Finally got some pics and video links online!

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!!!!!

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!

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
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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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=0eU7hBIn3zf3pdPunKi3e
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

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

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

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

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!