Stuffed toy

stuffed toy
Originally uploaded by darenpackham

Especially the sheep!
Any questions on what teddy is doing to the sheepy should be directed to either a Welshman or to Bloke himself. Answers on a post card to....

Bloke on watch

Bloke on watch
Originally uploaded by darenpackham

This is Paul, AKA ‘Bloke’ We have been friends now for about 17 years. A plotted history with bloke through the famous, ‘Canada days’ and also the infamous, ‘Essex days’

For one reason or another he has joined me on just about every boat that I have worked on and we have shared numerous adventures (one or two of those were even, while sailing )

It was no surprise then, that Paul should join us here, for the Trans Atlantic. One thing about being friends with someone who has over a decade more years under his belt than you, is that you expect a level of maturity, good advise, a sort of father figure, someone to turn to. However, what you get is a lot of silly hats, some stuffed toys of questionable taste and endless stupid practical jokes. In a nut shell, Bloke, always manages to take the serious edge off of a situation.

Mid Atlantic Day 5

mid atlantic
Originally uploaded by darenpackham

This morning, I lept from my bed and raced to the bridge with my heart beating faster than a train. The fire alarm was going! As it is me who sets the drills this was quite a concern. All the crew were mustered and a false alarm declared. Apart from that, which thankfully was a very minor drama, we are moving slowly westwards across the Atlantic, where unusually calm and sunny conditions prevail. If anyone cares, our position is 29 N and 39W basically in the middle.

As I was tending my Bonsai tree today I was thinking less about Karen, not at all about Lorrenzo and quite a lot about Melissa. All the above in conjunction with red triangles and black lines.

Ex dish washer

ex dish washer
Originally uploaded by darenpackham

We are going to have to hand wash our own dinner plates!! How are we to cope!!
The dish washer in the crew mess has officially died today, god rest its soul....She will be missed dearly.

Thinking about Karen

Karen
Originally uploaded by darenpackham

As I was tending my Bonsai tree today I was thinking about 'Karen'

In the picture you will see our weather planning software. Our course across the Atlantic is the black line. Karen is a tropical depression moving slowly north west wards and is expected to meet the black line, at about the same time that the red triangle will meet Karen. With the red triangle representing us, you will understand why Karen was on my mind.

Mostly though, I was thinking. 'What a shit name for a hurricane!’

All this happened at the same time that some important equipment on board, decided to break down! Now we're in a fix!

last minute rush

San Remo
Originally uploaded by darenpackham

After the lovely days off it was back to work and one more day left to get the boat ready for the first leg ,San Remo to Gibraltar, before starting the trans atlantic crossing.

Savannah Surprise

boozey lunch
Originally uploaded by darenpackham

Its always nice to bump into friends and always surprising when you are so far from where you met them.
Claire and I had gone to Monaco where we had had a boozey lunch.

As we walked back along the Monte Carlo harbour front, we bumped into Gill and Jasper who I had spent so much time with in Savannah.
Of course we joined them for a cocktail

Days off

Days off
Originally uploaded by darenpackham

A couple of fab days off in San Remo with Claire, eating italian food, drinking italian wine. Very Nice..

Royal Hotel

Royal Hotel
Originally uploaded by darenpackham

The Royal Hotel in San Remo is a little rich for my blood and even though there was a special visitor arriving to share a few well earned days off, a stay at the Royal looked unlikely.

Luigi, represents us as our ships agent in San Remo and as in all areas the Italians are very helpful and normally they have a little something in it for themselves too...
I had asked him if he could wangle a deal at the 5 star hotel for me at the same time as requesting many other things for the boat.
The next morning the cheerful man arrives at the gangway together with the big truck that was going to empty our oily bilge tank. 'Daren', he says smiling. "The truck is going to cost you more because they are sucking the contents of your tank and we thought you were going to pump it to the truck!! Oh and can you guys move the boat over again to the right this time!?"
I am smiling at him but in slight disbelief ..."Daren", he says again smiling still more, "I have some good news regarding your personal item... I have arranged a room at the Royal.!"
So, we moved the boat and had ton pay extra for the bilge pumping truck but I had secured a massive discount at the Royal through a family member of Luigi

New Cabin

new cabin
Originally uploaded by darenpackham

It was at about that time that we were leaving Porto Cervo, I was invited to move from the depths of deck 2 and the door slamming of the crew corridor, up to the deck 4 accomodation, where I enjoy such luxuries as a bonsai tree and a sea view.

Porto Cervo

Porto Cervo
Originally uploaded by darenpackham

With a flurry of YSL and Prada luggage and some Italian hugging and kissing (some of the crew were dissapointed, in some cases, that this was not French kissing or hugging), our guests departed happily at around lunch time. We were then left in the billionaires playground with no guests!! Time to leave quick quick!!!

We then ran around putting all the stuff away ready to go to sea ahead of some bad weather. I have to admit that there are worse places to get weather bound but all together better if you actually happen to be a billionaire. So we left.

We left the harbour in the early evening on an overnight passage to an unknown harbour, the usual problems of finding a place to stay causing us a small headache. By the morning we had secured a spot at the Marina in San Remo, Italy and altered course in the calm before the storm and tied up just in time.

Sea Foam Green Towels

seafoam grean towels
Originally uploaded by darenpackham

Gray Area Becomes Sea Foam Green

Some jobs on board are clearly designated to the separate departments. Engineers, for example, look after the engines and generators... house keeping, the cleaning and guest cabins, the service staff look after food and drink service and the deck team look after the outside of the boat.

The gray area we are talking about is, who then, collects and distributes the 'sea foam green' beach towels from the Jacuzzis, sun bathing pads or from the water sports areas?

On our last charter we had some Italian guests who were representing an Italian fashion house. Within the group, there were one or two notable female beauties. These girls were obviously models for the fashion label! It is not often you get to see such fine forms out side of the cover of a fashion mag but here they were, enjoying their holiday on board and making use of deck six jacuzzi and sun pad area to take in the rays....Topless of course!

Prior to this charter, the deck boys begrudgingly swept all the decks, sun pads, and areas all around the boat looking for used beach towels and then grumpily replaced them with smartly rolled up, fabric softened ones, fresh from the laundry, where by the way.. they do the laundry. No gray area there!

During the few weeks of the charter, there was a sudden enthusiasm towards towel rounds and the towels on deck 6 were replaced nearly more often, than the laundry could cope with. So. Without any question at all, towel collection has become a 'deck' job!

Update from San Remo

Quite a lot of water has gone under the bridge in the last month. Its been busy and then just routine. Some of my family are quite unwell at home which makes me sad and I hope that they will all be ok.

Missing things at home, both good and bad is part of the downside to this lifestyle. I missed 2 mates birthdays a 40 and a 50 which smarted a bit too!!! I will continue with more light hearted and slightly inane posts soon, as long as you lot stop sending nagging e mails. You are worse than my mother! oh yes, you are my mother..