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Debanessa : Southampton to Inverness July/August 2001

Shakedown sail: 13/14/15 July 200 1, Southampton to Eddystone lighthouse and back. Passage : Departure: 27 July 2001 from Ocean Village F 15.

Approx arrival at Inverness 2 August 2001 (6 days).

Goal : To have a safe and fun passage to Inverness.

Debanessa: 38 foot stoop rigged Beneteau Oceanis 381 built in 1996. Main (2 reefs) and furling Genoa. Volvo 28Hp auxiliary engine. Full safety equipment. Stripper rope cutter.

Skipper(s) : Maggie and Ricky, Coastal Skippers with Yachtmaster Theory and Yachtmaster Ocean Theory. RYA First Aid, Diesel Mechanic, Sea Survival, VHF Radio License (approx 5000 sea miles combined) NAUI Open Water diving, with equipment.

Mates : Nicky and Tarryn, Coastal Skippers (Theory). Competent Crew. RYA First Aid, Diesel Mechanic, Sea Survival (approx 2000 sea miles combined)

Safety

Everyone is to remain onboard throughout the passage. Debanessa has an 8 man life raft and will carry enough life jackets for each crew. She also carries an EPIRB which will alert the coastguard via satellite if we have an emergency. Flares are stored with the life raft in the starboard aft locker.

We will practice man overboard recoveries during the shakedown sail.

Everyone to wear life jackets, crotch straps, safety lines after dark, in rough weather or in fog, or whenever the skipper instructs. Everyone to be clipped on after dark or when on the foredeck in rough weather, or when the skipper instructs.

Fire extinguishers and a fire blanket are available. You will be briefed on these -and other safety items after boarding before leaving Southampton.

Check the hatches are closed in bad weather. Washboards secured in very bad weather. If in doubt, call the skipper. If you are in doubt whether you are in doubt, call the skipper.

If weather or other circumstances dictate it, we will divert to a port other than Inverness to ensure safety. We will only enter a port if it is safe to do so.

Watch System

Debanessa will sail/motor continuously 24 hours a day for the projected 6 days of passage from Southampton to Inverness. We will divide into two watches as follows (open to change)

Watch A: Maggie, Nicky, John, Paul

Watch B : Ricky, Tarryn, Linda

The two watches will run as follows:

Starting at 18:00, Watch A 18:00 to 22:00, Watch B 22:00 to 02:00, Watch A 02:00 to 06:00, Watch B 06:00 to 12:00, Watch A 12:00 to I 8:00.

This watch system is self rotating, so each night your watch will either be on from 18:00 to 22:00 and then from 02:00 until 06:00 or from 22:00 until 02:00. The next day you will then change to the other night watch.

Watch Responsibilities

02:00 to 06:00 watch.

Life jackets on, check Navigation lights on, keep a lookout and steer the required course. Make breakfast and tea/coffee/hot chocolate at about 05:15 to be ready by 05:30. Wake up other watch at 05:30. Eat breakfast after 06:00.

06:00 to 12:00 watch.

Eat breakfast at 05:40 and be ready on deck at 05:55. Take over watch at 06:00. Check Navigation lights off, keep a lookout and steer the required course. Prepare lunch at 11:00 - 11:15 to be ready by 11:30 Wash up breakfast and lunch cooking bowls and utensils and wake up other watch at 11:30. Eat lunch after 12:00 Clean the heads (port and starboard), and the saloon. Wash down the deck to remove any sick or spilt coffee/tea (although ideally this should be done immediately).

12:00 to 18:00 watch.

Eat lunch at 11:40 and be ready on deck at 11:55. Take over watch at 12:00. Keep a lookout and steer the required course. Prepare supper at 17:00 to 17:15 to be ready by 17:30. Wash up lunch bowls/utensils and bowls/utensils used for cooking supper. Wake up other watch at 17:30. Serve Supper. Eat supper after 18:00. Safety check the boat. Check for chafe, and that all shackles and U bolts are secure. Check the engine for Oil/Water.

18:00 to 22:00 watch.

Check Navigation lights on at 21:00 (or sunset), keep a lookout and steer the required course. Wake up other watch at 21:40, go off watch at 22:00

22:00 to 02:00 watch

Life jackets on, check Navigation lights on, keep a lookout and steer the required course. Make tea/coffee/hot chocolate at about 01:30 to be ready by 01:45. Wake up other watch at 01:40, go off watch at 02: 00

It will be necessary to have at least two people from the on duty watch to be awake all through the watch. And ideally at least two on deck. If it is very cold, and there is no other traffic, then one can be on deck and the auto helm can be engaged. The auto helm can be engaged whenever the wind allows it (it becomes impractical in strong winds when beating to windward). If only one person is on deck, clip on and don't leave the cockpit.

Log

The log must be kept by the watch on duty every hour. It details position (GPS), course and speed, wind speeds and pressure, log and any other notes (eg engine on, reef in mainsail etc). The position should also be plotted on a paper chart hourly.

Clothes and Personal Items

Warm clothes will be required. Preferably synthetic. The Challenge Business recommendations are as follows

Sleeping bag and pillow

Passport

Small Personal Towel

Personal toiletries

Personal Medicines - Anything you take regularly or need - bring it with you and let the skipper know. (e.g. Asthma, bring your inhaler, even if you do not always need it.)

Sea Sickness pills - Bring your own just in case!

Small Torch

Sun glasses

Sun screen

RYA log book. . if you are working towards any RYA qualifications you may wish to log your voyage mileage.

Suggested Clothing:

T-shirts and polo shirts -synthetic fabrics are recommended opposed to cotton.

Thermal Underwear

Fleece Top - A fleece pullover will keep you warm even when wet. Do not bring wool jumpers as they absorb water and will not be effective.

Fleece trousers or tracksuit bottoms - Bring two/three pairs so that you can change if the first pair gets wet. DO NOT bring jeans, to wear offshore, as they take too long to dry when wet.

Socks - thermal socks or thick socks and pairs of thinner socks.

Woolly/fleece hat (quick drying is advisable).

Soft shoes (deck shoes or trainers) - no black/marking soles

Sailing boots or wellies - no black/marking soles, no mud.

Gloves

Casual clothes to wear ashore.

Life jackets, safety harness and foul weather clothing will be available for you to wear during the voyage. If you have your own, please bring them along.

Tidiness

Eight people living in damp close quarters which are moving about can get irritating, and it is made worse if the environment is not kept tidy. Recommend that you bring stuff bags for dirty/wet clothes and a separate stuff bag for clean undies and socks. No wet clothes in the saloon.

Sleeping

Debanessa has three double cabins. The suggested sleeping arrangement is as follows

Paul/Linda Port Aft cabin

John Starboard Aft cabin

Ricky, Maggie, Nicky and Tarryn Fore cabin

The watch system will ensure that there is only one person sleeping in either of the aft cabins and only two in the fore cabin at any one time. Please supply your own pillows and sleeping bag/duvet.

While a watch is asleep, the on duty watch should try and be as quiet as possible. We will attempt to run the engine between watches and during-the day as far as possible.

Navigation

Maggie and Ricky will be doing navigation by star/sun sights using a sextant. Debanessa has GPS and a -backup hand held GPS which will be used to confirm position. All course changes should be logged. Especial care needs to be taken in the Traffic Separation Zone near Dover, and the North Sea oil rigs.

We will be sailing a conservative/defensive strategy in so far as avoiding other traffic.

The VHF radio should remain on channel 16 at all times, with the squelch adjusted to avoid noise.

Weather Forecasts

Debanessa is equipped with a Navtex Pro which will supply us with weather forecasts. We will also be using the Internet (when available) and the radio to get weather forecasts. The log recording of pressure will also help predict weather changes.

Water

Debanessa has two 150 litre water tanks. We will carry a three-quarter full 25 litre emergency water container, stored in an aft locker. We will also carry 48 x 2 litre bottled water for drinking. This is calculated as being 2 litre per person per day for six days.

Washing of hair/body will need to be rationed, unless using sea water of which there will be no shortage. Group washing of hair out of two buckets (one for washing and one for rinsing) is the most water efficient. Baby wipes are a suitable alternative to washing.

Dish washing needs to be as economical as possible, half filling the sink, using salt water to pre rinse the crockery and cutlery. Breakfast and Lunch can often be washed up together.

Waste

We will struggle to store waste on board for eight people for six days. All organic waste, apart from banana peels should be thrown overboard. Cans should be opened at both ends and thrown overboard if we are more than 12 miles offshore. Glass (hopefully very little), Paper and Plastic should be rinsed then flattened and stored onboard. Rubbish should be double bagged and stored in an aft locker, not inside the cabin area (smell).

Electricity

Debanessa has three large batteries and a smaller one dedicated to the engine. This will provide limited lighting and power for the navigational equipment. The engine will recharge all batteries and will supply as much electricity as is required. The battery is 12 volts and we have a cigarette lighter attachment at the navigation table. We carry an inverter which will supply 24OV, 25OW of mains power. We propose to run the engine for approximately two hours a day to recharge the batteries and any personal equipment- (razors, phones, CD players, computers, cameras).

When the engine is on, the fridge MUST be turned on (to keep it cool), and it should be turned off at most two hours after the engine is turned off.

Engine

As mentioned above, we plan to run the engine for two hours a day (average). The time and duration will depend on the weather, preferably running the engine when we have little or no wind. When the motor is on, the propeller should be engaged, aril the engine should be run at approx 2000 rpm.

Debanessa has a single 180 litre diesel fuel tank, which should provide about 72 hours of use at 2000 rpm. We will not run the engine after the fuel indicator drops into the red (about 1/3 remaining). This fuel will be kept for emergencies.

Smoking

No smoking except on deck, sitting aft and flicking ash to leeward, aft.

Sick

Everyone gets seasick at some point. The best place to be if you are sea sick is sitting below a tree. You will get over it, and you will not die from it (although you might feel like you will).

When you get sick, preferably do it on deck, over the leeward side, or into a bucket., never in the sinks (heads or galley), preferably not down the heads, but best place if overboard is not an option. Someone to hold/steady the person if being sick overboard. Clip on if you are remaining on the leeward rail.

If you are ill, take a bucket down below and get horizontal. Try eating

Heads

Please use minimal toilet paper on each flush. Flush and wipe some more if required. Nothing apart from toilet paper and human waste down the heads. Flush well (at least ten strokes) and repeat. Use spray if required. No target practice in rough weather (men).

Gas/Cooking

We will carry three gas bottles, which should be sufficient. Bilge pump should be,run for a minute when the engine goes on to clear the bilge and any gas. Rough weather cooking should be limited. When cooking with boiling water in rough weather, the cook should wear foully bottoms and boots. Any spillage should be cleaned as soon as possible.

Meals will be arranged in grab bags which should contain all ingredients and a recipe. Fair weather and foul weather meal plans will be available. Perishable meals should be eaten first.

A meal plan will be created to suit all tastes. Any likes/dislikes/allergies should be made known ASAP. Ricky, Maggie, Nicky and Tarryn are Vegetarian, and Ricky is Diabetic but this should not exclude meat dishes.

Easy to prepare and nutritious meals will take precedence over fancy cuisine. Treats (chocolates, biscuits and crisps) will be provided.

Saloon

Most meals will be outside, weather permitting. No foulies should be worn when sitting/lying on the cushions. Drop then around your ankles. One of the heads (windward) will be used as a wet locker for foulies if the weather is bad enough to require it.

Music/Entertainment

Debanessa will have a CD player for playing music on deck or in the saloon. CD's should be brought along if you do not wish to be subjected to Nicky's music the whole time. Respect for other tastes should be given.

Playing music during the night while a watch is asleep is not suggested. A few radios (FM and SW) are also available.

Debanessa will have a DVD movie player (PC) and a selection of DVD movies for watching off watch.

A few books will be available, please feel free to bring your own personal entertainment and books.

Internet/eMail/Photos

We will have intemet and email facilities on board. It will only be possible to send/receive emails when we are close enough to land for a mobile phone connection. This will probably not be possible after Dover before Inverness. eMails/Letters can be composed while off watch. We will have a laptop computer available, and a CD Writer so that you can take, your compositions with you.

We will have a number -of digital cameras on board. You will be able to take a copy--of the pictures on CD. We will also have an inkjet printer on board.

We will carry a sextant and reduction tables for those interested in taking star/sun sights and navigating using traditional (non electronic) methods.

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