Hello Barbados… by Tom McMahon – Deckhand aboard Sea Dragon. We have arrived in Barbados! And in doing so we have sailed from one side of the Atlantic ocean to the other. So I think a quick recap of the passage itself is in order and then a roundup of […]
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From the trade winds in 13N, 53W!… by Tom McMahon – Deckhand aboard Sea Dragon. Thousands of sailors have used these very winds to speed them to their destinations, and as far as winds go they are very helpful. Blowing in a consistent direction and at a reliable useful speed […]
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Almost time to drop the lines… by Tom McMahon – Deckhand aboard Sea Dragon. And now it seems we are ready to cross with the Atlantic Odyssey. We have prepared the boat for not only the crossing but the legs beyond as well. We have made Sea Dragon look nicer […]
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It did not take us long to get our land legs, and we followed tradition by dining at a local restaurant, Mango Bay, where we enjoyed Caribbean cocktails and food. We all sensed the outside world pressing in on our bubble at sea, with the cacophony of sounds and so many people. We could all sense that the time together was growing short and our new found friendships would have to be maintained at a distance. This incredible experience has left a mark on us all in quite unique ways and is likely only to be fully appreciated after our return to our homes and busy, daily lives, only days away.
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We ended the day with a touching and impassioned talk from our Head Scientist and co-founder of eXXpedition, Dr Lucy Gilliam. She is an incredible human being, with a wealth of personal and professional experience that has made her an astonishing advocate for the health of our planet. From her school day passion to stop logging in the rainforest, to her current fascination and determination to save the oceans, she is an inspiration to us all.
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After our trawl work, we had a mission. We are supporting a campaign called The Future. This campaign is spreading awareness on climate change and telling our politicians “we are keeping an eye on you” by watching the political process and policies being created (or lack thereof). To represent The Future campaign, we encircled one eye with black or red makeup (eco-friendly) and took photos to share. We feel our mission of exposing toxics in our environment is connected to The Future’s mission, as well.
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As the evening came along, we all jumped outside to get some fresh air of hope and listen to the story of the night. This time it was Sue’s turn. She spoke passionately and beautifully about community spirit, drawing on her experience at the all-women’s protest in Greenham Common in the 80s. Her presence here is like an embodiment of the endurance of female power, and she eloquently helps us all to feel the strength that can and needs to be drawn from our shared journey. She reads us Joanna Macy and Anita Barrow’s translation of Rilke by moonlight, and we all get goosebumps…
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The sun was shining and Sea Dragon was sailing wing-on-wing. This diamond sail combination makes a beautiful sight against the cool blue sky. At 1pm sharp, it was time for our second manta trawl, which we accomplished smoothly in 1 hour 20 mins. Shanley assures us that this is a great time for our second attempt, and we are all pretty excited at the prospect of breaking some kind of record. We’re hoping to be down to 1 hour by the time we reach Martinique – let’s see if we’re up for the challenge!
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Finally after days of rain, storm and strong winds, we made our first trawl. The trawl was an ‘all hands on deck’ task. We put out the trawl in calm seas, travelling at 2 – 3 knots of boat speed. All the path was recorded in detail with Marine Debris Tracker, as were the conditions, like wind, speed, and direction. Everyone watched the trawl with curiosity as is it sliced through the water, resembling an animal gobbling plankton on the surface. The ocean looked pristine and deep blue, but the trawl told a different story.
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At around 3am, we spotted a cargo ship just after we emerged from yet another squall and realising that the vessel was less than 6 miles away and bearing straight down on us, our captain Emily picked up the radio and said: “San Fernando, San Fernando, we are the sailing vessels 6 miles in front of you on a collision course with limited manoeuvrability, as we have just one sail at the moment, are you able to avoid us?” Just another night on Sea Dragon crossing the Atlantic Ocean with her rookie crew.
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In the afternoon we were having a very merry time bouncing through the swirl occasionally getting face full of seawater as waves broke over the boat. We were pinching up wind with Shanley at the helm making 7-9 knots with 2 reefs in the main sail and both the Yankee jib and the staysail flying. Then all of the sudden the sheet of the Yankee jib severed in a gust of wind.
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As we listen to the watch handover by the watch leader, we hand over some smiles to the tired crew about to crawl into their dry and cosy places below. And we get some back. The energy among us is one of companionship and care, as we move deeper into the moody Atlantic. One thing we are all learning or re-learning is that sailing is really about being present in the moment and dealing with change as it comes along.
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