Bluejay sails into Jamaica

Remember those 9 complete strangers who met a couple of weeks ago then went off on an adventure from Martinque to Jamaica, taking in St Lucia on the way?

Night skies & Galley disasters on Bluejay

The eggs are gone. And so is the honey. However the bilges are really clean.

This is our 4th day at sea now and it’s fair to say the boat is rolling about a fair bit in big swells, which has meant for a few galley disasters. If you put it down, it *will* slide off. If you are doing the washing up, the water *will* slosh about everywhere & if you leave the eggs out…then the bilges have to be washed with hot soapy water.

Today was also shower day! Hooray! So for precisely 37 seconds, we were all clean. Until we starting sweating in the heat again or got drenched up on deck, but the thought was there and there’s been a marked improvement in the fragrance of the area around the bunks!

The night skies have been just simply stunning. You know it’s stunning when the oncoming watch are half way up the companionway moaning about how hot it is below, they pause, and then simply say “wow” mid sentence. With no light pollution to distract from the millions of stars and the Milky Way, it’s hard not to spend all night watches just staring at the skies and the phosphorescence in the water.

We’ve settled into watches really well, we’ve put reefs in and out and gybed a couple of times, with 2 of the watches being extremely grateful they were off watch at the time!

Tonight we’re extremely grateful to have Mike & Ollieas skipper & mate, who are always calm and helpful. The wind increased during the night to over 35 knots, which while successfully soaking those of us on watch, so well the light on the lifebuoy started flashing, and amusing us with the amount of flying fish depositing themselves on deck, did make helming rather difficult. 5 mins after Mike & Ollie were on deck, the 3rd reef was in and it was time for drinks and a little light music.

Tip of the day – Life is 10% what happens to you & 90% how you react to it.

Bluejay prepares to sail from St Lucia to Jamaica!

Right now, Bluejay is moored quietly at the end of the pontoon at Rodney Bay Marina, while all aboard are experiencing the warm Caribbean hospitality ashore.

Today she was treated to a full wash & scrub up and was restocked with the all important provisions for our ocean crossing. Excitement has been building for the last few days.  Those who have crossed oceans before impart any not very useful information they can think of to the others, which mostly seems to consist of “sleep lots” and enjoy night sailing as it’s very special.  Skipper appears to be working on his “Mike’s Top Tips for Ocean Sailing” forthcoming book, with his regular supply of useful handy hilarious hints, delivered with a quick wit.  This last week, we’ve learned a lot, become good friends, laughed an extraordinary amount, mostly at each other, and learned everything from navigation to knots and weather.  Wildlife seen in the last week: dolphins, fish, whale, turtle, lots of boobies.

Incident log: Hat Overboard. Sadly despite dropping the headsails and launching into full recovery mode, Steve’s hat remains missing in action. The rest of the crew have since spent time finding their own hat retainers or making some with small bits of rope. Every day’s a school day.

Crew: Nervous & excited all at the same time

Next stop: Jamaica 🇯🇲

The power of 4!

4 days ago, 9 complete strangers including a software engineer, a rigger, a Watersports company owner, a local politician, a plant nursery owner & a development engineer, met at a marina in Martinque to undertake an adventure together. 4 days later & it feels we’re a little family. Having spent 4 wonderful days learning together, sharing experiences, cheering each other along, living alongside each other in close quarters. Everyone is here for different reasons, yet there is a common goal – which is simply to sail and for everyone to achieve whatever it was they set out to achieve by coming. But this is more than sharing sunburn stories, it’s buying into a being a part of everyone else’s dream too. The journey is different for everyone, some wanted to climb high peaks, some wanted mud baths & some simply to sit & read for a while listening to waves crashing on the nearby beach. For some, Bluejay is familiar territory, for some she’s like nothing they’ve experienced before, yet everyone’s having an amazing time. Even when the spicy chicken turned out to be a little too spicy, or when we forgot to put the ice packs in the cooler so the beers were still warm. There are worse things in life than a warm beer at sundown after all! (Possibly one of skipper’s how to helm jokes?!)

4 days ago we were complete strangers, now we’ve sailed into a different country & tacked & gybed our way into each other’s lives. All while watched over by Mike & Ollie, who go out of their way to make sure everyone is ok and having a good time, even if from their expressions sometimes, they clearly wonder what on earth they did in a previous life, to deserve having to try and keep this lot in order! Now if someone could tell us what the beautiful chirruping in the trees on St Lucia is, all will be good in the world, (even if we have run out of ice cubes & the chocolate melted). Are they birds or reptiles?

Glorious Grenadines – how to sum up such an incredible sailing holiday in the Caribbean?

Arrival day in Grenada was a pretty standard day, welcome lunch and snacks followed by a round of safety and boat briefs, modified to a relaxed Caribbean pace to take account for acclimatising to the warmth.

Safety briefs completed during the morning and an opportunity to pick up a last few provisions, Bluejay slipped her moorings around noon and chugged out into the Caribbean Sea. Soon some of the old ‘Rubicon’ hands were helping first timers raise the sails and training began in earnest.

Bluejay flew along in the fresh easterly breeze and we cleared around the Southern Tip of Grenada for the beautiful secluded anchorage of le Phare Bleu, where an crew meal ashore had been arranged.

Our third day was another sailing and training focused day. Weighing anchor Bluejay, pokes out into the Caribbean swell and heeled over onto a close reach to sail along the East coast of Grenada. Fishermen were out checking their pots but otherwise we were nearly alone, apart from swooping frigate birds and flying fish flicking themselves across the wave tops.

Anchoring for the evening on the island of Caricou, Customs procedures were completed ashore with typical Caribbean alacrity, which allowed the team onboard time for a leisurely breakfast, and boat preparation. Our first stop was at the small Marine Reserve around Sandy Island, (no photographs required). The team were able to swim and snorkel on the reefs and stroll along the beach in the shade of the palm trees.

A quick lunch and then the short passage to a new nation – Union Island part of the St Vincent and Grenadine chain. The approach to the anchorage at Clifton Harbour is well guarded by treacherous reefs and provided a superb opportunity for Day Skipper Maxine to hone her pilotage skills.

Once the skipper had cleared customs we all strolled ashore and discovered something like St Ives in the Caribbean, boutique coffee shops and kite surfing outlets interspersed with vegetable hawkers and general stalls – beautifully surreal, charming and friendly. Finally we closed the day with Rum Cocktails on the reef bar, an isolated hostelry built on the reef in the middle of the harbour – an ideal location to coif cocktails and delight at the Sunset.

The following morning, as the sun began to heat up the day, the crew went ashore to browse a little further around Clifton before setting off on a hike across Union Island to the spectacular Chatham bay on the east side of the island! While the Skipper and mate moved the boat around to meet the crew for lunch at the beach bar, a hill climb began across the top of the island, stopping on the way to sip coffee and light lunch at Islander’s Inn that overlooked a deserted beach – a welcome discovery. The afternoon was then spent in. Chatham Bay snorkelling with turtles, rays and huge starfish! Sundowners were had in a typical Caribbean little bar aptly named ‘Sunset Cove’.

After a brilliant day spent on Union Island, (a favourite island amongst most of the crew onboard) we had an early start to do some more sail training on the way to infamous Tobago Cays. We did everything from tacking practice to learning how the prevents are rigged to gybing. What better way to learn sailing techniques, than floating on a turquoise Caribbean Sea.
Before being expertly piloted by Julie between the rocks and reefs that make up the Cays, we dropped anchor and went for a snorkel on Turtle Beach, no prizes for guessing what we were swimming with! That evening we were hosted by ‘Captain Neil’ ashore who laid on a fantastic lobster barbecue.

Day 7 saw us sail up to the private island of Mustique, where the 25th anniversary of their blues festival was being held. It was a fast passage up to the island in the glorious Caribbean sunshine and once a mooring buoy was picked up , a refreshing dip in the sea was a must! After a quick freshen up we all headed ashore to the legendary Basils’ Bar on the waterfront where we had a delicious dinner and soaked up the atmosphere of the blues festival. Mick Jagger even popped down to the bar for a drink!

After all the swimming and sailing we decided that the luxury of a marina and its facilities were needed. Thankfully, Glossy Bay Marina wasn’t too far away and it allowed the crew to experience what a 25 nM downwind passage was like. The general feeling that downwind sailing is preferable! Glossy Bay Marina has 5 star luxurious facilities treating us to view a 5 star sunset with the moon and Venus twinkling at twilight.

Refreshed, provisioned and pampered, the boat and crew were ready for the next chapter, a cheeky 30nm beam reach to the sleepy island of Bequia. Arriving a few hours before sunset, the crew showed off their honed seamanship tacking into the anchorage to the amazement of the onlooking charter sailors.

The team spent a day exploring Bequia, picking from a selection of snorkelling, shopping, bar chilling and just chatting with the extremely friendly locals.

Returning onboard for another spectacular sunset and even more spectacular fish curry – thank you Paul. We briefed and prepped for a night sail to St Lucia.

Departure was timed so the boat arrived at the fantastic Piton mountains at sunrise. Sailing under the starlit canopy in a warm easterly breeze, was an amazing experience capped with wonderful views with breakfast.

Upon arrival in the bay beneath the towering Pitons, an early morning refreshing dip was had by some while others caught up on sleep. Customs cleared, a group of the crew went ashore to see the sights that included a sulphur mud bath and swim in the plunge pool beneath a beautiful waterfall. Back on board, we had a delicious dinner and a well deserved early night.

Alarms went off at 0530 the next morning in readiness for some to attempt to climb Petit Piton, only 30m smaller than it’s next door neighbour Gross Piton. We found that it was more of a scramble up the side of the Piton rather than a hike and not for the faint hearted! Challenging climbs up rock faces including a few vertical ascents, had the crew clinging onto only a rope, we eventually made it to the top where as expected the views were incredible! It was well worth the hard work of the climb and the early morning start. After a careful decent, we were all back onboard slightly dusty but exhilarated and on a short sail to our next stop at Marigot Bay.

Bluejay arrived in the beautiful sheltered anchorage, famous as a Hurricane Hole (a place of excellent protection) and for the first time in ten days experienced mass tourism as boats rammed with tourist flowed through the anchorage blaring an eclectic mix of reggae and country music. Entertaining as that was for just one evening, we longed for the charm and exclusion of deserted coves of the previous few days.

The last day at sea entailed another fantastic fast reach North 30nM across the St Lucia channel and into Marin, a Mecca for French sailors on the island of Martinique. There was opportunity to practise sail trim, and reinforce sailing skills from the last few days, before ‘Skipper’ Nichola and ‘Navigator’ Eduardo hides us into the Marina.

The last evening was spent spinning tall stories and embellishing memories over long drinks and local cuisine.
A fantastic end to a wonderful fortnight of idyllic islands that were essentially jewels of the Caribbean that couldn’t be found without Bluejay.

Glorious Grenadines

Our holiday exploring the many varied islands between Martinique and Grenada is almost coming to an end… It’s been a brilliant two weeks with slightly stronger winds than the usual trades, so with a couple of reefs in the main we’ve been eating up the miles down wind, arriving in a new place most days. From day 1 of the trip the crew have been constantly wow-ed by the beauty of each anchorage or port, all reliably involving a combination of white sand, turquoise seas, lush green trees, and gently-to-severely sloping hills. We’ve been keen to get up high to see the views from above, with possibly our favourite vantage point being from Fort Duvernette on St Vincent. We spent a whole day roaming around Bequia, drinking in its relaxed atmosphere, with Christopher going for a dive and others grabbing a snorkel on the ‘atlantic’ side of the island. A hop into luxurious Canouan marina contrasted greatly with a walk into its authentic main village, devoid of all tourism. We were unsure about the possibility of being able to visit the highly anticipated Tobago Cays given the weather forecast, but with some great pilotage by Carl and Becky we found a secure spot to anchor in prime position to swim with the turtles and the sun fish! The squalls even stayed away just long enough for a lobster BBQ on the beach. A big hit with the crew has been Union Island. We anchored off Chatham Bay and spent yesterday hiking a couple of miles around it’s northern coast (with gorgeous views of the islands we had just explored) to Clifton, a colourful village with a feel-good vibe. Today has seen yet another swift broad reach south – time to see what Carriacou has in store for us! No doubt it will involve more great company and a cold rum punch as the sun sets…

1000nm left to go

All is happy and well on the good ship Bluejay as we make good speed towards St Lucia. We have a had a little fun with our main heads (toilet) but this seems to now have been resolved. We have been poled out for a few days now albeit on different gybes and the whole crew are really becoming very comfortable with the helm. With lighter airs ahead we will be pulling out the spinnaker soon and hope that the forecast wind hole ahead doesn’t hamper our progress too much. There is much laughter on board and the reality of being thousands of miles from landfall doesn’t seem to perturb anyone in the slightest.We were deeply saddened as a crew to learn of the death of one of our fellow sailors and we sailed alongside the boat Irie Life for a good few hours shortly after the tragedy which was both humbling and poignant as the realisation of where we really are hit home.

Today we reach the benchmark of a mere 1000 miles left to sail and talk of salads and steaks and rum has already begun………

Bluejay back on the big blue Atlantic

It’s been a hectic time for the crew of Bluejay as we prepped for leg two of ARC plus adventure in the Cape Verde town of Mindello. With final provisions in place and all of our pre departure checks completed, our 11 strong crew headed out for the 2000nm crossing to St Lucia. The forecasts suggested we would be smart to head further south of the rhumb line which we did and the trade winds have provided us with 15 to 20 knot N.Easterlies as expected. We have been switching between poling out and reaching depending on angles and sea state and time of day. The crew are well settled into the online routine and duties and games of dodge the flying fish are frequent. The sextants have made an appearance already and we hope to see the spinnaker in the next few days!! Emily

Bluejay en route to the Cape Verde islands!

With a degree of trepidation, the crew of Blue jay arrive over a few hours on Wednesday. What have we signed up for? The yacht a 60’ Clipper with its blue hull resting next to the pontoon invites us to board.  Within minutes it’s like old friends meeting except we’re strangers. Bags dropped off and into the many little jobs to be completed before we sail. Menus decided, food orders made, ropes and sails stowed. Training on equipment, processes. Maintenance tasks ticked off. Each crew member has talents, Steve taking video of the trip. Chris installing fans on each bunk, Sharon and Liz go shopping, Richard down in the lazerette locker fixing the stern light, Tall Simon fixing the netting along the rails, Alex up the mast, not so tall Simon stocking the rope locker. Mick assisted with storing the victuals, Frank worked on the winches and Emily organising the administrative stuff required for the Arc rally and immigration. Also the sterling work of Matt the company engineer getting the yacht in tip top shape.
This and the socialisation has made time fly, but not without mishaps. One evening after a sundowner we as a crew decided to have a night cap at the local bar. Emily and her mother hen radar sensed something was amiss and after doing a head count found one crew missing. A quick mobile call to Tall Simon and he had been locked in the men’s toilet. Rescued and returned. So all checks done, the final meal along side and we’re all looking forward to tomorrow to start this adventure. Richard Hodgson

Joining Bluejay

With a degree of trepidation, the crew of Blue jay arrive over a few hours on Wednesday. What have we signed up for? The yacht a 60’ Clipper with its blue hull resting next to the pontoon invites us to board. Within minutes it’s like old friends meeting except we’re strangers. Bags dropped off and into the many little jobs to be completed before we sail. Menus decided, food orders made, ropes and sails stowed. Training on equipment, processes. Maintenance tasks ticked off. Each crew member has talents, Steve taking video of the trip. Chris installing fans on each bunk, Sharon and Liz go shopping, Richard down in the lazerette locker fixing the stern light, Tall Simon fixing the netting along the rails, Alex up the mast, not so tall Simon stocking the rope locker. Mick assisted with storing the victuals, Frank worked on the winches and Emily organising the administrative stuff required for the Arc rally and immigration. Also the sterling work of Matt the company engineer getting the yacht in tip top shape.
This and the socialisation has made time fly, but not without mishaps. One evening after a sundowner we as a crew decided to have a night cap at the local bar. Emily and her mother hen radar sensed something was amiss and after doing a head count found one crew missing. A quick mobile call to Tall Simon and he had been locked in the men’s toilet. Rescued and returned. So all checks done, the final meal along side and we’re all looking forward to tomorrow to start this adventure. Richard Hodgson

Skills and drills in Galicia

BlueJay’s new crew were up before the sun this morning, who lazily stayed abed until after the safety briefings and only peeping over the horizon once the deck prep were completed.

Boat ready and the mercury rising to give way to a pleasant temperature, we set out into the bay to familiarise ourselves with the Clipper 60’s arrangement of Yankee, Staysail and Running Backstays.

A lovely breeze came up in the afternoon and we pirouetted in the long Atlantic swell reaching a thrilling speed of 11 knots despite popping a cheeky reef in the main.

One ‘Person’ overboard practice drill later and a well oiled team was developing ready for our day sail tomorrow and the ocean passage later in the week.

An excellent day had by all!

Erika

Torshavn

Haldorsvik to Torshavn

From Haldorsvik we set sail for Midvagur 48.9nm away- This was a thrilling sail with a max speed of 10knots. An early start leaving the Lonely small town of Haldarsvik with its unusual octagonal church, the only one in the Faroes. The coastline out of the fjord was Running with waterfalls slidings down cliffs and spectacular rock formations, Passing Fossa the tallest waterfall in the Faroes which was seen on a walk and then a sail; we then continue Sailing, fast then slow as we contended with the vagaries of the wind funnelling down valleys.

After a run out west to sea we tucked into the coast at Vaagoe Island passing between Muggenaes and Vaagoe saw us dodge some shallow patches with wind against waves and tide causing some rough breaking seas. Wendy kept a steady hand on the helm as we passed through this area.

The southern coast of Vaagoe provided spectacular cliff scenary and the waterfall Bosdalafoss that falls from Soervaagrvand- the largest lake in the Faroes.

We docked in Midvagur alongside a small fishing boat hoping they would not be on their way out at 3am.

The local pizza cafe was a great little spot for a beer and hot chips! As always the A watch meal was delicious with chef Sue and sous chef Amancio ( from B watch) creating a culinary delight of roast potato, stir fried veg and wonderfully marinated turkey. Amancio’s creative expertise with herbs and spices always results in mouth watering meals. We are so lucky that he is on board.

Monday saw a wet morning with everyone relaxing. Stephen, David, and Ian headed off to the lakeside walk when the skies cleared a little. Unfortunately the lakeside walk was closed for repairs. Meeting up with Sue, Stephen and Ian continued up through town  to the hillside hike to the cliffs and the waterfall. The sheer height and magnificence of the cliffs was stunning. It was amazing to be on the cliffs that we had sailed past the previous day. With the seas much rougher, the swells were pounding on the rocks as high as the waterfall. The late afternoon light on the lake gave an image of an infinity pool.

Another early morning start on Tuesday 27th saw us off by 6.45 am to head up to the city of Tórshavn. Again the coastline was spectacular with an ethereal performance of light, shadows, dancing waves and an icing of clouds.

A short run of 22 nm saw us tied up in Tórshavn downtown with cafes just metres away. Again Patrick and Alex slotted Bluejay into a seemingly impossible spot with their usual skill and calm. A check of restaurants showed that as per Scandinavia- culinary delights are expensive. Amancio once agin produced a delectable meal of lasagna. After dinner drinks were had at a 3 storey bar -Sirkus with 3 levels. We relaxed in lounge chairs on the 3rd level amidst some very interesting decor.

Wednesday 28th was a free day to explore the town. Wendy and Lindsay put in some time working the passage and pilotage to Stornaway. Patrick, Sue, Ian and Amancio after sorting routes and bus times, took the hike to Kirjubour. This is an historic village with a 12th century small cathedral. A free bus provided us with a quick and easy ride back to Tórshavn. David meanwhile visited the national gallery and saw some Faroese art and sculpture. Most of us have mentioned a wish to return to the Faeroes to see more and drive through all of the tunnels that connect the isolated villages on islands and the islands themselves.

Departure has been delayed this morning due to a low pressure system misbehaving and spoiling our planned sail. So we have a bit of cleaning and tidying to do now and some more time to explore this lovely town of Tórshavn.

Bluejay relaxing in the sun before an afternoon of preparation for the open seas on our way down to Scotland has left most of the crew relaxing and a soaking up another couple of coffees watching the world go by.

More to come from Bluejay after our little jaunt across the open sea.

Sue Leith

Delayed blog post from pre-departure in Iceland!

Sorry readers, this one got missed before the crew who left Iceland last week – ED

Fun and games onboard the Bluejay…… jokes already on day 2 range from not being allowed birds in their bunks….sorry Ian… a comment actually stemming from seagulls flying around and trying to land! David and Wendy are our intrepid navigators onboard a planning us a route from Iceland to the Faroe Islands found the tide tables a little different to normal being very brightly coloured and strong but got through them eventually! Amancio has already become our pilotage expert and has taken us in and out of a few fjords already!

Stephen B and David seem to have mastered the Bluejay dance……. with the dosi-doe and a quick step left and right to actually manoeuvre the saloon around the table!

Stephen D representing our Scottish end destination on board was also one of be only people at the pool crazy enough to fully dunk in the 4 degree plunge pool, while Ian, Sue with Skipper Patrick and mate Alex became the big kids of the group and enjoyed the water slide …… a few times!

So far the crew have braved the cold and layers have been out even fladen suits have been making an appearance as the sailing got off to a good start but with Snow on the hill tops temperatures averaging below 5degrees!

Lindsey gave us her take on the past few days for the blog:

As we leave Seydisdisfjordur fjord on a port tack we spot a pod of Minke whales and see them blowing.  Heading south, Bluejay sailed nicely in the moderate swell towards Nordfjordur where we docked twice, Patrick having our comfort in mind, moved Bluejay to a calmer harbour. Wonderful soak in a series of Icelandic hot tubs followed by coffee and pastries in the local cafe.  The sea state en route to Reydarfjorour was a bit calmer and dolphins came to the boat, such a joy to see them.  Today we prepare for the passage to the Faroes.

Lindsey

So far we have smiles all round a lot of exploration on the cards in the next few days and some beautiful sailing planned to the Faroes!

Signing out of Iceland we’ll update you again from the Faroes.

Bluejay sails from Iceland to the Faroes

Bluejay Passage from Iceland to Faroe islands

It was Wednesday afternoon that Bluejay and it’s crew set of from the anchorage behind the islands in Reydarfjordur, Iceland for her crossing to the Faroe Islands.

The wind in the Fjord was still mild, but visibility was reduced by fog. As we left the swell from the last strong northerly wind spell was still in full force and wind rose up to about force 5.

The crew still needed to find their sea legs and the first few watches fell short on crew.

Accordingly to the weather forecast the wind diminished during the night And in the morning the sea state was already more bearable for most and lost crew raised from their bunks and resumed the watches.. the moon also made an appearance after not been seen by the skipper for more then 3 weeks

Early in the morning on Friday, while the sun rose out from the ocean in the east, land appeared after a crossing of 250 nM. Layers of clothing were shed off as the temperature rose in the new discovered islands. Unfortunately the sun was driven away by clouds and the afternoon and night were filled with rain.

The crew found connections with home in the cafe around the corner of the dock and were able to shower, swim and bathed in the local swimming pool. David and Stephen D. found us a nice restaurant for the night, that appeared a bit dodgy up first but turned out to be nice food by the Tunisian cook… it was worth the long rainy hike around the harbour.

Sailing in the Faroes: from Haldorsvik to Midvagur

An early alarm call at 6.15 raised half the crew to get an early start for a longer passage to Midvagur. The plan was to leave Haldorsvik in the early morning sunshine and motor out to the entrance of the Sundini fjord round the northern end of Streymor and across towards the west! A long tack ensued when we were able to raise sails and check out the bird life. The soaring fulmars were keen to use the disturbed air round the boat to perform their dances! We looked long and hard for the elusive puffins but found skuas pretending to be puffins but demolishing the remains of a puffin! Alex was very disappointed but was delighted after we tacked towards Mykines and found some puffins! None actually did the desired pose with the sprats (which is on the tour guide) but they did fly around vigorously flapping their wings and being puffin like! The tack past Mykines took us through Mykinesfjodur past a cheese shaped island Gasholmur and along the coast of Vagar where we saw amazing cliff faces and a huge waterfall Bosdalafossur where we all got carried away with our cameras. The day was fine but was remarkable for the clouds looking like icing over the cliffs…. or perhaps that was just because we were thinking of Alex’s cake baking in the oven! We turned into Midvagur and sailed past some fish farms into the fishing boat harbour where we moored up against a boat called Last Straw from Ipswich! After mooring up, the rain started and we retreated indoors for tea and the cake we had been dreaming about!! Tomorrow is a day in harbour to explore the lake that runs out into the waterfall and check out the local bakery as the storm arrives!

By Wendy crew on Bluejay.

What’s your favourite line?

The Crew members favourite lines on a sailing boat and why (a game played whilst sailing, courtesy of Emma)

• Emma: Staysail halyard, because it is loyal and dependable.
• Marilyn: Reef 3 – because most of the time the line does not do much, but it is there to stabilise the boat and the crew when needed.
• Patrick: Yankee halyard, because it is high up on the mast, at the front of the boat, looking forwards and out to sea.
• Amancio: Outhaul, because it is a hidden line at the foot and crew of the sail, which is often silent and hidden but yet important.
• Sue: Spinnaker halyard, because it is free and flies.
• Koen: Docklines, because they are attached to land.
• Sarah: Topping lift, because most of the time the line is free and gently swinging, but when the sails are down or reefed it crucially holds up the boom.
• Tom: Main sheet, because it is always under slightly more tension than it is comfortable with.
• Emma: Spinnaker halyard, because it sits at the top of the mast and has an overview of the boat and the sea.

The village of broken tractors- Brekka, Mjoifjordur (also known as ‘Mojo fjordur’ by Alex)

According to the ‘Wonderful Fjarðabyggð’ guidebooks this fjord is known for its ‘contented sheep,  sound of silence, fog, and the opportunity to experience days of darkness’. Whilst the fjord was more beautiful than Nordfjordjur, a reconnaissance of the village produced three old, mini broken tractors from the 1970s, two dogs, five sheep, abandoned fish farms, water connection point and a locked bar…….Things could only get better from this point.

After a yummy lunch of quesadillas (thank you Tom and Amancio), some crew members went for an afternoon hike (with the local collie dog) past Hjalmar’s monument above the village and up to a waterfall. The mountainside was covered in blueberry bushes full of fruit and offered expansive views further into the fjord towards the scenic mountain backdrop. Snow had fallen and collected in the higher slopes overnight. Huge, orange, purple and yellow jelly fish – that looked as though they had swallowed whole cauliflowers – floated alongside the boat providing (horror and awe-induced)  entertainment for crew members. The soft evening light danced on the mountainside as fish congregated around Bluejays’ hull.  A local villager came out to fish as we went to bed.

Arriving in Seydisfjordjur

The village of one bar and a cave- Nordfjordhur

We hiked in our full sailing fowlies to the one and only open bar in the village of Nordfjordhur- called Baitbar, where a Latvian bar tender served us drinks. The bar resembled a Swiss mountain cabin, with long wooden tables, floral printed sofas upstairs in the loft, historic artefacts on the wall and a lead weight pulley system holding the toilet door shut. As the wind was blowing a hoolie (a technical sailing term) the day was mainly spent relaxing and doing some light cleaning (getting diesel out of the lazarette) and small boat maintenance.

After lunch many of the crew members visited the local outdoor swimming pool, which had a 25m lane pool, a 4 degrees plunge pool, two slides and three hot pools of around 40 degrees. The crew not only managed to have their first showers after the ocean crossing, they also had lots of fun boiling, freezing and sliding. A few crew members visited the local museum which had paintings by local artists on the first floor, and technical sailing tools and instruments such as big, old sextants on the second floor. The top floor had a biological theme with birds, fish and different geological samples. The crew visited the Baitbar again in the evening for a meal of local fish served in a big pan with potatoes and vegetables. The wind continued to blow a hoolie making for a lively, rocking night tied to the dock.

The following morning 6 crew members got up early to hike along the fjord to Påskahellir cave (Easter sun cave). The hike followed the coast past basalt rock pillars, ‘pillows of lava’, ‘magnificent dykes,’ and blueberry bushes. The ocean swell was still visible from the previous days high winds, with the waves funneled through a small gap to the cave. There was a roar, which bounced and echoed around the cave, as the pebbles were dragged back towards the sea on the backwash of the waves. Ancient hollows, from trees long since disappeared under the lava, were visible in the underbelly of the cave. A cafe in the village provided us with breakfast number #2 before we prepared the boat and motor sailed to the other side of the mountain.

Bluejay arrives in Iceland – trip highlights from the crew

The emotional journey of this relatively brief ocean journey was almost as varied as the passage itself. Getting used to sleeping in a short-windowed watch system wasn’t too different to getting used to hoisting a Yankee whilst clipped on and at a 30deg heel; frustrating and tough to begin with, but after 2 days, neither was quite as stressful as you thought it was going to be! Elation at finally getting celestial sights from an EP reduced to be within 8nm of the GPS position came as a welcome juxtaposition to the seeming endlessness of the somewhat windless downwind legs of the second and fourth days. But what brought the whole journey together for me was the way a whole group of people (having only known each other for 6 days) came together to become not only team mates reliant on one another for survival (and delicious food), but also a kind of family. Magic stuff. Tom

Kittiwakes followed us the whole way.  Never landing on the yacht, they circled the boat as a reference point in pursuit of one another in an otherwise wide open and empty ocean.  And then the wind picks up and what you witness is an unquestionable joy of flight.  They dive, swoop, stall and skim the water, catching the gusts to lift and arc.  There couldn’t be a better lesson in the pleasure to be taken in simple existence.  Truly uplifting.

Emma

Our ocean passage began on departure from Reine in the Loføten islands in Norway and culminated in landfall at Nordfjordhur, Iceland. The 5-day crossing went from sleep to watch, to sleep to watch with a little bit of delicious feeding in between. Weather patterns changed from a good stiff breeze with Yankee, staysail and main sail driving us across the ocean at a brisk 10knts to a complete millpond with kittiwakes dancing around us with smiles on their beaks.  Iceland emerged from the clouds as per our landfall lesson.  Rock masses created by extreme geological forces guided us to the fjord and the town jetty where we moored up to hide from the worsening weather. Skipper Patrick and Mate Alex patiently guided and coaxed us in all facets of our ocean passage. It was great fun!

Sue

As I write this blog a cold wind is funnelling and whistling through Nordfjordhur in Iceland. It is a foreboding and intimidating place with steep craggy mountains and isolated houses. Tents near the shoreline and other camping equipment highlight that it is summer here…….apparently. There were moments of glorious sailing today, with a force 5 wind and waves almost on the beam. The boat was practically singing an aria when she found her groove, sailing with perfectly trimmed sails; it was a joy and privilege to helm her in these conditions and waters.

The customs officer is aboard the boat now, whilst some crew members are walking round with their foulies around their waists and ankles, and others still being chatted up by Icelandic men – all before we have stepped ashore.  Exciting times are afoot over our next few days in Iceland……..

Sarah

Bluejay wings her way across the ocean!

With speeds getting up to 9 kts for Marilyn on watch with Amancio and Emma starting the trend, our other 2 watches tried hard to live up to it! Unfortunately with a veering dying wind the engine definitely helped our lunch team of Koen and Sarah keep the average up! While we motored through their watch while talking about weather! Tom and Sue did a great weather dance and encouraged some more wind so off engines up sails and off we head again now after a great dinner (as usual sailing is about food 75% of the time!) we are back to a comfortable reach into the twilight!

Henningsvær to Reine: Preparing to sail to Iceland!

The day started at 8am with flaking the Jordan series drogue on the dock beneath the Fiskekrogen restaurant, where we ate dinner last night. The drogue was very, very long, with little yellow parachutes held by black ties worked into the warp and weft of three lines of decreasing diameters. The drogue was a little too soapy and silky, so it was washed and laid along the guardrail to dry. In the meantime, some of the crew foraged in the nearest supermarket for important re-supply items (peanuts, crisps and chocolate biscuits). We watched a ‘Postman Pat’ style fishing boat being loaded with empty fish boxes in its deep hull, before it left Henningsvær to hunt for some fish; we slipped soon afterwards.

We managed to sail the whole route today (yey!) from Henningsvær to Reine, with main sail, Yankee 1 and staysail, on an almost direct bearing of 240 degrees. We had a lovely reach with gentle waves pushing us along, whilst we watched the mountain scenery and the small southern Loføten towns pass by. The spinnaker was raised for a brief period, but sadly the wind dropped and it had to be put to bed in its snuffle bag. The radar had a day off today, as we had the seas virtually to ourselves, with only a few fishing boats for company.

Around 5nm from Reine, the wind speed increased to force 4 and we put in a reef for a few miles before dropping all the sails to motor into Reine harbour. The first stop was to re-fuel. Amancio and Tom crewed for a kind Norwegian man on a Hanse sailing yacht (with a multi-coloured Danboy flag) as he offered to move his boat from the L pontoon to make way for Bluejay. His boat was then rafted onto ours. To our stern lies wooden racks for drying fish (very common in this corner of northern Norway) and a little white church; to our bow lies another ‘Postman Pat’ style red and white fishing boat. Ice scraped mountains with patches of snow provide our scenic backdrop.

Emma (chef) and Amancio (sous-chef) cooked a delicious vegetable pasta and a spaghetti bolognese for dinner. Perhaps an earlier night tonight, than last night, as we prepare for a mini-hike early tomorrow morning, followed by the start of the ocean passage to Iceland in the afternoon.

Signing off Bluejay on her last day in Norway

Ulvøya to Henningsvær

The crew of Bluejay are now feeling fat and contented, all tucked up in Henninsgsvaer, having feasted on fish in the local restaurant.

Day started with an interesting breakfast when the cook tasked with making pancakes mistakenly used rye bread flour instead of the usual white. After this ‘substantial’ start to the day, Bluejay cruised gently down the fiord, little wind and glassy seas giving opportunities for the photographers on the crew to make the most of the awe inspiring scenery. Soon, though, the wind rose and we managed 7.7 knots with 10 knots of the wind. It didn’t last long but then the calm waters meant we  had plenty of time for storm board and emergency tiller practice in comfort, in preparation for the big voyage to Iceland, now getting close.  Porpoises nodded our way into Henningsvær as we looked forward to a meal ashore and, maybe, the odd glass or two.

Chat in the bar focused on what was to come, for some the qualifying passage needed for ocean Yachtmaster and for others the chance to do something beyond the usual sailing experience.

Signing off Marilyn on Bluejay

Litlmolle to ulvøya

Exploration was the purpose of today.  A gentle motor to Gulvika, in a very light breeze and under a steel sky.  For the first time cloud cover muted the colour tones of cliff and vegetation and there was the merest hint of being north of the Arctic Circle.  But by the time we arrived the sun was beginning to break through and for those who were hiking towards the summit of gulvika, there was the feeling of having overdressed for the effort.

The plant life was intriguing.  Ground cover was complete, eight eighths.  Northern Norway is a secret gem of a place.  For plant life to be this abundant, the summer months must be warm.  The only indication of the struggle of the winter season being the dwarf height of the plants.  Wild blueberries growing not more than 5 centimetre above the ground, crowded with wild flowers, ferns and delicate grasses.  An occasional grove of pine but far more low growing birch and beech.  And hugging the rock ledges, a thick blanket of moss that drapes the rock as fudge icing sets around the rim of a cake.

The sea water is completely clear – dark only because the depth absorbs all the light.  In shallower waters with a sand bottom, the water is turquoise.  This has been driving me crazy.  The water is beautiful and I need to be in it.  Today was a red letter day for me.  The walk finished – and just a little ahead of the others – I was in the water before the crew had mustered.  It was divine.  Soft and cool and wide and calm.  Sarah joined me.

The afternoon was organised around a sail to Trollfjiorden.  And every passage of sail is organised around another point of instruction.  Patrick and Alex explain with enthusiasm whatever else it is we might need to know for the passage from Norway to Iceland.  Today, polling out Yankee 1.  Not that there was much wind at the time.  Seagulls gathered around the boat – resting on the water – waiting.  What they saw was a lot of purposeful movement and directed energy on board a stationary vessel.  They must have figured we were bringing in the catch.

We anchored for the night in the centre of a deep inlet near to the entrance to Trollfjorden, overlooking steep green and snow peaked mountains on one side, with a ferry and a fish farm on the other side of the channel. The wind has dropped and the clouds are coming in, blanketing us for the night. But the winds, I gather, are building for our passage southwest……….

Signing off, Emma on Bluejay

Sailing in the Lofotens day one: Kjerringoy

We said goodbye to Hummingbird boat at Bodø and sailed around two islands to pick up a channel between the mainland and a set of skerries. The Norwegian airforce was flying in their jets above our heads, we like to think to give us a fond farewell. Steep mountains, flat water, beautiful sunshine and clear air. As soon as the sails were up the wind dropped and we bobbed along at 2-3 knots. Time for ripple reading lesson to work out the wind direction. Sails dropped, motor on for a while and tea time with jaffa cake biscuits- yum, yum.

Sails hoisted again for 90 minutes, sextants out, calibrated and sight forms reduced. Crisps and peanuts followed. Reefing practice conveniently in no wind, overlooking a cute little village called  in a fjord with red and yellow houses. Round one more headland, with the engine on due to a lack of wind, and we entered Kjerringøy harbour. Danced with two motor boats in the harbour whilst we had to move from our mooring to a wooden stilted, tyre covered dock in Kjerringøy with a 5m climb up a ladder to the dockside (amusing for some vertically challenged crew members).

Kjerringøy is a lovely little harbour backed by mountains, ringed with yellow and red private beach huts, green forest with small paths around and the village and moss covered rocks. Stir fry for dinner prepared by Tom whilst sitting on the deck watching the late evening sunshine.

Bluejay exploring the Lofotens

Glorious exploring in the Lofotens

Bluejay sails to Reine in the Lofotens

Hot sunny sailing in the Lofotens

Well what a cracking start for the Bluejay crew! The unbelievable weather comprising of 23 degrees, blue skies and perfect sunshine encouraged us to rise early and complete our safety briefs. We then slipped lines shortly before lunch and enjoyed a buffet of cheeses and meats as we motored out through the stunning archipelagos. After lunch we hoisted the main and along with the staysail practised tacking with running back stays in the little wind that we had. We sailed the 8 nautical miles to a stunning bay on the north side of the island of Landegode where we inflated the RIB and the crew proceeded ashore for an arctic swim in the amazing sunshine. A dinner of spaghetti Bolognese was then enjoyed in this idyllic anchorage and a cold beer appreciated by the crew who are all telling tales in the cockpit of the most perfect first day (whilst admittedly dodging mosquitos). It’s an early up tomorrow with the promise of more perfect weather as we make our way across to the Lofoten Chain.

Another incredible day sailing and exploring in the Lofotens

Sailing in the Lofotens: one incredible day on Bluejay!

Bluejay left Svolvær (helmed off the pontoon by an awesome Rita!) with a sightseeing mission in their game plan. We tacked the first couple of miles to the rocky strait between Litl and Store Molle, until the wind bid us adieu for the day and left us with our engine. As we cruised up the Raftsundet the crew were taught the “Rules of the Road,” and by the time everyone knew their not under commands from their restricted in ability to manoeuvres, we had reached the mouth of the majestic Trollfjord. We floated about underneath one of its waterfalls, eating Robert’s lovely lunch, wishing for the sun to come out just a little bit…. and as we attempted to sail back south (no luck, quickly abandoned) the sun did finally grace us with its appearance. I have the rosy cheeks to prove it. We squeezed our way into one of “Holly’s Top Five Best Ever Anchorages” – Gulvika, on Store Molle. I would love to try to describe to you how spectacular it is here, but I can’t, so you’ll just have to sail here too one day. We’ve been ashore in the dinghy for a scenic scramble up the hill, and then scouted out a white sandy beach and braved an arctic dip! Apparently not that cold, and the rocks above the water had been heated to perfection by the sun. What. A. Day.

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Bluejay and the Queen of Norway!

Yesterday Bluejay set sail from our alternative berth in Nusfjord, still regaling at having to move to make space for the Queen of Norway! Robert led the mainsail hoist in the “shelter” of the fjord – to be honest, there wasn’t much wind forecast and our hopes weren’t high. But as we motored out into Vestfjorden, aiming to hike a left and head NE to Henningsvaer, a gentle breeze met us. So eagerly we hoisted everything we had, and there began the ultimate sail. We weren’t winning any speed records, but we slowly trickled forward. Not a cloud to be seen (and no whales either, but you can’t have it all). Sail trim was taught on the foredeck, and we learnt the nitty gritty of passage planning too. There was even time for a spot of tranquil sunbathing. Rita exclaimed that it was the perfect day. Eventually we sailed into “the Venice of the Lofotens” – once again to see the Royal Yacht – and secured a comfortable berth alongside a fish restaurant… which naturally we had to sample! Cod, halibut, mussels, lamb… we tried all the local cuisine, and went to bed with the sun still blazing, feeling very full and content.

Across the Vestfjorden to Reine!

Bluejay’s new crew have been onboard for a couple of days now, but Rita just commented that she feels like it’s been weeks! (I hope that’s a good thing…) Yesterday was our first outing from Bodo towards an anchorage on the south east of Landegode. We saw a sea eagle before we even left the fuel dock, and I worried that we’d peaked too soon! We had just enough wind to get a nice first training sail in, practising some skills and drills – and sending fladden-clad Wonder Woman Laura over the side to rescue that clumsy fender. Despite having to re-set the anchor after it dragged on the first go we had a peaceful night, the calm only broken by the buzz of our dinghy as the crew set off to explore. This morning we left pretty sharp after breakfast (and after spotting an eagle catch a fish) knowing we had 50nm to cover across the Vestfjorden to the Lofotens. We motored for the first half, learning loads along the way – Rita, who has never sailed before, was leading main sail reefs like a boss – and when the wind eventually filled in from the perfect direction up went all the canvas, off went the engine, and we spent the next 20nm cruising along under blue skies with massive grins on our faces. We had such a great sail that it was almost a shame to have to drop them before we hit the rocks… but the gorgeous Reine was equally calling us in, so down the sails came. We’re now sat at the base of Reinebringen feeling totally grateful to be here. And let’s not forget that we saw a whale! Species: unknown, size: big, distance: CLOSE. Sadly for Robert on the helm only caught the whale’s reflection in Rita’s aviators, so the hunt for a whale sighting for the whole crew still remains…

Happy days on Bluejay in Arctic Norway

The morning started with those that hadn’t been ashore last night getting kitted up to go off in ‘Bluetit’ to clamber up to the spectacular viewpoint.  Views were contemplated along with watching oyster catchers and herons, but no whales for Holly.

We eventually set off from Gullvika to head north, under engine, to Ulvaagen where we ‘popped’ our noses in to reconnoitre the lie of the land for possible anchorages for future trips.  We had made the right decision to stop at Gullvika as this fjord had settlements along the shoreline, so wasn’t as remote.  It was then a trek further north to find Trollfjorden , a narrow fjord running west to east on the island of Austvaagoya. We couldn’t quite touch the walls as we motored through but those that go through on cruise ships wouldn’t be far off.  I felt very small sitting on ‘Bluejay’ gazing up to the tops of the sheer fjord walls, watching sea eagles soar far above.

There were a few fishing boats on the water, the crew of one suggesting that we moored up as there was a pontoon and shore power at the west end of the fjord.  There were also a number of large ribs carrying tourists from Svolvaer to see the majestic sights of Trollfjorden.    As ‘Bluetit’ was being launched we were approached by a Coast guard vessel, two Coastguards and one policeman, who wanted to check that we were all wearing life jackets.  Being a Rubicon 3 trip, we were!  After a quick chat about our travel plans, they passed over some packets of sweets and coffee before departing to check the other boats in the fjord.

It was then down to Andy and Vince in ‘Bluetit’ to video the fjord and ‘Bluejay’.   Those of us in the ‘Bluejay’ motored up and down Trollfjorden at different speeds as Andy’s drone flew around us.  That done, two extra crew got into the rib and were treated to numerous runs up and down the fjord with the 360-degree camera out on a stick taking in everything around us. Personal interviews then followed as we were all asked about our Rubicon 3 experience; highlights, exploring, training and much more. Soon to be on a screen near you!

This was to be our furthest point north as we then turned south to head down to Svolvaer, the capital of the Lofoten Islands. With the main sail and yankee hoisted we tacked our way south.  Puffins and oyster catchers shot past as we heeled over. Tacking caused great consternation down below as butter went flying, ably caught by Dave who just happened to be sitting in the right place at the right time.  Fruit and garlic bulbs became projectiles as they were launched from the nets above the galley.  The engine was only on for about 15 minutes as we passed through the lee of the islands on our way to Solvaer. The Fladden suits were taken out of their wrappings to be donned for the first time as the wind was cold and penetrating. What a great garment, though not sure if I would want to be in the water wearing one.

What a brilliant day – fantastic sailing, good company, sailing related games and quizzes as we pottered around Trollfjorden; fair winds, amazing scenery, no rain and, as always, good food. We reached Svolvaer and moored up alongside at about 2200. A long day capped off with a ‘nearly’ midnight feast of garlicky chicken and rice.

Thank you to everyone on board who is making this trip so special!

Kate – Bluejay

Bluejay crew still sailing and hiking in the Lofotens

A lazy morning when we were able to explore the streets of Henningsvaer; buying postcards to send home, souvenirs to keep, and for one of us, a small Norwegian flag on a stick to be converted into a courtesy flag for ‘Bluejay’. We eventually left at around 1030 am to sail north to the island of Stormolla where we found Gullvika, a small inlet with a perfect anchorage.  Sailing conditions were great and ‘Bluejay’ managed to sail along at up to 8 – 9 knots on a broad reach. The sea was, however, very lumpy at times and not particularly comfortable.  A training session on ‘Collision Regulations at Sea’ had us imagining a couple of sailing vessels named ‘HP Sauce’ and ‘Sweet Chilli Sauce’ heading towards each other on opposite tacks as Holly took us through the basics of staying out of trouble at sea.  A very tasty lunch of salad, blue cheese and walnuts kept away the hunger pangs as we sailed towards our destination.  Like all our sailing days so far this trip the rain held off until we had anchored in the stunning location at Gullvika. This is a small inlet protected to the west, north and east by steep cliffs and mountainous terrain, and to the south/southwest by a couple of small islands.  After an enormous dinner of kjottkaker, gravy, mash and veg, followed by freshly baked gulrotkake, six intrepid explorers ventured forth in ‘Bluetit’ to explore the immediate vicinity.  A short scramble up a steep, rocky and moss-covered slope from the shore provided us with stunning views of ‘Bluejay’ anchored in the middle of a calm circle of sea.  She looked so small from such a height and it was then that I recognised the stunning enormity of the surrounding mountains and fjords. Our landing party included Andy, the trip photographer/video guy, who took his drone and camera with him.  For the rest of us this involved numerous trips backwards and forwards in ‘Bluetit’, to and from the shore, around ‘Bluejay’ at varying speeds as the drone followed or flew alongside, ably flown by Andy. It was eventually back to ‘Bluejay’ where we all settled down for the night, not that there is any night at this latitude, as the start the next day was to be an early one. It’s a strange concept having daylight for 24 hours though for us the sun hasn’t put in much of an appearance.  The weather has generally been overcast with clouds on the tops of the mountains.  We have been incredibly lucky in that the only day we have had of persistent rain was when we went for a long walk from Reine – maybe the name gives some clue to the weather conditions. I can’t believe that the trip is starting to come to an end and that tomorrow we will begin the trip home by heading back south and towards Bodo.

Kate

Bluejay rocks the lofotens!

On one of the shortest nights of the year in the UK the Lofoten Islands face the sun’s rays broadside skimming its heat away off the earth’s curve meaning the light remains all day, and night. With Bluejay moored up against Nusfjord’s town pier and her bow poking out into the fjord, the steep wooden steps leading from the deck to the hard our only obstacle to enjoying this wonderful living museum of a fishing village’s delights. With surrounding rockfaces flocked with seagulls all fighting for nesting space amongst the cracks and crevices, with many loud discussions over scraps of fish, little did the crew know just how incredibly early they get up, rising to a cacophony of noise that seemed to start just after nine of the crew had gone to bed.   After breakfast and a quick walk around Nusfjord, Bluejay slipped her lines at 0930 and headed out of the fjord and up towards Henningsvaer.  With the wind coming up from the southwest the ten crew began by hoisting the main sail, with one reef in.  Once the stay sail was aloft and with fair winds, speeds went up to around 9 knots with the winds at a constant angle and both sails out to one side. An amazing sail – good wind and no rain, but quite a bumpy ride at times saw the remaining nine on deck make good time.  As always in this area the views were stunning, with steep glacial valleys and deep fjords taking up many a memory card.  We took turns at helming and were served an excellent lunch of bacon, lettuce and tomato rolls with smell of cooked bacon bringing back the tenth crew member from his slumber to re-join the working crew.  A few puffins were spotted as we sped across the water, but unfortunately no whales or dolphins this time.  Where are they? With the town of Nusfjord’s delights just a few creaky ladder rungs away, a walk around town led some of the crew to the mist covered Festvagind and the rest to walking through the town to the exposed rocky outcrop and one of the lighthouses that denotes the Lofoten’s. Looking out from where they had come they stood atop the oldest rocks in Norway, noted as 2850 million years old, between them and the sea.

Treated to a display from two Sky Kite surfers foiling over the surface of the exposed bay in a show of strength and balance, the more than impressed explorers headed for a beer in one of the many glass fronted venues, before heading back to descend the testing mooring.

With the promise of yet another fine dining experience the crew regrouped on board where finally all eleven where reunited for some more fantastic fare and witty banter.

David and Kate – Bluejay

Fresh fish for Bluejay!

Yesterday the crew of Bluejay woke up a little achey from their trek the day before – a few extra coffees were needed before we could launch into learning how to check the engine. When happy with our WOBBLE we prepped the deck and slipped lines. We were heading North East among the Lofoten wall, past a spectacular view of textured mountains, snowy troughs, and clouds lifting to reveal more peaks. Under just #1 yankee headsail we sailed deep downwind, occasionally catching a small surf, and in no time at all Nusfjord was on our beam. Rather than head straight in we carried on for a couple more miles to a wide stretch of shallower water between some skerries, dropped the yankee, and threw some hooks over… within minutes and with various squeals of glee, David caught a decent sized cod, and then an even bigger one plus a pollock. Suddenly every seagull and their entire family had joined us – one even christened Vince with a little bit of “good luck”! Happy with our catch, we returned (this time into the wind, brr) to Nusfjord. It’s a very quaint village, with colourful rorbeurs, wooden walkways, and a sweet little pub. Well worth a visit, and this morning the sun has made a long awaited return to set us up for this new day!

Bluejay’s crew with rainy days in Arctic Norway!

Today we’ve stayed sheltering under the Reinebringen mountain, to give us time to explore Kjerkefjorden. Shortly after breakfast “mother” Holly waved off the rabble with packed lunches in time to get the ferry to Vinstad. From there everyone hiked to Bunes beach in what may be described as anything from “a light drizzle,” to full on rain. It was wet. For a summer solstice there certainly hasn’t been much “sol”! Luckily the views were spectacular, and only made more dramatic by the looming cloud base, totally making the trip worthwhile. In search of an even better photograph a one man attempt to conquer the mountain was initiated… or did the mountain conquer David? (He’s now in bed by 9pm, so I think we now know the answer to that one…). Vince indulged in a “cooling off” dip in the fjord post-hike. Bracing! Witnesses say he went in a man, and emerged an ice cube. When the troops returned the radiators were on full blast, hot chocolates at the ready, dinner on the stove and nothing but an evening of indoors relaxation ahead of them.

Bluejay arrives in Reine, Lofotens

Thursday 20^th June

The day started watching the midnight sun (the second time for some of us) dip down towards the horizon, but never quite reaching it.  A great disappointment to hear though, that the sun is actually at its lowest at 0446 hrs.

A rushed morning as we breakfasted on cereal and toast before getting on deck by 0800 hrs to prepare the boat for a great day of sailing, and a long voyage over to Reine on the Lofoten Islands.  The wind was light north easterly as we left Kjerringoy though forecast to build as the day progressed.   With sails set we initially headed south west before turning to starboard to start the crossing over Vestfjorden to Reine, towards the southern end of the Lofoten Islands.

What a fantastic day of sailing!  The winds started to build as we got further offshore and after a while the decision was made to reef.  Thanks to the drills that were done yesterday this was done without mishap and we duly reduced the amount of sail.  ‘Bluejay’ hurtled across Vestfjorden towards Reine at the impressive speed of between 9 and 10 knots for most of the crossing, the boat heeling over at just the right angle to make it seem we were racing across the water.  The views were stunning as we left the Norwegian mainland and made our way north east towards the islands.  The mountains are majestic with incredibly steep sides, snow still lingering in the nooks and gullies, and tiny fishing huts nestling at the base of cliffs and along the sea front.  Thanks to the brilliant passage planning and navigation by Sarah we arrived in good time and eventually tied up alongside in Reine at 1715 hrs – a total of 53 miles sailed in around 6 hours. Impressive!

Reine appears to be a sleepy fishing town with lots of opportunities to explore the local area tomorrow – kayaking, walking, ferry rides, bike hire and I expect much more.  A tasty dinner of Thai fish curry washed down by numerous cans of beer, stories shared by the 11 people on board, with the sun dropping down towards the horizon – though never getting there.  What an incredible day and a great big THANK YOU to everyone who has played their part in making it such.

Kate – Bluejay

Bluejay loving the Lofotens!

Monday 17th June
As the last of the guests arrived aboard Bluejay the first day was all about boat familiarisation and choosing the space inside that would be rightly claimed as theirs for the forthcoming adventure sailing the crystal-clear waters of the Lofoten Islands.

Tuesday 18th

With the crewmates awake and now gathered around the breakfast table the galley was alive with chatter as the team regaled stories of their already impressive journeys so far others of merely just getting to the boat, some better planned than others.

With friendships forming and breakfast washed down with coffee and tea the real safety tutorials began starting with foul weather suits, life jackets and a new selection of Fladdens handed out and adjusted to suit.

With safety briefs completed and stations assumed we cast off from the moderate confines of Bodo marina to the sound of ringing in our ears – apparently the local custom is to wish a Rubicon vessel a safe voyage by firing possibly the loudest cannon from the opposing headland, surprised we were… Luckily the Captain of the oncoming cruise liner seem less surprised.

With just a short hop across to Landegode the level of wardrobe activity was as unexpected as the recent explosion, with T’shirts swapped for coats or sunglasses and then back again with the addition of a hat, but thankfully there was no need for serious wet weather gear.

This was until Holly the skipper announced a full wet MOB training drill to put into practice what we had learned from our dry run.

As heads dropped and eyes averted Holly now asked for a fender; for this was to be the unfortunate casualty and suddenly all was well and with the attention of the crew regained a suitable mate was assigned the task of rescuer and fully equipped in every item of safety gear one person could possibly need and hoisted off the staysail halyard over the side.

With skills beyond their short time on board not only did Melanie rescue the buoy in a promising time should one actually fall in but was also return to deck dry!

We didn’t have much hope for sailing but persevered with putting the sails up to get used to how they work. John and Stephen set the bar high by sweating the main all the way to the top on the first day closely followed by hoisting the staysail but with less than a breath of air we settled to a leisurely pace with turns being taken all around the boats equipment.

By the time we reached our overnight anchorage in a secluded bay at the stunning North East end of Landegode shaded by the one of the many walls of rock that reaches for the sky in this beautifully landscaped vista the sun was still there in the sky.

With the promise of a possibly first experience of a midnight sun 5 intrepid explorers shunned the idea of an early night and set about turning a small square stowed in a canvas bag into a beach landing craft fit for five.

After a brief excursion with Holly at the helm and just a few crew onboard ‘Bluetit’ around the anchorage, controls were passed to our able 1st mate Vince who set about finding a suitable landing site amongst seaweed covered rocky shoreline leading to wooden pontoons that led to randomly placed red painted huts.

After many hours exploring and thousands of photographs later the five returned having witnessed the midnight sun to find the other half of the crew asleep and somehow managed to retire to their cots without waking anybody up.

Wednesday 19th June

A leisurely start to the day made all the better by waking to the smell of scrambled egg on toast! This was severed with style by a beaming Holly who herself seemed taken aback by the quality of the fare on offer even though she herself had cooked it!

With breakfast out of the way and house keeping chores done a coffee in the cockpit was made even more delightful by the visit of two magnificent Sea Eagles that feasted themselves in front of us on whatever the terns fought hard to protect.

A training session on the whys and wherefores of passage making followed with a handing over of the reins for tomorrows sail across to Reine in hopefully better wind.

Todays sail was again more of a hop with sail training and manoeuvres along the way with much instruction and talk of toerails in the water tomorrow and the need to get it right when reefing the main or hoisting a Yankee whilst not fouling the Staysail…

An afternoon of playing training complete we glided into Kjerringoy marina with all the grace of Bambi on ice holding a kite in a perfect exhibition of how not to let watching eyes put you off your task of mooring up steady and in control; preserving the condition of your paintwork.

With a night of R&R in front of the crew after another hearty meal in their bellies and a cockpit to enjoy watching the sun stay up; what more could you want?

David – Bluejay

Bluejay in Lofotens

8 June 2019 Henningsvaer day. Codstock and Custard.
There is plenty to do in Henningsvaer, which this weekend was dominated by the Codstock Festival…. three days of fish and music plus lots of campervans and drunken festival goers. More on that later. So a day of walking, looking around the photography gallery and art gallery, a climb up Festvagind (541m…. great views of the Henningsvaer archipelago from the top including distant and pointless? fireworks.). The afternoon was spent nav planning and in the evening, we ventured out to Henningsvaer. Sadly, the Youth Hostel was overflowing so we couldn’t try the sauna, so ended up in the climbers bar. A word of advice…. don’t moor up alongside a ‘Codstock’ bar playing blues and Irish music in your motor cruiser and start playing Abba’s Greatest Hits. Not unless you want BBQ brushes, glasses and bottles thrown at you. We also met Bjorn from Henningsvaer, who had the biggest fists and firmest handshake I’ve ever come across. Lovely chap but wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of him.

9 June 2019 Henningsvaer to Ulvoya (Raftsund). The Skipper went Woof.
Some real sailing today. A relatively calm start out of Henningsvaer, and at first we were a bit disappointed by the light winds. This soon changed and we were zipping along well-heeled over and then reefing in the main, changing from yankee 2 to staysail and reefing the main again. So lots of lessons in sailing in windyish conditions. Lunch was a rather under appreciated meal. We turned North into Raftsund and things calmed down….so much so that the skipper decided to bring out his inner dog, and wore Laura’s barking dog hat for the rest of the day. A spot of tourism up Trollfjord, well worth a visit, but no trolls seen, and then round to our anchorage in Lauksund near Trollfjord. We’re not mentioning the race.

10 June 2019 Ulvoya (Raftsund) to Gulvika
A bit of tourism North up Raftsund from our mooring. Unfortunately, this was into the teeth of a North wind plus rain and grey clouds. We saw the road bridge and then turned back towards the blue sky in the South. Much more pleasant…. a very pleasant easy sail practicing our jibes before a lunch stop in Ulvagen. Our detailed calculations suggested we’d have 0.7m depth clearance at the bar so we were a bit surprised to see no less than 3.8m. More jibing practice after lunch and then to a perfect lonely pontoon in Gulvika. This has picnic tables, a wood burning stove space for a BBQ. There is loads of wood in the pine forest just to the North of the pontoon. The lunchtime depth experience prompted us to recheck the depth sounder reading with a plumb line, and we confirmed that the sounder was reading depth below the keel, so the bar at Ulvagen is much deeper than the chart advised…or at least it was today. And we finished the day with another great meal outside by the wood burner.

11 June 2019 Gulvika to Skrova. Plotting and pilotage.
Having checked out the depth sounder yesterday, it was logical to check out the other end of the boat today…. the mast. Sofi and Dan were hoisted into the blue sky up the mast. We then got on with our day of pilotage. The plan had been to do some easy sailing but the sea was glass-like so we motored the long way around Litlmolla, and then down the West coast of Skrova to practice our pilotage techniques. We saw a white-tailed sea eagle off Skrova. Skrova itself is a beautiful, but quiet island, so quiet the pub was shut! Nice easy walk across the island to the beach, interesting photos in the tunnel – watch out for the ferries coming in and out.

Kerringjoy and goodbyes

Our final day Bluejay had us making a short hop from the picturesque holiday town of Kerringjoy. Dan and Alastair failed to cook all the bacon on the boat, better luck tomorrow. After a brief explore the crew lept into action for some springing off practice. Running lines left right and centre to extract Bluejay from a tight wind on berth, Sophie brought us off the dock in expert fashion. Just seconds after we had slipped lines the yacht that had been blocking our exit decided to follow us out! We had a relaxing light wind motor into Bodo navigated by Dan. Now we sit in the restaurant remeniscing on the trip, having failed to navigate ourselves to the restaurant we had made a reservation at.

For our final blog, here’s what the crew have to say on the trip;

Codstock and custard.  Breath taking scenary, gentle sailing and a wish to stay longer. – Nicky

Some great sailing (and motoring) in wonderful wearher, even if the sun never went to bed. Great group of people who quickly gelled as a team and had a brilliant fortnight. Will have to come back to the Lofotens again. – Alastair

Amazing place, amazing crew, amazing skipper and mate. Superb trip. – Penny

Great mix of sailing, exploring and socialising. A fantastic trip. – Dan

I’ll be back … Majestic Lofoten, neverending day, so much to see, so much to learn, so much to explore, all of that in great company. All expectations met, thanks to our amazing skipper and mate. – Sophie

There is really nothing much to add – Pedro

Plotting and pilotage

11 June 2019 Gulvika to Skrova.  Plotting and pilotage.

Having checked out the depth sounder yesterday, it was logical to check out the other end of the boat today…. the mast.  Sofi and Dan were hoisted into the blue sky up the mast.  We then got on with our day of pilotage.  The plan had been to do some easy sailing but the sea was glass-like so we motored the long way around Litlmolla, and then down the West coast of Skrova to practice our pilotage techniques. We saw a white-tailed sea eagle off Skrova.  Skrova itself is a beautiful, but quiet island, so quiet the pub was shut!  Nice easy walk across the island to the beach, interesting photos in the tunnel – watch out for the ferries coming in and out.

Ulvoya (Raftsund) to Gulvika

10 June 2019 Ulvoya (Raftsund) to Gulvika A bit of tourism North up Raftsund from our mooring.  Unfortunately, this was into the teeth of a North wind plus rain and grey clouds.  We saw the road bridge and then turned back towards the blue sky in the South.  Much more pleasant…. a very pleasant easy sail practicing our jibes before a lunch stop in Ulvagen.  Our detailed calculations suggested we’d have 0.7m depth clearance at the bar so we were a bit surprised to see no less than 3.8m.  More jibing practice after lunch and then to a perfect lonely pontoon in Gulvika.  This has picnic tables, a wood burning stove space for a BBQ.  There is loads of wood in the pine forest just to the North of the pontoon.  The lunchtime depth experience prompted us to recheck the depth sounder reading with a plumb line, and we confirmed that the sounder was reading depth below the keel, so the bar at Ulvagen is much deeper than the chart advised…or at least it was today.  And we finished the day with another great meal outside by the wood burner.

The skipper went woof

9 June 2019 Henningsvaer to Ulvoya (Raftsund).  The Skipper went Woof.

Some real sailing today.  A relatively calm start out of Henningsvaer, and at first we were a bit disappointed by the light winds.  This soon changed and we were zipping along well-heeled over and then reefing in the main, changing from yankee 2 to staysail and reefing the main again.  So lots of lessons in sailing in windyish conditions.  Lunch was a rather under appreciated meal.  We turned North into Raftsund and things calmed down….so much so that the skipper decided to bring out his inner dog, and wore Laura’s barking dog hat for the rest of the day.  A spot of tourism up Trollfjord, well worth a visit, but no trolls seen, and then round to our anchorage in Lauksund near Trollfjord.  We’re not mentioning the race.

Codstock and custard

8 June 2019 Henningsvaer day.  Codstock and Custard.

There is plenty to do in Henningsvaer, which this weekend was dominated by the Codstock Festival…. three days of fish and music plus lots of campervans and drunken festival goers.  More on that later.  So a day of walking, looking around the photography gallery and art gallery, a climb up Festvagind (541m…. great views of the Henningsvaer archipelago from the top including distant and pointless? fireworks.).  The afternoon was spent nav planning and in the evening, we ventured out to Henningsvaer. Sadly, the Youth Hostel was overflowing so we couldn’t try the sauna, so ended up in the climbers bar.  A word of advice…. don’t moor up alongside a ‘Codstock’ bar playing blues and Irish music in your motor cruiser and start playing Abba’s Greatest Hits.  Not unless you want BBQ brushes, glasses and bottles thrown at you.  We also met Bjorn from Henningsvaer, who had the biggest fists and firmest handshake I’ve ever come across.  Lovely chap but wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of him.

Bluejay in Hennningsvaer

Happy Friday from the crew of Bluejay.  The day started with skipper depriving his crew of croissants.  In retaliation the crew insisted on an early start.  Peace was restored after coffee, tea and breakfast on the hoof.  Motoring to Nusfjord under a bright blue sky and fairly chilled crew….. surprised to discover that the ‘pregnant Bart Simpson’ pilotage plan actually worked. Skipper has now threatened to ban the use of Navionics… After a bit of a bimble about a tasty lunch with fresh bread was had by all.  After the late arrival of Oriole, a hasty departure was made as the tone of the neighbour hood plummeted.  

The second leg was blessed by variable winds – reef in, reef out and shake it all about, you get the general picture!  Happy crew as we did manage 10 knots.  

Navigating into Henningsvaer was complicated but successfully achieved. As we did our fly past we were serenaded with Motörhead’s Ace of Spades… apparently Henningsvaer is hosting its annual Codstock music festival…. it’s all fake news, man!

Reine, Lofoten Islands, Norway

An inauspicious start. One team set off to climb Reinebringen – 510m with spectacular views of Reine. The other group went to take the ferry to Vindstat. An hour later we were all back at the boat. The Reinebringen path is closed from 4 June 2019 – 14 July 2019 for path rebuilding. And the ferry was full.

So we all took the dingy to Vinstad which is a 20 minute run and more exciting than the ferry. The café was closed but we walked over to Buneset beach. Its about 3km to the beach from Vinstad pier. Three of us climbed Helvetestinden. We went to the sub-peak, 520m up with spectacular views back down to Reine, waterfalls coming off Segltinden and glacial lakes. The summit is another 80m higher – it’s a bit exposed and scrambly, and we were a bit short of time due to the late start so we

So our advice if you’re spending a day in Reine, don’t bother with the ferry, and if you want to do a bit more walking than Reinebringen, take a dingy, go over to Vinstad and spend the day exploring Vinstad, Bunes Beach and Helvetestinden.

Bluejay leaves Bodo looking for peppers

Our first two days have been filled with safety briefs and getting familiar with the boat. Making ourselves at home here ready for the adventures that lie ahead over the next few weeks.
We left Bodo this afternoon with just a short hop across to Landegode. It was raining and flat as a millpond out there, with barely a breath of wind and so it was quite atmospheric as islands appeared out of the mist. We didn’t have much hope for sailing, but persevered with putting the sails up to get used to how they work. Pedro and Dan set the bar high by sweating the main all the way to the top on the first day. Much to our surprise, even with it looking like there was no wind we were able to have a lovely little sail. With the claim that 7.2 knots was the highest speed seen on the log. We managed to practice some tacking and gybing before sailing into the anchorage for the night, achieving much more than we expected when we set off!
Cooking dinner (spag bol and homemade garlic bread) we discovered that Oriole has our supply of peppers as we are now out of them already. We will have to hunt them down over the next few days! As the rain and cloud is now lifting, the view of this little anchorage is being revealed. It’s beautiful. Very secluded with islands and hills all around. There’s even snow topped mountains in the background. Despite it still raining a bit we can’t resist keeping nipping out to enjoy more of the view and take more photos.
As we plan the passage for tomorrow, we look forward to seeing what else Norway has to offer as this is just the beginning. And we have been told that it includes some sun!
Bluejay

Bluejay nears the coast of Norway

What a difference a day makes! After battling the sleet squalls of the last few days we’ve finally had a break in the weather and are ghosting along in beautiful evening light and a gentle breeze. Everyone has become proficient at down wind helming with several people surfing at 11 knots under a poled out Yankee and triple reefed mainsail. How Sara and John rustled up a delicious risotto last night whilst we were regularly being thrown around on four metre waves I dont know! Ciara then followed up with pear and summer fruits stewed with an oat crumb (not quite enough topping to be a fully fledged crumble) so there has been no shortage of good eating on board. They say that you judge a crew by how they pull together in a crisis, but I would say that the mark of a truly happy crew is how they cope with a toilet blockage. I am glad to say that our very own flush gate scandal was quickly resolved and with much hilarity all round

Bluejay speeding up toward the Arctic Circle

We’ve been making great progress towards Norway in the last 24 hours. The wind has started to back to the NW and we’re now zooming along on a good course, dodging squalls and the occasional hail shower! Mette has clearly annoyed the weather gods because it seems that every time she takes the wheel the heavens open. I’m sure there’s a spa somewhere which charges good money for having your face exfoliated with ice pellets but I definitely won’t be signing up! The weather this year is unusually cold, but everyone is in great spirits as we inch closer and closer to the Arctic Circle. Sara is looking very smug with her recently purchased hot water bottle and all but two of the crew (Mark and Alan) have now succumbed to the lure of the toasty Fladen suits. We haven’t seen Oriole since yesterday morning but no doubt the orange peril is out there close by. We’re navigating without GPS so relying on Dead Reckoning and Bennys singing

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Bluejay arrives in Faeroes

Arriving in the Faeroes is almost always done in the fog and this trip was no exception. If anything though the ‘Faeroese Sunshine’ makes landfall even more dramatic. Jo, Terry and Mette made a skilful approach past Suduroy and up to Torshavn where we tied up just before Oriole, who had been hot on our heels the whole way. Soon the crews of both boats were taking up the bottom floor of the quirky Sirkus bar and swapping stories, as well as comparing skippers’ culinary achievements. Mike had made his own pastry, for an apple pie – turns out I need to up my game from a Jamaican ginger cake and Custard. Mark and John had their own pastry escapades, and I don’t think Bennie will be living down the toast incident of Tuesday morning for a while! But on the whole we’ve enjoyed some fabulous food, company and sailing, bring on the next leg!
Rachael

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