13:25:12 BST

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=38.94173,-39.83776&ll=38.94173,-39.83776&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1


Ocean Race Track:

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.aspx?id=34&ent=663

9th & 10th June - Update from Rory

2010-06-10T22:53:00.001+01:00

Well not much to report this evening as Rory
decided to take the day off for good behaviour!!
(guess we have to take his word for it.....)

He is finally out of his drysuit & boots, and beginning to dry out and 'unwrinkle". Down to t-shirt and Musto trousers, and bare feet :)

He is convinced the same dolphins are following him, they race alongside for 10-15 minutes, swim off, only to return several hours later.

Few more jobs done on the boat today. "Harry" (the windvane) has several more screws holding him safely aboard. Dodger sprayhoods needed a few extra stitches to stop water getting in, and some additional stuffing added to the cushions....cos Rory has a sore backside!!! (It's all that sitting around he does!!!)

Celebrations tonight............when we spoke, he was eight miles from the "half way" point! (Yippee guys......well done!) So he will be celebrating with a bottle of beer (which his brother in law, Phil, bought for him in the pub before he left.......which is another cause to celebrate....but that's another story!! :) And the KP nuts are coming out, followed by a sumptuous meal of rice & beans, that he cooked up last night.

They have had two nice days of high pressure, sailing 135 miles yesterday, and 95 miles today.
So I guess we will let him have a day off........but back to work tomorrow!!

(NB: Old photo from circumnavigation days...but figure this is what he would have been doing today!!)

10th June 2010 Position Update

2010-06-10T13:16:00.001+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:39.10603
Longitude:-36.8926
GPS location Date/Time:06/10/2010 13:04:11 BST

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=39.10603,-36.8926&ll=39.10603,-36.8926&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:Rory is sending you his current position. Where in the world am I now??

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

9th June 2010 - Position Update

2010-06-09T20:00:00.000+01:00

Good evening folks, here is Rory's latest position:

Rory's Spot
Latitude:38.85267
Longitude:-34.90155
GPS location Date/Time:06/09/2010 13:16:58 BST

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=38.85267,-34.90155&ll=38.85267,-34.90155&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:Rory is sending you his current position. Where in the world am I now??

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZ

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.aspx?id=34&ent=663reC

7th & 8th June 2010 - Rory Update

2010-06-08T21:26:00.000+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:38.70641
Longitude:-32.13937
GPS location
Date/Time:06/08/2010 13:25:42 BST


http://maps.google.com/maps?
f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=38.70
641,-32.13937&ll=38.70641,
-32.13937&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1


http://www.oceanracetrack.com/
evtChart.aspx?id=34&ent=663

Update from Rory this evening:

"Took the sails down for 3 hours yesterday and checked Cookie over. The starboard forward bow is leaking, so pumped this dry. Fixed a hatch hinge and stuck some more foam tape down to seal hatch tighter. Also fixed the net, where it had chafed through. Last night & today I have had to pump the port bow out too. The water is coming in through the forestay stems and hatches. I feel a lot happier having spent some time checking Cookie over. Overall she is a little smasher!!

Lots of dolphins zipping alongside as we sail through the Azores. Unfortunately also lots of Portuguese Man O War too........ bow dipped through a wave this morning and dumped a big
one on the net. Didn't enjoy trying to get it off the boat again!.

Last night was the first steady night sailing I have had since the start. 20-25 knots, no sail changes or adjustments need. Stayed in my drysuit until about 3am and then managed to get into my nice warm sleeping bag (which is a rarity) and stayed there until 7am!! Luxury!

Used up all my fresh fruit and vegetables..............just have potatoes, onion & cabbage left.
Ate two chocolate bars today..........which are only aboard cos my wonderful wife put them there (NB from wife...............who goes sailing across the Atlantic.......to windward....with no chocolate!!!!)
Big thanks to my sister-in-law Rachel, who very kindly gave me some foam pads before I left........they are saving my poor backside, which is getting beaten black & blue!!

Only managed 70 miles yesterday, but today there are some nice northwest winds blowing,
so clocked 110 miles today. And if my weatherman, Mista Paul, has got it right, than I am
heading into a high pressure moving NE ...with northerlies than easterlies........yeehaw!!

Big big thanks to all of you who have sent text messages and/or made a donation to the
Sir Francis Chichester Trust. This means a lot to me, and I really appreciate it.

Cheers.....Rory"

I didn't quite grasp the other day just what a huge coincidence it was, that Rory should bump into "Silver Bear" off the Azores.............the sat phone kept dropping in and out,but here is a link to SB blog. It's a small world!!! (the population of Lympstone village is about 1700 people!)

http://blog.mailasail.com/raylawry/53

And finally,I was sent a link today for some great photos from the Race Start. Check them out!

http://www.sailingphoto.ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67&Itemid=96

The Sir Francis Chichester Trust

2010-06-07T21:52:00.001+01:00

7th June 2010 Position Update

2010-06-07T19:51:00.000+01:00

Rory's Spot
Latitude:39.14896
Longitude:-30.08061
GPS location Date/Time:06/07/2010 13:17:11 BST

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=39.14896,-30.08061&ll=39.14896,-30.08061&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:Rory is sending you his current position. Where in the world am I now??

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

Ocean Race Track:

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.aspx?id=34&ent=663

6th June 2010 Update

2010-06-07T00:58:00.000+01:00

Quick update from Rory this evening:

Rough day again yesterday (Saturday) Had problems with lots of jellyfish getting stuck in the nets but on the flip side, big pod of dolphins swimming & playing alongside Cookie, as we bash along.
Also spotted Silver Bear, (36ft Najad), a yacht from Plymouth, and had a quick chat over the VHF with the skipper Ray, and got a weather update.
Calmed down Saturday evening so managed to have a big cook-up, before laying a-hull and catching up on some really good sleep. Unfortunately I suffered another equipment failure........the can opener broke!!

The first dry morning aboard Cookie today since leaving Plymouth. A rare event on such a small boat, but a welcome respite from being damp all the time. Managed to air out and finally dry out .
Sailed past the island of Santa Cruz Da Graciosa this morning, I could see it about 20 miles away in the distance.
Back into crazy seas, which are running through the Azores. Have now tacked away, and heading northwest as I was getting pushed to far south by the currents. Hoping for the high pressure to send some favourable winds :)

6th June Position Update

2010-06-06T14:43:00.000+01:00

Rory's Spot Latitude: 39.24071 Longitude: -28.48969
GPS location Date/Time:06/06/2010 13:02:48 BST

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=39.24071,-28.48969&ll=39.24071,-28.48969&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Trip Track:

http://share.findmespot.com/shared /facesviewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

(NB: Photo above is an old one from the original trip,but shows you how much room Rory
has down below!!)

5th June 2010 Position Update

2010-06-05T21:36:00.000+01:00

Good Evening Folks! Here is Rory's latest position update:

Rory's Spot Latitude:40.60094 Longitude:-27.20908
GPS location Date/Time:06/05/2010 13:16:40 BST

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=40.60094,-27.20908&ll=40.60094,-27.20908&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Please note that Ocean Race Track may not be updated for a day or two, as Eric, who is updating the positions as I get them, is away for the weekend.

Here is a link to the spot tracker positions for the last 7 days.......I am new to this, and I am learning as I go!!

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces viewspots.jsp?glId=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3eP4m0RUyAZreC

4th June 2010 Update

2010-06-04T23:56:00.000+01:00

OK I am back on the job full time again! Spoke to Rory again this evening, but had a very bad connection, but did manage to grab a few lines off him.
Yesterday he went through another big gale/storm, and rather than just hammer on into it, he decided to lay a-hull, so only sailed about 45 miles. He has had some concerns with the back beam and movement. The mainsheet traveler is attached to the back beam, and so therefore takes the full weight of the main, when under sail. In order to take some of this pressure off the beam, Rory has tied some lashings from the back beam, to the middle beam, thus so far, keeping the back beam much more stable.
Harry (wind-vane) has also had some adjustments made to him..... Rory took the drill to him! Every main component on Harry now has a lifeline attached:) Rory was worried about losing Harry, or parts of Harry, during the storms theyhave been encountering, and wanted to ensure that Harry remained on board at all times!
Weather much nicer this morning, Force 3-4 all day, sailing along at about 6 knots, heading west under full sail. Spray but......no big waves!! Hurray.
Big relief, cos Rory also mentioned he came very close to a big ship last night in the midst of the storm. And of course......his VHF radio wasn't charged so he couldn't hail them and let them know he was about. He said it was probably half a mile away.......but when the ship involved is half a mile LONG.......that is a little too close.
He saw his first sharkof the trip today......only about 4ft long, but spotted just as he had hung the charger over the back stern!! Also lots of Portuguese Man O War.
Latest position update:

Rory's Spot Latitude:41.24076 Longitude:-25.15264
GPS location Date/Time:06/04/2010 13:26:50 BST

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=41.24076,-25.15264&ll=41.24076,-25.15264&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.aspx?id=34&ent=663

3rd June 2010 - Position Update

2010-06-04T23:44:00.000+01:00

I realise that this position update is a little late, but will publish it for those
who are tracking Rory's route.

Rory's Spot Latitude:42.8197 Longitude:-24.56449
GPS location Date/Time:06/03/2010 13:01:28 BST

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=42.8197,-24.56449&ll=42.8197,-24.56449&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

1st June 2010 Latest Update

2010-06-02T10:42:00.000+01:00

Rory's Spot Latitude:43.86872 Longitude:-21.7134
GPS location Date/Time:06/01/2010 12:50:12 BST

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=43.86872,-21.7134&ll=43.86872,-21.7134&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/raceplayer/raceplayer.aspx?event=34

Had a quick chat with Rory Monday evening, and he was in good spirits. Blowing about Force 5, and he is still heading South, sailing at about 6 knots, with nice northerly blowing. Did hove to for several hours to catch up on sleep, but woke to a bumping noise under the boat. Went outside to check it out, and at first, thought it was a shark..........it was about 5ft in length and dark blue/black. It finally surfaced...and it was the biggest turtle he has ever seen!! Turtle was eating the barnacles off the boat side. As Rory sailed away, the turtle rolled over on it's back and waved!! (OK this is what Rory said....but remember, he has been at sea ...alone.....for a week now......so....;) Anyway he has nicknamed the turtle "Crush" (Re: "Finding Nemo" for those without kids!!)
Also recharged the battery, and managed to catch three cups of water off the main, in a light drizzle!! This was just an experiment, in case Rory takes longer to reach Newport and needs to ration water, than he knows he can catch more if needed.

Monday 31st May Position Update

2010-06-02T10:39:00.000+01:00

Rory's Spot Latitude:44.06109 Longitude:-19.34737
GPS location Date/Time:05/31/2010 13:13:28 BST

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=44.06109,-19.34737&ll=44.06109,-19.34737&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Blog Updates

2010-05-31T09:05:00.000+01:00

Kids and I are heading away for a few days, and will have limited internet access, but....I
will endeavor to update the position log daily. See you all soon! Michelle

30th May Latest Position

2010-05-30T20:42:00.000+01:00

Hi Folks, here is Rory's latest position:

Rory's Spot Latitude:44.34661 Longitude:-17.58091
GPS location Date/Time:05/30/2010 12:57:30 BST

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=44.34661,-17.58091&ll=44.34661,-17.58091&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.aspx?id=34&ent=663

It was a very rough night out there yesterday, I am hoping Rory was far enough
South to miss the worst of it. He did say it had eased up, when I spoke to him yesterday evening.
Unfortunately another competitor has had to turn back due to the severe damage their boat sustained during the storm. Condolences to John Margarson & Fluffy, safe trip back to port.

PS. Family mugshot tonight, taken last Sunday, just before Rory left.
Just to prove that the sun DOES shine in the UK!!

28th & 29th May Update from Rory

2010-05-29T20:11:00.000+01:00

Just spoke to a very tired & emotional Rory. Yesterday was tough going, Force 6, SW 20-25 knots bang on the nose. Poor Harry (the windvane!!) has a tough time keeping course going to windward, so lots of hand steering, Very wet & tough day for all on board.
So much so, that Rory hoved to at about 1am and slept all night. (He has now realised that this is a necessity, in order to get some rest, when sailing constantly to windward, not just for the boat, but also for him )
Really struggling with moral to then get out of warm, snuggly sleeping bag, into cold, damp clothing, and back on deck...,.......to face it all over again.

Weather had eased today, so fixed the beams. The washer had cracked and broken, so the beams were moving more than Rory wanted them to. Cut up some wood board and replaced them, so beams are now secure again.
He will continue to head south, as there is a big low pressure coming in from the west. Cookie & Harry are back under self-steering again, so Rory is about to cook some supper and get some more deserved rest.

Rory's Spot Latitude:46.17891 Longitude:-18.02704 GPS location Date/Time:05/29/2010 13:11:57 BST

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=46.17891,-18.02704&ll=46.17891,-18.02704&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/raceplayer/raceplayer.aspx?event=34

Friday 28th May 2010 Position Update

2010-05-28T20:02:00.000+01:00

Here's Rory & Cookie's latest position update:

Rory's Spot
Latitude:47.17455
Longitude:-17.81856
GPS location Date/Time:05/28/2010 13:12:42 BST

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=47.17455,-17.81856&ll=47.17455,-17.81856&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.aspx?id=34&ent=663

Update From Rory - 26th/27th May 2010

2010-05-27T23:35:00.000+01:00

"Yesterday (Wed) was a great sailing day! Good winds and lots of hand steering. I have averaged about 135 miles a day over the last 3 days, so Cookie and I are very happy. I have been eating loads of fresh vegetables and fruit, as they don't keep long on board, and I want to make the most of them, before they go mouldy. Then it is back to pasta, rice and some tinned delight!

Already had my first equipment failure.....blew out the first pair of ipod headphones....so will have to take more care with my second, and only remaining pair ;)

Used the Aquair for charging yesterday. The batteries were fully charged with just two hours towing, which is fantastic news. It is great being back at sea aboard Cookie again, but I have to say it is taking me a little while to adjust to being back aboard in an "older" body....... I don't seem to bend quite as easy as I use to!

Met a container ship last night, who actually stopped to check I was ok.......and not just lost out
at sea! They were interested to hear about the Jester Challenge and the number of boats involved, and also kind enough to give me a weather update.

The winds were calmer this morning (Thur), so I spent the time getting lots of little jobs done.
Nothing major, just finishing up jobs with extra sealant etc to stop water dripping on me
whilst I sleep, and keep everything dry down below. This is one of my most important thing
living aboard such a small boat. There is nothing worse than having to put wet clothes on, before heading up on deck.
I have been getting lots of sleep, about 5-6 hours off and on, which is just fantastic. You never know, when you are single-handing, just how long you may be awake for!! So I am napping whilst I can.
My plan is to sail to about 40 degrees North/40 degrees West before changing course, so for those of you following on the Ocean Race track, you will see Cookie stay on the line she is.
This is weather dependent, so we shall see."

Thursday 27th May, Updated Position

2010-05-27T13:31:00.000+01:00

I have a day off work today, so can post an update a little
earlier. Looks like Rory & Cookie are trucking along nicely.
I have found a program that can tell me the distance travelled in a straight line from two sets of co-ordinates, and if I have worked this out correctly, Rory has done at least 120 miles in the last 24hrs. I will get him to correct me this evening!
OK, here is the google earth link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=47.71579,-15.49092&ll=47.71579,-15.49092&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

And then here is the ocean racetrack link:

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.aspx?id=34&ent=663

Ocean Racetrack update from my posts, so Rory's position is a day behind on this.

Some Thank You's....

2010-05-26T19:46:00.001+01:00

I would like to say some big thank you’s on Rory's behalf. Our friend Sue Palmer runs a company called The Original Hat Box Cake Company, and she made Rory a fantastic Bon Voyage cake, it was so fantastic that we demolished it before he left Plymouth. She also loaded him up with about six months supply of brownies & flapjack, which I am sure are absolutely scrummy, but for some reason Rory would let me near them!! Check out some more of Sue's work: http://www.theoriginalhatboxcakecompany.co.uk/

Cocoa Loco also kindly donated the most amazing solid marbled chocolate fish to all the skippers of the Jester Challenge, so big thanks to them too. They have lots of delicious organic chocolates for sale at: http://www.cocoaloco.co.uk/

Also thanks to Jill Dixon, a local neighbour, who very kindly gave Rory a fruit cake for his voyage, which I already know was a lifesaver on the "row", sorry sail down to Plymouth for the start!! So as you can see, Rory has plenty of "supplies" to keep him going!!

I also want to say a big thank you to everyone that has helped Rory reach the start- line. It has been crazy the last couple of months, but somehow, everything came together bang on time.

Wed 26th May Postion Update

2010-05-26T19:15:00.000+01:00

A few people have asked me why the position update is posted later in the day..........I have to go and work at my "real" job! :) So apologies for the delay, but here is the latest:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=48.34733,-13.14396&ll=48.34733,-13.14396&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Also found another good site today called Ocean Track. It is posting the positions
of some of the other Jester Challenge boats, so gives you a good idea of how Rory & Cookie are doing, in relation to the monohulls taking part.

http://www.oceanracetrack.com/evtChart.aspx?id=34&ent=665

24th & 25th May 2010

2010-05-25T21:12:00.000+01:00

Spoke to Rory this evening (Tues) and have a post from him about the Challenge so far:

"Race Day was a very emotional day for me. Very happy and excited to be starting the Jester Challenge, but also sad to be saying farewell to family & friends. I was absolutely over the moon to see my family out on a boat at the start line! That hadn't been planned when I left the dock an hour before, so it was a fantastic surprise and a great final send-off.

Once under way, I had some time to reflect on the whole adventure ahead of me, and felt very emotional. It always takes me a day or so to settle back onto Cookie and adjust to being out at sea alone.

I passed Lizard Point with four other Jester boats at around midnight, and shortly after, we were becalmed. This was the perfect opportunity to stow, stow, stow and stow!! I had thrown a lot of last minute stuff aboard but had no time to get organised before leaving. I am pleased to report that Cookie and I are now ship-shape!

I passed Land's End early Monday morning, and was still very tired & hollow with emotion, having only managed about two hours sleep.
When I passed St. Mary's in the Scilly Isles just after mid-day, it brought back a flood of emotions, as St Mary's had been my departure point in 1991, when I set out on my circumnavigation with Cookie.

Mid afternoon, I spotted Roger aboard Ella Trout III, a fellow Jester, flying his spinnaker.
We had a chat, just before a pea soup fog surrounded us. I had forgotten just how thick UK fog can be!! It lifted just before sunset. NB: The AIS is my new best friend! (for the non techie's reading this.....AIS is a radar system that lets Rory know big ships are in the area. If he is sleeping, an alarm sounds to notify that a ship is nearby)
Much more settled night, managed to get five hours sleep! Feel like a new person and beginning to get into the groove of living back aboard Cookie.

Weather has been steady north easterly winds, although currently looking overcast to the South."

That's all folks. Should be talking with Rory again on Thursday.

Rory's Spot
Latitude:49.32633
Longitude:-9.66039
GPS location Date/Time:05/25/2010 12:49:29 BST

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=49.32633,-9.66039&ll=49.32633,-9.66039&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Rory & Cookie's Latest Position

2010-05-24T18:08:00.000+01:00

Wow, just got Rory's position, as of 1pm (BST) today, the first 24 hour run!

 Latitude:49.87295
Longitude:-6.34516
GPS location Date/Time:05/24/2010 12:55:33 BST

Looking good...he is down off St.Agnes near the Scilly Isles . Click the link below to see his position on Google Maps:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=49.87295,-6.34516&ll=49.87295,-6.34516&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Should be talking to Rory on the satellite phone Tuesday evening, so will give you all an
update then.

Cookie's Jester Challenge 2010 Start!

2010-05-23T21:24:00.000+01:00

Well, after three years of planning, the day has finally arrived, and what a spectacular day it was!
QAB Marina was a hive of activity this morning as all the competitors said farewells to family and friends. Cookie was spick and span, and the skipper looked relaxed and ready. Everything on his list was checked and ticked off. With final hugs & kisses, it was time to say good-bye, untie the lines, and let Cookie fly! Her new sails where gleaming in the sunshine, as she glided out of the marina, to cheers and hurrays. They were heading for the start line and the 1 o'clock gun, signaling they were off.

Family and friends were lucky enough to grab a ride on the Plymouth Belle, which headed out into Plymouth Sound, towards the western end of the breakwater, to watch Cookie cross the official start line of the Jester 2010 Challenge. The sun was blazing and sea sparkling........and this is in England, most unexpected weather but just fantastic for such a special day!! We managed to spot Cookie on the horizon amidst the hundreds of boats that were out on the water, and headed towards her. This boat trip was unplanned as we had originally decided to wave good-bye from the marina and then watch from Plymouth Hoe. Only as the sun had come out, every man and his boat were out on the water, making it impossible to spot "tiny" Cookie amongst them all. Hats off to Ray the skipper for taking us right along side Rory, and getting a bunch of strangers to cheer him on, as he and Cookie crossed the start line. They are on their way! Big thanks to everyone who has made this dream a possibility. Love you Rory, keep safe & fair winds and following seas.

The Biggest Challenge Of Any Race Is.....Getting To The Start!!

2010-05-23T19:32:00.000+01:00

Well Rory's has been telling everyone this for the last few month's....... "The Race is the easy part, it's making it to the start line that is the biggest challenge. How true these words are! Rory left Lympstone with his brother-in-law, David and brother Barnes at mid day on Thursday, to sail 55 miles south to the start in Plymouth. What should have been a fairly nice simple sail, took 36 hours...........yep 36..... flat, becalmed, tide chasing, endless.......... rowing hours!! They finally rowed into Queen's Anne Battery at midnight on Friday.....with very sore, tired, aching arms......having rowed the last 8 miles. I have a feeling that Barnes & Dave might pass up the next opportunity to go "sailing" with Rory. Well done boys!

Shopping day

2010-05-18T22:33:00.000+01:00

Today Tuesday was shopping day. I bought all the dried food and rowed out to Cookie to store it in the stbd galley hull. Now the weight is more evenly balanced and the waterlines are level as most of the boat gear, spares and clothes are in the port hull. I really should buy shares in the Ziploc company!!!!!!

Testing the Aquair

2010-05-18T22:25:00.000+01:00

Photos show the Aquair being trailed behind. The prop streams aft on 100 meters of line and as Ampair advised I installed a switch in the wiring so once spinning you can cut in the charge to the battery. You can see the cut-down funnel that works so well when pulling back in the prop.

Sundays' shakedown sail

2010-05-18T22:06:00.000+01:00

The sail on Sunday was fab. Mostly grey but a force 3-4 gusting 5 from the SW gave a chance to test Cookie to windward with Harry steering again and m getting them balanced. Harry did what he does so well and the new sails gave a good shape and set - so no worries there. As we sailed across Torbay the wind picked up a little so checked the main with 1 x reef in and good shape too. I tested the Aquair charger and it worked a treat.Easy to stream the prop and rope and my custom lashed-up funnel works great to snuff the prop for me to haul it all back in after. The battery was up to 14.4V after only 1/2hour of charging, sailing at 5.5kts. No large effect from the slight drag and Harry held his course well. All smiles. The AIS radar display certainly worked fine with the alarm going off every few minutes as we sailed through the big ships anchored in Torbay!! The new Musto drysuit is gorgeous. Very warm and very light to wear - not restrictive at all. The biggest test of the day was to see if I could pee with the suit on..............and if I bend over like quasi modo all works great!!!! Brilliant!! The only failure was my 15yr old rubber sailing boots that perished and disintegrated all over the boat. Time for a new pair. I didn't expect any bad surprises but was a great day out and good to see all the new stuff aboard working well.

Testing, testing.............

2010-05-14T10:01:00.000+01:00

Rowed out to Cookie yesterday evening to stow my clothes that are sealed up in big ziplock bags. Thought it a good time to push the button on the Spot Tracker and see how it loads into this blog. So click the link below and it will give Cookies position on a map. I will give position updates once a day across the Atlantic so folks can track the progress if interested. Cheers, Rory & Cookie.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=50.64917,-3.43696&ll=50.64917,-3.43696&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

All jobs completed!!

2010-05-12T15:55:00.000+01:00

It's been a great week of progress with lots of good dry weather again. Each morning I've been trudging through the mud and shallows to Cookie on her mooring and get a few hours work on the last jobs. A VHF antenna is installed at the masthead now to receive signals for the AIS (Automatic Identification System) to alert me of nearby ships. I got the GPS talking to the AIS and all seems to work OK. The roll-down dodger flaps are sewn into place with bungy loops to keep secured - essential for keeping dry below and giving enough headroom to sit upright!!
Aquair charger is now all wired up to the battery and we will be testing it out on Sunday. Also managed to buy a satphone on ebay which will be a whole lot cheaper than renting. Otherwise lots of time spend on the mundane tasks of sealing all wiring connections with sealant, wiring shackles secure, whipping ropes secure and stowing spare parts. Can't wait until the test sail on Sunday to blow the cobwebs out and feel Cookie come alive again. We haven't sailed together since last October in Belize!

The Small Jobs

2010-05-07T21:14:00.000+01:00

Hi folks. Its been a good week of tidying up the loose ends and getting some of the small jobs out of the way. Been running around buying the last of the 1st aid supplies. Got a waterproof box to stow the flares in. Fitted the canvas storage pockets inside the cabins. Secured the barometer, thermometer, sextant etc. Mounted the extinguisher and fire blanket in the galley. Today I spent an hour up the mast fitting a VHF antenna to hook up to the new AIS ship alert system. WOW!! Cookie is really gadgeted up now!! The last thing to get is a satphone for the trip and I am trying to decide whether to rent or to buy a used one off ebay?? Nearly all the boat gear is aboard now. The plan is to do the last boat jobs next week and then as the tides are good, it will be a test sail next weekend to make sure everything is working as it should :-) Anyone fancy a sail??

Big help from Mum!

2010-05-04T16:22:00.000+01:00

Special thanks to my Mum, Liz Robins, not only for lots of support but for sewing up custom fitted canvas storage organisers for Cookie. This will be a big help to keep all the important gear in its rightful place. I had only one organizer before and now I have six. There's no excuse for a messy boat now!!!!!

NOW RAISING FUNDS!!

2010-05-01T10:04:00.000+01:00

I have now set up an easy to donate JustGiving webpage to raise funds for the Sir Francis Chichester Trust. So I am asking everyone to please show their support and to make a donation of any size so that I can try to reach the goal of 5,000 pounds. The Trust allows disadvantaged youths from Devon to attend Outward bound courses to discover themselves through adventure and personal development. This is perfectly in line with my aims to motivate young folks to "reach for their dreams".
PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY, Thanks - Rory & Cookie.

Setting up the Aquair on Cookie

2010-05-01T09:53:00.000+01:00

After the test day it was time to see if the stainless frame I made on Cookie for the Aquair water charger was going to work. The charger is to be mounted on the port hull as that's the side with the battery and all the electrics set up. All went well and will have to find time in the next 2 weeks for a test sail. Thanks again to Ampair for their support.

Aquair Test

2010-05-01T09:36:00.000+01:00

On Thursday, Frank the engineer from Ampair came down to Exmouth and we went out to help test their prototype new experimental Aquair unit with the fantastic assistance of Richard Crisp and his motorboat Curlew. Of course we had to pick the only rainy days for the past month, but that didn't stop us and we were very lucky to have a flat calm to make it a lot easier to get the test towing done. Frank is a great guy and knows everything there is to know on the Ampair wind and water chargers, having been with the company for 30 years!!
Top pic shows Frank and I about to depart on Curlew for the testing and lower pic is Richard at the helm.

Support from Ampair

2010-05-01T09:32:00.000+01:00

Many thanks to David at Ampair for their generous loan of an Aquair 100 towed water charging unit. With this I will now be able to generate electricity during the Jester Challenge for the few lights and couple of gadgets that are now aboard Cookie.

On the mooring

2010-04-28T12:01:00.000+01:00

I've been rowing out at high tides this week getting all the gear aboard and ready to be stowed. Galley and cooking stuff, bedding, anchors, spare parts, bilge pumps, water bottles, compasses, harnesses, lifejackets, sails, fire fighting stuff, VHF, fenders, drogue, inflatable dinghy, battery, - and that's just the tip of the iceberg!!! For the final preparations it's now down to checking all the lists. Assembling 1st aid kit, tool kit, spare parts and making sure nothing gets forgotten.

Cookie is afloat once again!

2010-04-26T10:58:00.000+01:00

Last Friday 23rd April, Cookie was launched into the River Exe and is now happily tied to her new mooring off Lympstone. It was a neap tide so wasn't coming anywhere near where Cookie rested on the slipway. I slapped another wheel on the rickety trolly and with the help of Sailing Club members at hand, we lifted the stbd hull onto the trolley, then lifted the port hull and pushed Cookie sideways into the brook channel. Wooohooo!! She always comes alive when she hits the water!! I followed her in and came within 2 inches of wallet and phone as I sank in the mud!!!!!
Thanks again to Alan Dixon who gave us a tow out of the shallow and narrow channel to the mooring. A quick check below to see if any water was coming in proved all is OK. It's a first for Cookie to have a thru-hull fitting and now something else for me to worry about!!

In the garden and ready for the move

2010-04-21T21:58:00.000+01:00

Getting prepared to move Cookie from her refit refuge of 3 Strawberry Hill and take her down to Lympstone slipway.

Cookie wheels past Lympstone Church

2010-04-21T21:52:00.000+01:00

It's not everyday a catamaran is wheeled in separate pieces through this village!!

Tire blowout halts progress!!

2010-04-21T21:48:00.000+01:00

Phil and Cookie take a break after the front tire collapses in the center of Lympstone.

Port hull departing the garden

2010-04-21T21:44:00.000+01:00

Thanks goes to Lympstone Sailing Club member Ian Schoefield for loaning his boat trailer to fetch the second hull after the wheel blowout on my wooden trolley!!

Bolting Cookie together

2010-04-21T21:41:00.000+01:00

It pays to be flexible when owning a small boat!!!!!

Cookie moves to the waters edge!

2010-04-20T18:37:00.000+01:00

A great day forward for the project as we moved Cookie down onto the Lympstone slipway. My brother-in-law Phil came to give a hand and we had the first hull loaded and being wheeled on the trolley by 10am. A minor crisis struck when one a trolly tire fell apart leaving Phil and I to half carry and half wheel Cookie's stbd hull the remaining distance. By this time Alan Dixon had come to watch the proceedings and lend a hand - and what a hand it was. Alan managed to rustle up another trailer for an hour so we could fetch the port hull and complete the job. Well done Alan!!!!
Now Cookie is bolted and lashed together and awaits the net, mast and rudders tomorrow. I'll visit on the 11.30pm high tide tonight to make sure she's not trying to float away too soon.

Long overdue April update

2010-04-19T21:41:00.000+01:00

Its been head down, bum up getting all the repairs done to Cookie this past month. The beams have been reinforced with glass where needed, then painted. Harry (The wind-vane self steering) got his repairs and fresh coat of paint. Tillers repaired and painted. All deck fittings resealed. Dodgers re-canvassed. And loads of other minute but important details have been taken care of - such as the original New Zealand 10c coin placed back under the mast for good luck!! The mast is sporting new rigging and today I even made up a framework ready for a towing water charger to be added.
Jerry Ritchie and Nigel Longland - friends of mine from Belize sailing days - have come aboard as supporters and have made it possible to purchase the last items of needed safety gear. Huge thanks to Nigel and Jerry.
I laid a Mooring down last week on the mudflats off Lympstone ready to be Cookie's new home. Quite a muddy experience in my wetsuit boots and shorts but not quite the person-swallowing stuff the guys at the sailing Club had me believe!!
If all goes well tomorrow, Cookie will be wheeled down the hill on her trolley to the Lympstone Sailing Club slipway to be assembled at the high tide mark. Can't wait to have her afloat again.
Big thanks goes out to Alan and Jill Dixon who gave me their garage space and workshop to use this past month to keep progress going when the rains came down. Thanks guys!

More support!

2010-03-21T20:48:00.000Z

Big, big thanks goes out to the MacGregor family who live near Ivybridge in Devon. Julian and family were neighbours of ours out in Belize and we have shared many great times. Thanks for coming aboard as supporters and helping make the dream come alive!

Family support!

2010-03-21T20:41:00.000Z

Many thanks goes out to my stepfolks - Pete & Anita Robins for their generous support and donation of funds to be able to purchase the last pieces of vital equipment. Thanks guys - it all helps to bring the dream into reality.

Lympstone Sailing Club Talk

2010-03-20T09:13:00.000Z

It was a very warm welcome at the Lympstone Sailing Club on Friday 12th March. I was invited to give a slide show and talk on the previous world voyage on Cookie. The talk was titled "Dare to Dream" to emphasize the success from living out your dreams. Special thanks to Brian Ridge and Richard Crisp for organizing the club venue.
My family and I are now members of the club and have been presented with the LSC burgee to fly during the Jester Challenge!
From the generosity of the club members at the talk, we made a fund raising start of 102 pounds for the Sir Francis Chichester Trust. Thank you to all who attended!

Link to LSC website is http://www.lympstonesailingclub.org.uk/