The maiden voyage of the yacht "Jovic"

19/10/2000: Depart Jamaica, Air Jamaica flight JM001. Kingston to MoBay was a fairly empty flight then people came on in MoBay to fill the flight. Lovely kid in the row in front of me - obviously had enjoyed a good holiday and was heading home. The lady next to me was a retired grandmother setting up a house in Montego Bay and returning to England.

Arrived Heathrow on time at 3pm, 21/10/2000. By the time I had cleared the airport and got into London it was 6pm. Ian Little met me at Leyton station and dropped me to his house but then had to head out. Made a few calls to Robert, Vaniah and Julia, then went back into London to meet V. Ended the evening at her (very nice) new apartment near Canary Wharf, then back to Leytonstone.

22/10/2000: A slow start to the day, but headed into central London around noon to sort out coach tickets and generally wander. I eventually made my way out to Wembley Park to catch up with Richild and Robert. Richild was in UK for the weekend before returning to Luxembourg to finish a contract there. Robert went off to Sunday dinner with family friends and Richild and I headed in to find Vaniah. We again ended up in Vaniah's apartment dining on soup and pizza. Unfortunately we stayed too late and missed the last train from Stratford. Richild went off to find a taxi and I walked ~3 miles back to Ian's place.

23/10/2000: Having not spent any time catching up with Ian, I chatted briefly with him in the morning before he went off to work. I then packed up to leave. Robert called and got directions to meet me at Leytonstone but unfortunately I had to leave before he arrived. As it was, I arrived at Victoria Coach Station and stepped straight onto the Victoria-Plymouth coach. An uneventful trip followed, ending with my arrival in Plymouth at 16:30 with time to kill.

I called Ellie, who turned out to be 1 1/2 hours away by car. I wandered into main street Plymouth before meeting her at the coach station. It was wonderful to see her again - she is such a great friend.

We made our way to the ferry port and found Robert Wilson, then headed into Plymouth to a pub in the Hoe, before heading back to the ferry port ~21:00.

24/10/2000: The ferry crossing was uneventful and we arrived in Roscoff at 8:00 in pitch black. The sun rose ~8:30 while we were en route to Morlaix by bus. Morlaix to Rennes by train. Rennes to Nantes by train. Nantes to La Rochelle by train. Arrived La Rochelle 15:45. Painless trip, but a bit dull. We decided to walk from the train station into La Rochelle Ville to find the boat. This took some doing as there are thousands of boats here. Finally Vicky saw us and came over. Harry was already aboard, having come on the morning train from Paris.

25/10/2000: We spent Wednesday getting settled. Bags were unpacked and stowed, the major functions of the boat were explained, etc.

Various Amel support people came aboard to fix the satphone and discuss issues to do with boat registration.

It also became clear that the shipment of boat supplies is missing. Last seen in Rotterdam on October 9th.

26/10/2000: Various faxes and phone calls were made to try and locate the missing shipment. We went into town for a look and found the market in the old town. That afternoon Olivier took the boat out for a sail so we could see how things worked. It was a lovely clear day.

26/10/2000: We spent the morning touring the Amel factory. A fascinating operation. We saw 9 boats in various stages of production and a 10th just begun.

I wandered the town in the afternoon looking at a vast collection of boats including what looked like an Open 60. The sailing here is fantastic, with fleets of dinghies, cats and sport boats operating out of a sailing school in our marina, Le Port des Minimes. Every weekday there are classes and windsurfers out in the bay.

27/10/2000: Friday. Peter arrived and we heard that the mysterious shipment had arrived in La Rochelle and would be cleared on Monday.

28/10/2000: There are loads of races going on. People seem to arrive here on Friday night and spend the weekend sailing. There are groups of mobile homes by the dinghy park and the cruisers have been streaming out as well.

The day dawned blustery with ~20 kts of wind and overcast skies. I went with Harry, John and Vicky to the chandlers and to the Carrefour (a huge supermarket). On our return a 45kt squall with rain swept across the harbour. The breeze kept up after this squall, settling at 25kts from the North-NorthWest.

29/10/2000: Harry, Peter, Robert and I drove 100 km to Les Sables de Olonne to look at the Vendee Globe racers. There were huge crowds viewing the 24 entrants and the adjacent sponsors exhibit hall. These non-stop round the world racers depart Les Sables de Olonne on 5/11/2000, heading for the southern ocean. Expected race duration is just over 100 days.

We returned to find that the breeze was still blowing although it had shifted slightly to the West and South of West. It continued to blow steadily throughout the night.

30/11/2000 Today (Monday). The barometer has fallen to 995 millibars and the wind has not been below 20kts occasionally gusting to 45kts, from the SouthWest. No sign of the shipment yet, or of the professional skipper, who was due to arrive yesterday.

As of 18:00 the breeze had not abated. Pressure was rising however and I was hopeful for improved weather in the morning.

31/10/2000: Woke up with a sore head from a night out. Clear blue sky with light breeze West-SouthWest. Headed into town on foot via the Maritime Museum. A round the world boat "Joshua" is on display here as are "Pen Duick II" and "Pen Duick V". Started to rain at this point so we had to seek shelter.

The forecast for the next few days is bad and tomorrow is a holiday (All Saints Day) so departure has been pushed back. ETD is now Saturday and I am getting very frustrated. I am tempted to head back to Paris to see Nora or to Edinborough to see Julia. Hopefully we will get moving.

2/11/2000: Yesterday was All Saints Day - a public holiday here. As expected the breeze filled in, with occasional rain squalls. We are reasnably comfortable at dock but it is probably best not to consider venturing out until this passes. The boat is largely ready to depart although the official registration papers are not here, the boat has not yet been provisioned and the compass must be recalibrated.

Once this is all done and the weather becomes favourable we can finally get underway. The ennui of sitting around for days on end resulted in an epic night out yesterday. Starting at 10pm with Le Jam - African Rhythms. We closed this first bar at 2am then went into town with a bartender there - Fab was his name. The 5 of us - Fab, Peter, Harry, Robert and I - piled into Fab's car and wandered into La Rochelle Ville to a small private club. We were the last to leave there as well, at 5am in search of coffee and croissants. Harry and I walked back to the boat while the others drove, eventually getting croissants by knocking on bakery doors at 5am! After a good sleep I am ready to repeat this again tonight.

3/11/2000: 10:00 - We have got the disappointing news that we will be here at least 3 more days waiting for a break in the weather. This is pushing back our arrival date in the Canries as well and I may be forced to leave the boat when we get to Spain. In the meantime I am casting around for something to do this weekend. I will call Nora in Paris and go to visit her.

3/11/2000: 21:00 - I have just spoken to Nora who is leaving Paris for the weekend. This confirms that I will be staying here until we leave whenever that is. Nora asked if I was bored with La Rochelle. I would have to say yes - and no. The forced solitude of being a visitor in a land where I do not speak the language has forced me into some not unpleasant introspection. Yes I am understimulated, but it is quite peaceful here. The lashings of rain and breeze would seem to be a hardship, but they suit my mood. Enduring hardship gives me strength and perserverance and familiarity with my environs has given them a certain inner beauty. The desolate sea wall, the harsh lights on the green-brown soup of the marina waters, the low scudding clouds - these are a comfort and a familiar backdrop. Outside the marina the protected bay offers a deceptively calm invitation yet beyond that the Bay of Biscay beckons, with its sure promise of discomfort. Beyond that I know not what. Most likely a hurried arrival in Las Palmas followed by a flight to England and back home to an environment I have started to forget. This prospect of return is a disquieting one. There were many things I left undone when I departed. I do not know which would be worse - to face recrimination for my shortcomings, or to find that they are only significant to me. Only time will tell and there are many miles to travel before then.

4/11/2000: La Rochelle Ville. Port Les Minimes. 46 degrees 08.809 minutes N, 1 degree 09.999 minutes W.

The 5 day forecast is grim. Good weather today but not tomorrow. Through Monday is predicted to be horrible, force 9 to 10 winds.

This morning began clear and warm with winds under 10 knots. Gradually clouds have filled in but the barometer has not yet begun to fall. We went for a shakedown sail and the boat handles well given enough breeze although she struggles to go to weather and occassionally kicks up spray over the bow. We did not get a chance to see her response to swell - that will have to wait until the journey begins.

Our plans are, as ever, in flux. The latest proposal is to take on the final member of our crew here and set sail directly for Las Palmas to save time. We will not take the professional skipper with us in this case and will not stop unless needeed. Even so it appears unlikely that we will make it to the Canaries before the 14th or 15th. I am booked to leave London on the 19th, so I will probably have to leave Las Palmas as soon as we arrive or change my flight. This has become a horribly wasted trip and I will have to consider carefully before I go on this kind of delivery trip. I will enjoy it, I'm sure, but it is keeping me away from responsibilities that I have not been able or willing to put aside.

I should not be overly concerned. Harry and Peter are under similar pressure and those who are staying with the boat would like to reach Las Palmas in time to resupply and start the ARC on the 19th, so we will all be pulling together to make the best possible time.

6/11/2000: Yesterday was spent in a state of limbo. The predicted gales have hit and the barometer has dropped as the winds rose. The sky has been filled with scudding clouds so low it seemed as though you could reach up and touch them, scratching the scaly belly of the dragon while listening to his howling breath.

Today is expected to be much the same. There is as yet no sign of the workers expected to arrive to configure the navigation and communication systems and I feel that this is yet another delay thrown in our path. We sit here doubled lines all round and wait and wait and wait.

~19:30. This incredibly shitty day rolls on. The Vendee Globe racers have postponed their start, 35 miles North, because of the bad conditions. 12 metre waves have been reported in the Bay of Biscay and the conditions may not be substantially improved before Thursday. I am seriously considering packing it in and going back to UK. I will have to get into town early tomorrow to check my mail and see what my options are.

8/11/2000: We are to set sail tomorrow at 6am to get out before low tide. All the preparations have been made and bills paid and it looks like it will actually happen this time. I have been in La Rochelle for 15 days and will not miss the place.

It will probably be an uncomfortable trip, but moving forward - regardless of the effort - is infinitely better that standing still.

I have not said any goodbyes. I should have called my parents, to tell them I love them, Susy to tell her I will be back soon, and Julia to say I hope to see her soon. As usual I am too busy talking to myself to reach out and say what I feel to the people I love. Anyway, we have an early start. The forcast is for low winds dying further in the next 36 hours but the seas are expected to be rough and I will not be surprised to be cold and wet. Thank God we are finally moving.

1314UTC 10/11/2000. 44 degrees 54.468 minutes N, 5 degrees 28.400 minutes W. Course 247 degrees M, Speed 6.5 kts. We set off from La Rochelle at dawn (4:50 UTC) yesterday. Dawn, swells, seagulls, seasick, dusk, seasick, swells, squalls, cold, dolphins, 9kts boatspeed, better, dawn in the sleeping bag, sun, sun, sun, flat seas motorsailing to Spain.

2156UTC 10-11-2000. 44 degrees 26.879 minutes N, 6 degrees 36.496 minutes W. Motor, motor, motor. No useful breeze all day, but we seem to be getting some assistance from the sails now. The calm conditions have helped me get over my seasickness, but I will have to cautious if we encounter any rough stuff. Apart from that we plod on fighting tedium and getting there, minute by minute.

I am working my way through a list of navigation systems that still need tweaking and integrating, but this is as much to keep busy as anything else.

18:17UTC 12/11/2000. 42 degrees 37.236 minutes N, 10 degrees 17.451 minutes W. I have lost track of time. We are finally moving well againafter slowing down to let bad weather through. We are now clear of the Bay of Biscay, on course for Las Palmas with 900 nautical miles to go.

13:55 13-11-2000. 40 degrees 20.502 minutes N, 11 degrees 25.046 minutes W. Progress continues. The boat has been sailing well all last night and today. The crew at last appears to be fully rested and adapted to life on board. As mentioned previously I have lost all track of time. I am told that today is Monday, but the word holds no relevance here.

The attitude on board is to keep going as fast as confortable and to deal with onward travel plans when we arrive at Las Palmas. Making plans before then serves no purpose since we are still very much at the whim of wind and sea. Conditions now are good, but the boatspeed has dropped from its highs overnight.

2107 13-11-2000. 39 degrees 33.839 minutes N, 11 degrees 51.497 minutes W. Just overheard a conversation between QE2 and an unidentified Vendee Globe boat. He reports that one of the racers has dropped out with a broken mast.

As for us, we charge south, making good speed on a direct course for Las Palmas. Steady speeds of 7kts with surges in the squalls. As I write this we have just seen 10.5kts in a cloudburst. Onward.

1436 14-11-2000. 37 degrees 34.587 minutes N, 12 degrees 34.270 minutes W. Caught a fish about an hour ago. It looks like about an 8lb tuna which I have landed, cleaned and gutted and Harry has offered to cook for dinner. Everyone is in good spirits and we roll generally south.

The breeze prevents the direct course to the Canaries at the moment but we are still making good speed in approximately the right direction. If there is no change in the next 24 hours we will have to think about jibing to get further East but right now we are happy on this heading (about 230 degrees).

1946UTC 15-11-2000. 34 degrees 24.911 minutes N, 13 degrees 49.637 minutes W. Finally got the ballooner up this afternoon and we are on a direct course and making reasonable time. Sally was right when she said the worst part of long distances was finding something to pass the time. I'm ready to go home now. Still 400+ miles to go so we will have to fight tedium for a while yet. This cruising rig boasts simplicity but it removes the simple tasks like sail trim and hand steering that we have been using to pass time when on watch.

1416UTC 16-11-2000. 32 degrees 17.828 minutes N, 14 degrees 19.248 minutes W. It seems that we may finish this trip the same way it began, motoring in insufficient breeze. This is mostly to ensure a timely arrival since we could probably ghost along at 5kts under sail, but it is also more comfortable to motor with the sea coming from behind.

There is a significant list of things to be done upon arrival in Las Palmas both by those leaving and by the crew who will be doing the transAtlantic leg so expect the shipboard tupour to be very sharply disturbed.

2059 16-11-2000. Just broke the 200nm barrier - if that means anything.

21/11/2000: Apparently, breaking the 200nm barrier means you stop recording what you are doing and start living in the moment instead.

With Las Palmas looming ever closer the shipboard routine changed hour by hour. First it was "the last night watch", then "the last dawn", then get the luggage out, start sorting in preparation for packing.

No sign of land when I went off watch. A few hours later Harry announced "Land Ho". It takes a bit of immagination but we can just make out the hills in the haze.

As night fell the lights became visible. We got ever closer and then began picking our way through the ships and into the marina. Finally lines ashore and tied off at 2140UTC 17/11/2000, 1500 miles travelled since La Rochelle.

After a few drinks and rounds of photos Robert and I headed ashore, followed shortly by the rest. I got the guided tour of the marina and adjoining beach which Robert knows all too well from his last stay in Las Palmas. Then we met his old skipper from ARC99, Petar and had a chat and a drink. Eventually that bar closed so Robert, Peter, Harry and I went a short way into town to the ARC party where a good time was had by all.

Up bright and early on Saturday for a whirlwind of activity. Jovic was assigned a berth, then while John went to Check in at the ARC office, the safety officer gave Jovic the once over. Then we moved to the new berth all the wall with artwork done by previous ARC entrants. Peter and I headed into town and booked tickets out then went back to the boat, picked up luggage and said goodbyes and headed to the airport.

I don't know if the trip to the airport is representative of Gran Canaria, but it was a half-hour journey across the surface of the moon. A bare, dry, blasted landscape where the most prevalent feature is precarious slopes of gravel and grey-brown scree as far as the eye can see. What little agriculture there was was swathed in plastic to keep the moisture in and the dust out and the tunnel we drove through is a testament to the rugged nature of the land. We flew from Las Plamas to madrid and then from Madrid to London arriving there at 21:30. Checked into the Heathrow Rennaissance (very nice) and spent the night before returning to the airport to spend the entire day getting back here. It's fun to travel but it is nice to be back home again.