[Bill E Goat]

From an email from Fraser Brown onboard Cheyenne

Jimmy the goat

So we have managed to get ourselves down the north atlantic across the equator down the south atlantic and are now in the Indian ocean or Southern ocean what ever you want to call it but we saw icebergs this morning so it's damn cold. Apart from the first 48 hours of leaving plymouth the atlantic run wasen't to bad apart from the huge amount of boat maintenance to keep this thing going.. However the good thing is that the good old C-Tech sailbattens have been a star and a widely talked about subject on the boat. This boat has had so many problems with battens that before every manoeuvrer especially gybes the battens are a hot topic. So far we have gybed reefed in and out in big breeze with no problems, nice work Ginge again. Here's to getting around the world with none broken at all.


So anyway enough of the atlantic although I will say that the heat and humidity coming down in the St Helena high was something else. Everyone one was a complete sweat ball and breaking out in salt rashes left right and centre, it's a hard compromise between getting the kit off but still protecting yourself from the salt and sun infact most of us ended up wearing thermal trousers and long sleeved shirts, as long as we all do it then we all smell the same right. Self preservation in the heat is actually harder than the cold. Salt rash is also something you don't want to get especially before getting in thermals for the south.

So after escaping that we are now in some pretty damn cold conditions which brings me to Ginge and Lyn's questions, yes the boat is like a freezer down below but worst of all the condensation is unbelievable we have shammy's going constantly to wipe the walls and the roof. My bunk is a shocker the mattress is totally soaked and even with 2 layers of insulation on the roof which I put on in Plymouth it's still like a rain forest. I woke up about 3 days ago to water dripping in my ear lobe and one smack bang in the eye. The only thing saving us in a goretex bivy bag zipped around the sleeping bag which is keeping the sleeping bag dryish but you still can't get rid of the cold damp thing, oh well it's only for another 20 days!!!!!!

It's also been a hard call as to when to change to your southern ocean thermals and mid layers you don't won't to change to early because thats it until the Horn same clothes, our navigator has informed me that I have about the next 18 days in these clothes and they have already been on for 3 days. We had a cold snap 2 days ago when we saw icebergs so that was my executive decision to take the plunge and get out of the Atlantic thermals and shit did they have a hum on. Although the shower was great, a whole bunch of pampers disinfectant wipes under your arm pits and of course in the high maintenance place called the groin. So now I have peeled to 2 sets of base layer thermals one mid layer 2 pairs of socks gloves 2 balaclava's and a neck scarf at night with another mid layer top ready to go if needed although all of that under your foulies plus a harness and boots it's getting hard to walk. Makes it bloody hard to open the chocolate bars.

The food is a hard one, some of the lovely gormet dishes likes shephards pie are actually okay but the curries are just disgusting although I have only had 3 times so far that I have had to really force it down just to eat. The constitution is just a shocker, sometimes when you undo the lid to your food your faced with a dried up looking chunder ( expained by our fearless navigator Ado ) then you start to add more water tabasco sauce pepper and garlic, real gut luggage. I won't eat rice again for years.

However all this aside we have also had some great conditions, top speed so far has been about 32 knots and we have spent the last 4 days doing over 500mile days which has now put us a little ahead of the current record. Driving is the most exciting part of the watch my top speed so far has been 30.9 on a great surf with full main staysail and blast reacher sending this 30 ton boat through the ocean, bring it on.

I'll try and write more and less of it. Cheers, sheet on and send it, Tasmania only 3200 miles away and kiwi land only 3600 miles away.

Fraser Dog on a Cat.

[ro!]

that is really interesting -thanks for sharing it.

[Pete M]

rock on....

[Trevor B]

Fraser is totally cool.
A 12 footer forward hand who's a great all around sailor.

[Rail Meat]

Great color. Thanks for posting it.

[Oxygen Mask]

Enjoyed reading that, thanks.

Christ, now can you imagine doing all of that singlehanded?
Joyon is a GOD!