Pegasus - the Baltic adventure 2009

Article in the Exeter Echo

2009-09-06T20:39:00.002+01:00

An article on the voyage, focussed on the second race, appeared in the Exeter Echo on Tuesday 25th August. See here: http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/news/Topsham-musician-s-tall-ships-success/article-1281792-detail/article.html

All is good...

2009-08-21T22:06:00.000+01:00

The skipper writes: 17:47 21 Aug 2009

"And so this is it, the final entry. The lads left us this morning and headed back to Liverpool. Phil slipped away back to his megastar existence and the boat is very quiet.

We had an emotional look back after dinner the other night and shared our best, worst and most memorable bits.... so many different stories and so many experiences.

Each of the lads has gone away having had a positive, life-changing time onboard and they all have something to work towards now. Matty has the Merchant Navy, Ben has an apprenticeship, and Daryl, the fire service. Maybe things are less clear currently for Wayne but there is new direction in his life now and many more things to live for. Josh has added to the wealth of experience he has accrued all over the world and all of us have gained something.

Can you put a price on such a life changing thing? Not really, it's a thing of such value and such rarity that nothing can truly describe its worth. The events of the last 9 weeks will live with us all for the rest of our lives and the memories will, I'm sure, keep us going through all manner of hard times. Its a remarkable thing to do and it makes us all remarkable people.

Diggory Rose "

Arriving back

2009-08-21T21:58:00.003+01:00

Some pictures from today (Friday 21st August).
Pegasus at berth back in Gosport from where she set off for the adventure, 9 weeks ago. The flags of the countries visited. Those of the crew on-board today.
Welcome back! We have all gained much from the adventure. Thank you all.

Entering the English Channel

2009-08-18T20:08:00.004+01:00

The skipper writes: 20:00 18 Aug 2009

"An awed silence falls over the boat as we watch the white cliffs off Dover in the sunset and enter the English Channel.

We'll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors,
We'll rant and we'll roar, all on the high seas,
until we strike soundings in the channel of old England,
from Ushant to Scilly 'tis 35 leagues

"
sent via SMS from the deck of the Pegasus

The Penultimate Entry

2009-08-17T18:28:00.002+01:00

The skipper writes: 13:28 Monday 17th August
"We are safely now alongside in Woolverston Marina on the banks of the river Orwell back in the UK. At 0400 on Saturday morning, we crossed back into UK waters for the first time in 8 weeks. As the Dutch courtesy ensign was hauled down, for the first time since leaving Ramsgate, we had nothing to replace it with. The conventions of the sea say that as a courtesy to the nation you are visiting, the ship must fly their national flag from our starboard spreader. We have flown the flag of the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Russia, Finland, Lithuania and Denmark and it is strange now to see our spreader bare! The Devon Flag still flies to port, as it has done all along but we are nearly home now.

We plan to set sail tonight and enjoy hopefully a couple of days of fair weather to get us into the Solent and the conclusion of this epic!

In many ways it feels anti-climactic to be back but all of us know that this trip has changed us.

The lads will return to Liverpool, ready and better equipped to deal with their lives ahead of them. Phil will slide back into Show of Hands, rested and wiser for a break from that life. Amy and I will be back at sea but more confident with Pegasus now we have seen what she can do.

The world is a wide, wide place and we are all deeply affected by the new corners we have seen.

Pegasus will hopefully be taking place in next years event from Belgium to Denmark and Norway before returning to the UK. It will be hard though I imagine, to have an experience such as this again.

It certainly feels like the trip of a lifetime....."

Coming home

2009-08-09T16:31:00.002+01:00

The skipper writes: 14:24 BST 10/Aug/2009
"The Baltic is behind us now as we have re-entered the Kiel Canal. We all feel we have left behind our hearts and taken away some amazing memories. The good news is that the 2013 race is back there and we will not miss it for all the world. Denmark to Finland to Latvia and Poland.
Looking forward to it already.

Yesterday we listened to a radio version of the Cruel Sea which seemed ironic as we sailed past the German Naval Memorial. It served to remind us that there are at least two sides to every conflict and how happy it is that Europe at least is at peace.

Our international friends comes from nations all over the continent and we wish them all well. As we lay in Holtenau last night, we were joined by fellow class B boat Rupel from Belgium. They invited us over and the party had a last minute coda. These guys really are very friendly and presented us with a plaque to commemorate our time together... we are running out of bulkhead space!

Tonight we hope to make berth in Rensberg where we called on our way through. Good showers there and we will stay for a bit before taking on the mighty Elbe and the cold North Sea. The seas of west winds and strong tides.....

We are coming home!
Diggory Rose"

Pegasus in Race 2

2009-08-06T17:25:00.002+01:00

The Skipper writes:
"This one came from Sail Training International at Race Control.

Taken shortly after the start it shows us in full cry. We had already passed the rest of our fleet and after this photo was taken, we rolled over Astrid Finne, the white boat to the left and put them in their box for the rest of the race. Helena, the schooner in the background, finished before us but was unable to save her time and we beat them after time correction."

Message from Bornholm

2009-08-06T11:08:00.002+01:00

The skipper writes: 10:28 BST 6 Aug 2009
"We are having a little r and r on the Danish island of Bornholm before setting off the Holtenau in Germany tomorrow. The breeze looks good and weather fair for an overnighter in on Saturday evening.
The crew are planning to hire bikes this afternoon and cycle around the island and this morning have been invited to climb the rigging of the square rigged Lord Nelson, also here for the day. Wayne and Phil already did this in St Petersberg so the others are keen. Wayne is going again but this time with his injured foot (acquired during football tournament in Klaipeda). Fortunately Lord Nelson is designed and equipped to deal with sailors with physical disabilities so he should be fine! The sun beats down and Josh is working up some relaxed jazz on the saxophone he brought. Just nice......"

Photo from the Baltic

2009-08-05T17:56:00.005+01:00

This photo just arrived from Diggory. It shows the Pegasus with various of the crew.

"The photo was taken from Black Diamond shortly before we all plunged into the fog! It shows us during the cruise in company which is why the tops'l is not set."
That must have been on the way into Helsinki.

Starting the journey back

2009-08-05T07:03:00.002+01:00

The skipper writes:

And so the race is over. Our trophy is safely stowed and the fleet is dispersing back to the corners of the globe from which it assembled and for the first time in a long while the VHF is silent. No more "Sharki", no more "Roald Amundsen", no more "Race Control".

We have a gentle North Easterly and we are undersail, the engine is on tickover because for now at least, the tops'l remains firmly in its bag! We are catching up with our sleep and I hope this will reach you as we skirt the coast of Bornholm on our way west. We might call there but it would be a shame to waste this favourable breeze with so far still to go.

The race forecast of light winds from forward of the beam was always going to suit Pegasus with relation to the others in our class but from the start we established a good lead on corrected time and built on it all through the race.
"Helena", the only boat in our class that actually fininshed before us, is a great big schooner and very able in the light airs but her time correction factor was her downfall. Well done to them and especially to Knut and his crew aboard
"Gratitude". We stayed ahead of them for the whole race but that did well in the light airs. "Gratitude" is a Brixham Trawler in Swedish hands so class B had a Devon 1/2! Very happy.
Thank you Knut too for the lovely celebration in the snug crew cabin aboard, the Gin and Tonic was perfect if a little warm! Bye bye for now but sometimes you know when you have made a freind for life.
We have had some crew changes as I have already reported and it is with some reflection that we say goodbye for now to Captain Clare, Marko and the "Lord Nelson" gang, to Magda, Martha and "Sharki" and really well done!, Wojciech and "Queenian", Henk and "Ebb Tide" and Frank and Joost with "Jacob Meindert". "Rupel" must not go unmentioned, thanks for the champaigne! We will see you all next time! 7ft of water under your keels.... Thank you too to Veronika, our crazy Canadian/Lithuanian Liason Officer. She did so much for us! Ask the lads........
Thank you too to Halvor from "Christian Radich" and Marcus from "Statsraad Lehmkul", both captains so complimentry about Pegasus as she skipped lightly around these two sailing giants. It was a pleasure and honour to have you onboard in Klaipeda.

Amy left her mark in that city forever leaving behind a cast of her footprint to be set in bronze in the port (Klaipeda means "clay foot"). Go and see it sometime, it's a lovely place.

And so the long trip home has started and we will retrace our steps through the Kiel Canal. Our plan is to explore a little in this part of the world but there will be time to share more experiences in the coming weeks.....

Diggory
{received 00:12 5/Aug/2009}

Pictures from Klaipeda

2009-08-03T14:12:00.004+01:00

This picture shows Amy and Diggory with Ben, Matty, Daryl and Wayne, holding their trophy.
Missing from this picture are Vanessa, Claire, Barry and Phil.

This is the trophy:

Leaving Klaipeda

2009-08-03T14:02:00.002+01:00

The Skipper writes: Monday 3rd Aug, 10:40 BST "Just leaving for Bornholm. Will send a more extensive entry from there. We have said goodbye to Vanessa, Claire and Barry and hello to Josh."

Note: Vanessa was with the boat from Portsmouth. Claire joined for the second race leg. Barry was also on from Portsmouth and is travelling back to continue with his application to join the Fire Service.

Official: Pegasus First in Class B

2009-08-01T18:09:00.004+01:00

Diggory Rose received the prize a couple of hours ago on behalf of the whole crew. Congratulations to Diggory, Amy, Vanessa, Phil, Barry, Ben, Claire, Darryl, Matty and Wayne on a superb effort.

B class – traditional sail vessels, shorter than 40 m (mainly with gaff sails)

1st on CT PEGASUS UK
2nd on CT GRATITUDE Sweden
3rd on CT HELENA Finland
(CT = Corrected Time)

Full results here: http://www.tallships.lt/en/news/class_prizes_for_race_2.html

Diggory was allowed to take one trainee with him to collect the Cup from the President of Lithuania. They had a draw for this and it was Claire who accompanied him.

Finished - now waiting...

2009-07-31T08:23:00.001+01:00

The skipper writes: 31/July 01:14 BST

"Finished but shattered. We await the official results. Will keep you posted."

Pegasus still flying...

2009-07-30T19:46:00.000+01:00

Now only 26 Nm to go at 14:00. Still 2nd overall and first in class.

27/July 09:30 Race Begins
27/July 16:00 Position in class 2; overall 32; 296.05 Nm to go; 3.24 kn avg
28/July 09:30 Position in class 1; overall 9; 246.63 Nm to go; 3.61 kn avg
28/July 16:00 Position in class 2; overall 12; 207.60 Nm to go; 3.59 kn avg
29/July 07:00 Position in class 1; overall 4; 150.00 Nm to go; 3.68 kn avg
29/July 16:00 Position in class 1; overall 4; 105.00 Nm to go; 3.88 kn avg
30/July 05:00 Position in class 1; overall 2; 47.00 Nm to go; 3.99 kn avg
30/July 14:00 Position in class 1; overall 2; 26.00 Nm to go; 3.82 kn avg

Pegasus is flying

2009-07-30T11:54:00.002+01:00

Latest report has Pegasus 2nd overall and still first in class. only 47 nm to go at 5am today.

27/July 09:30 Race Begins
27/July 16:00 Position in class 2; overall 32; 296.05 Nm to go; 3.24 kn avg
28/July 09:30 Position in class 1; overall 9; 246.63 Nm to go; 3.61 kn avg
28/July 16:00 Position in class 2; overall 12; 207.60 Nm to go; 3.59 kn avg
29/July 07:00 Position in class 1; overall 4; 150.00 Nm to go; 3.68 kn avg
29/July 16:00 Position in class 1; overall 4; 105.00 Nm to go; 3.88 kn avg
30/July 05:00 Position in class 1; overall 2; 47.00 Nm to go; 3.99 kn avg

Pegasus maintains position...

2009-07-29T20:21:00.000+01:00

Latest progress:
27/July 09:30 Race Begins
27/July 16:00 Position in class 2; overall 32; 296.05 Nm to go; 3.24 kn avg
28/July 09:30 Position in class 1; overall 9; 246.63 Nm to go; 3.61 kn avg
28/July 16:00 Position in class 2; overall 12; 207.60 km to go; 3.59 kn avg
29/July 07:00 Position in class 1; overall 4; 150.00 km to go; 3.68 kn avg
29/July 16:00 Position in class 1; overall 4; 105.00 km to go; 3.88 kn avg

Update today

2009-07-29T12:47:00.003+01:00

Text from the skipper: 10:09 BST "Winds gone light. Fleet parked up. More in the forecast. Nearly at waypoint 3!"

Pegasus now back to first in class and fourth overall in the report from 0700 hrs.

27/July 09:30 Race Begins
27/July 16:00 Position in class 2; overall 32; 296.05 Nm to go; 3.24 kn avg
28/July 09:30 Position in class 1; overall 9; 246.63 Nm to go; 3.61 kn avg
28/July 16:00 Position in class 2; overall 12; 207.60 km to go; 3.59 kn avg
29/July 07:00 Position in class 1; overall 4; 150.00 km to go; 3.68 kn avg

Racing during the night...

2009-07-29T07:26:00.002+01:00

Text from the skipper: 03:17hrs 29/July - "Exiting night. Class A have caught us up in the freshening breeze and we've spent the night racing alongside some very big ships. Doing OK we think!"

Class A are the big 3 and 4 masted, square rigged ships.

Turku to Klaipeda - third report

2009-07-28T21:36:00.003+01:00

Text from the skipper: "Tacking up the coast of Gotland. Back down to second in class for now. Who knows though, wind is light and still anyones game. Pegasus certainly showing her potential. Will hope to get lucky with the breeze."

Race progress:
27/July 09:30 Race Begins
27/July 16:00 Position in class 2; overall 32; 296.05 Nm to go; 3.24 kn avg
28/July 09:30 Position in class 1; overall 9; 246.63 Nm to go; 3.61 kn avg
28/July 16:00 Position in class 2; overall 12; 207.60 Nm to go; 3.59 kn avg

2nd Race - Wednesday 28th July

2009-07-28T08:43:00.004+01:00

0500 hrs - Pegasus now 1st in class and 9th overall.

The 2nd race has begun...

2009-07-27T21:53:00.003+01:00

... and you can follow progress here.

The race began at 9.30 am on Tuesday 27th July. The first position report sees Pegasus 2nd in her class and 32nd overall. While competition is not the main point of the TSR, it must be satisfying for the crew to see so many boats behind them (if indeed they can see them?)

Leaving Turku for the second leg of the race

2009-07-27T16:14:00.005+01:00

The Skipper writes: Monday 26th July, 9am. Just a quick opportunity to update the blog as we wait for the Parade of Sail to start.
Each host port concludes the Tall Ships visit with a short parade as the ships leave. It's usually a bit chaotic but always spectacular. This one will be especially dramatic as we leave through the beautiful archeapelago and go to anchor tonight.
Race start is actually tomorrow morning in open water so we should be able to get a little sleep beforehand. The forecast is good and we are happy that the boat is in good order for leg 2.

Turku was a nice place, nice people and good events. Our lads narrowly missed winning the football competetion and had to settle for second place. Well Done Boys! Better luck in Klaipeda.....

Sadly, for me at least, some of our cruise in company buddies have gone back to the UK. Take care Toddy and Cass, see you again in Kiel!
At the same time, we make new friends and acquire new crew! Claire is joining us for this leg, she is very welcome and is settling in nicely.

In conversation with the race officials yesterday we reflected on what a life changing experience the TSR is. It really is amazing to see the crew parade and the thousands of young people going through this shared challenge. Well done to everyone here, good luck with your race and see you in Klaipeda.

Folks at home will have to keep an eye on the Tall Ships Race website for more info as we are unlikely to be in contact for a while now.......

Ships may come and ships may go
As long as the sea does roll.
Each sailor lad, just like his dad,
He loves the flowing bowl.
A trip ashore he does adore
With a girl that's nice and round.
When your money's gone
It's the same old song,
"Get up Jack! John, sit down!''

Notes from the Finnish archeapelago

2009-07-20T13:25:00.002+01:00

The skipper writes: Finland is amazing! The archeapelago is almost alien in landscape. There are I'm told, 100,000 islands here, most no bigger than a clump of trees on a rock and all of them beautiful.

Our cruise has brought us to the port of Nagu, those of you minded to should look this up on google earth. There you will be able to see the complexity of the navigation we have had to contend with. Good job I bought some local charts in Helsinki!

The lads have also discovered the awful truth about the price of a beer here. They have taken up reading, given up smoking and are looking for opportunities to swim in the clean, clear and, I understand, warm waters here.

We are expecting to be joined by 20 more TSR vessels here tonight and we are off tommorrow for a last secluded night at anchor before Turku and race leg 2 awaits.

addendum (21 July) not only are the lads not smoking but reading, they are also drinking Gin and Tonic because (here in Finland) its cheaper than beer!

From Helsinki and the Finnish islands...

2009-07-19T16:11:00.002+01:00

The skipper writes: Helsinki is behind us now and it did us proud. We spent a couple of nights berthed on the historic island of Soumenlinna, a short ferry ride from the city centre. Its a beautiful place and felt clean and ordered after the chaos of St Petersburg.

There is a poignant air onboard today as last night we said goodbye to our friends on Ocean Spirit of Moray. The ship continues in the race but only after a complete change of crew, skipper and afterguard included. They threw a modest little party to celebrate their coming second in their class and it was nice to share our stories.

Things move on so farewell to Ian, Stewart, Magda, and Laura.... a swan doesn't forget a mate and we will see you all next time!

We are now threading our way leaving a tracery through a myriad of small islands, each beautiful but each remote. This is how it will be for us now until Turku, our little band of swans. Music and mayhem await I'm sure but for now everything is peaceful......

Thoughts on the Tall Ships Races

2009-07-16T16:50:00.005+01:00

"There are old ships and new ships and ships that sail the sea,
but the best ships are friendships and that will always be....."

The skipper writes: As I write, we are tacking up through the last of Russian waters and into Finnish ones. In the quieter moments I have been thinking more about what the Tall Ships Race is really about. Certainly retiring from the first race leg was a disappointment, but to enter this event in an over competetive manner would be inappropriate. The disparate nature of the fleet means that competition is friendly and more about camaraderie than about winning. Its the parties that do it for the lads its true, but when the fun is over and the boat is cleaned up again, you have a chance to reflect on some of the things you have seen.

To a cynic sometimes a Tall Ship Race Party looks like a lot of young people having too much fun but if you can see behind the outward face of it, an incredible thing is happening.

Young people from all over the world, speaking all the tongues of the world and from every social, cultural and economic background are brought together to meet each other as equals. Here they can share their respective cultural identities and learn more about the real nature of the worlds people.

The Russian lay over was most interesting as the differences in written text and phonetic sounds in Russian are so great. None of us had the faintest idea even how to buy milk, let alone recognise it when it comes in a plastic bag rather than a bottle or carton. It really is a great leveller.

In his speech at the prize giving, Prime Minister Putin used a Polish expression which I paraphrase but it went something like, "the sea is where you learn who it is that is your real friend, and who it is that is pretending".

The friendships the lads, and indeed all of us, have made so far have been deep and intense but short lived. Gone shipmates are gone forever but maybe some of our new friends will turn out to be closer for the intensity in which the friendship was forged. Certainly watching the lads say good bye to their new friends who are sadly not staying to do the full event, you couldn't fail to see the genuine emotions expressed and the sadness at having to part so soon after meeting. Maybe they will meet up again, maybe not but the memories will last forever. These friends I hasten to add are a multinational bunch of guys, not a common language between them other than the common tongue of common purpose.

It will do these guys so much good, would that we could all have this opportunity so early in life.

It seems almost anticlimactic to be heading west again after so much North and East but we still have Finland and Lithuania to go. Each host port presents us with a small commemorative plaque and I have just fixed these in the saloon. The lads are fishing, the sun is cracking the flags and there is little wind. Its a reflective sort of day and one to savour. There isn't much time to relax in the TSR!

We are cruising with John Laing and Black Diamond, the skippers and staff of which are old friends of Amy and I but as all three boats move through the fair, even old and established friendships are strengthened and bonds deepen.

IT'S ALL GOOD!

P.S. since writing my last note, we have yet another example of the strength of good friendship. Plunging in to thick fog as we arrived in Helsinki we three little ships huddled together for support and keeping each other in sight, we sat it out. This is the kind of mutual support that Tall Ships engender and the kind of thing legends are made of. Thank you Cal and Toddy for your support through that long night.

Diggory Rose,
Skipper

Photos from the first leg

2009-07-14T19:49:00.002+01:00

A collection of photos from the first leg of the trip, the voyage from Portsmouth to Gdynia, can be viewed here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25342584@N02/collections/72157621326866955/

Leaving St Petersburg

2009-07-14T19:27:00.001+01:00

The skipper writes: Sorry to have been out of touch but this is our first opportunity to use the internet in a while.

We are about to leave St Petersburg for Helsinki and the cruise in company. Nervously waiting for the officials to clear us out while Phil gently plays for the ship next door.

The gaff is fixed and the lads have made the most of St petersburg and lots of new friends. They did rather well in a dancing competition I understand!

We are off for a bit of break from heavy partying with our cruising leg to Turku for race leg 2.

On that subject, Phil and Amy and I caused a bit of a stir at a party on another ship by singing ourselves hoarse and the whisper of news that Phil Beer is in the race meant that Race Director Peter Newell gate crashed in order to meet him! He even picked up the guitar for a song or two, happy days.

St Petersburg has been amazing and special thanks must go to our liaison officer Dmitry who has worked so hard for us. He is trying to get a project off the ground to build a Pilot Schooner replica of the type once used locally. We wish them well and Amy and I have said we will send him Classic Boat Magazine monthly, something not easily available in Russia.

So the calm before the next bit and we sit slightly nervously in anticipation.

We are now cleared by customs and are about to start the parade of sail out of this beautiful city. Our next stop is Helsinki were we will re enter the Schengen agreement area and hopefully feel a little less watched!

Race report - Gdynia to St Petersburg

2009-07-14T19:23:00.002+01:00

The skipper writes: We were not having a bad race at all and were very happy at the start as we ate up class B and kept pace with some of the C and D vessels. The breeze veered to the southeast and picked up giving us an exhilerating ride up the Baltic. As we closed the Estonian coast, we realised the gaff was showing signs of becoming detatched from its jaws so we lowered the main and lashed it all together whilst continuing to race with our headsails. The whole thing took about two hours and the breeze died right away so that when we did rehoist the whole shooting match, we weren't going any faster than when we dropped it.

By now we were close to Black Diamond of Durham, skippered by my old mate Cal. The two boats largely stayed in contact for the rest of our race.

We found a patch of light airs and thick fog as we turned the corner in to the Gulf of Finland and headed east. This was where the wind turned against us and began to blow harder. The forecasts were confused and there were reports suggesting gale and storm force winds. With the damage aloft we agreed together that it might be better to retire and ensure we reached St Petersburg in one piece which is what we did.

The fleet got hit quite hard and I understand two vessels were dismasted. Certainly we were very glad to make it here motoring gently across the oily flat sea outside the city in glorious sunshine.

From Russia with love....

Update via SMS

2009-07-09T22:11:00.002+01:00

Just received text from Pegasus:
"We are motoring the last bit. Will be fine for leg two. Nearly in St Petersburg. Will be there tomorrow."

First leg - Race Facts

2009-07-09T21:50:00.011+01:00

Reported positions:

Date	Time	Position Overall	and in class	Current Position	Distance to go	Average Speed
6 July	0500	44	4	55.14N 18.38E		2.08
6 July	1600	23	8	56.17N 19.31E	327.02	4.08
7 July	0500	20	7	57.47N 20.43E	229.04	5.31
7 July	1600	26	10	58.35N 21.22E	177.43	5.16
8 July	0500	31	9	59.13N 22.17E	130.00	4.84
8 July	1600	Retired		59.22N 23.24E	-	-

Broken Gaff. Fixed at sea but decided not to risk further damage.

Retired from this leg

2009-07-08T16:48:00.004+01:00

Just received this text from Amy:

"Hi everyone! We have retired from this leg of the race because of a rubbish weather forecast and a broken gaff but we are all OK, very tired but looking forward to Russia. We are in Estonian waters now but can't really see anything! Foggy and a bit overcast. Ho hum!"

2 days out...

2009-07-07T22:49:00.013+01:00

No direct news from Pegasus.
Caz reports:
"According to JL, the wind has now dropped – very light from aft which is rubbish for us, a bit better for the square riggers but nonetheless the front end of the fleet will be slowing right down. Maybe Pegasus and others a bit further back will keep the wind for longer, I don’t know! All I know about Pogoria is that she lost all three masts but no-one was hurt, and she’s being towed to Finland. JL reported lots of squalls today – wind from 5 knots to 30 knots in seconds, and then back again, so it could have been that, or gear failure – I really have no idea. Just amazingly lucky to have no injuries."

Pictures of the Event

2009-07-06T18:09:00.002+01:00

You can find pictures of the event on www.sailtraininginternational.org
Thanks again to Caz for providing the link.

Tracking the race progress

2009-07-06T13:53:00.006+01:00

After the first check, the Pagasus is lying 4th in class. With little wind, progress is very slow. The engine cannot be used during the race itself. They report a speed of 2.08 knots. We were running up to 6 knots with the engine during the voyage out; she can do up to 11 knots with a good wind.

You can follow the race progress using the links below. The explanation is from Caroline (Caz) White of the Ocean Youth Trust. Their boat is the John Laing.

"Positions on handicap are here:
http://www.tallshipsraces.com/balticresults/.
I suggest you choose "Sort order - position by class" as the Class B's are generally the slowest in the fleet so they come an awful long way down the overall list. Pegasus is actually doing well in class. Though the handicapping system doesn't really give a fair reflection of performance for all of us anyway - it takes into account things such as length overall, biggest headsail size and vessel age, but doesn't include vessel weight. So John Laing - being steel and weighing 55 tonnes - actually has to give time to modern composite vessels of the same size which may weigh 20 tonnes less. You may imagine that in light winds this is pretty disastrous for us, hence currently 29th in class and 72nd overall!

The other page to look at is http://www.tallshipsraces.com/baltic/, which shows position on the water. It's a bit unclear at the moment as the fleet is pretty bunched up, but it gets easier as people spread out; and, again, you can select a vessel or a class to look at.

Both pages get updated twice a day - the radio schedules are normally at 0500 and 1700 but they say to allow 3 hours to do the calculations and put things on the web so you have to wait a bit."

The Race has begun

2009-07-05T18:45:00.002+01:00

5th July 2009, 18:50 BST, England
The Pegasus is now somewhere out in the Baltic, heading towards St Petersburg, and out of contact for probably most of the week.

I left at 7am local time for the airport. While waiting for my flight, there were two pieces on the local TV news about the event. They showed the ships leaving port for the Parade of Sail, focussing on the large 3 masters.

The link below shows a birds eye view of the main basin. Pegasus is in the top left corner. The white boat is Sorlandet from Norway and the green one is Alexander von Humbolt from Germany.
http://zagle.miasto.gdynia.pl/en/component/content/article/105 The Pegasus is in the middle of the second raft down from the top. You can recognise her by the green boom cover.

This is the site for St Petersburg: http://www.tsr2009.ru/en/
This is the site for Turku: http://www.tallshipsrace.fi/en/
If anyone finds any other links with information about the race then please can you put a reference here as a comment?

The evening before the race begins...

2009-07-04T19:57:00.002+01:00

20:00 BST 4th July 2009, Gdynia, Poland

The skipper writes: It has been an eventfull trip so far; not quite as anyone would have planned. We did not expect to have to motor all the way. However, we had to get to Gdynia and motoring was the most reliable option. The crew have now been introduced to the watch (rota) system which seems to work quite well. As we lose one member of the crew on Sunday, we will change the watches for the first race leg. Barry will join Phil, Wayne and I, while the others will be with Amy and Vanessa.
We are now looking forward to the first race leg, to entering St Petersburg, and to the cruise after that. The lads have now met some of the other crews and the other boats, and are getting more of a feel for what it will take to do well in the race. Teamwork, focus and application being 3 of the key factors and all things that are now starting to be instilled in this crew. Tonight, they put the mailsail away without guidence. Tomorrow we start proper sailing for the next 5 days, the longest passage so far.
The forecast is for the wind to increase on Wednesday which would be good to blow us in towards St Petersburg. At the briefing today, we learnt that we finish the race leg some 120 miles from St Petersburg then motor the rest of the way. We will be there by Saturday which is when we should be in contact again. Right now, we need to get set up to leave in the morning. Next stop, St Petersburg!

Rest and preparation

2009-07-04T17:38:00.001+01:00

17:15 BST Saturday 4th July, Gdynia, Poland
Today has been restful. The organisers arrnaged for a tour of the "Tri-cities" - Gdynia, Sopot and Gdansk. Gdynia was built between 1922 and 1926 when it was decided that a new port was needed. Gdansk was largely re-built after WW2, in the same style as it was before. There was a heavy dutch presence in the middle ages and the old town is worth a much longer explore than we had time for.
The crowds along the quayside are even thicker than before. It is difficult to get around. The sun is very hot but we are somewhat cooler within Pegasus. Around us there are signs of boats being made ready to leave. We have removed the sail cover (which had been providing a very welcome sun shade), ready to put our race number onto the sail. Every boat must display its number during the race.
Diggory and Amy are currently delayed at the Captains Briefing where they are learning the plan for the first race leg. Phil has prepared a kedgeree for our final meal before it's back to watches.
What we know about tomorrow is that we need to be ready to leave port at 08.45 but we have no idea exactly when the boat will be called to leave. The organisers have to get all the boats out beyond the harbour wall where they will sail up and down as a "Parade of Sail" for the citizens of Gdynia. Then, in the late afternoon, the race itself will begin.

A Day in Port

2009-07-04T17:37:00.000+01:00

Friday 3rd July 2009, Gdynia, Poland

The Tall Ships is many things to very many people. At its heart, it really is an opportunity for young people to meet other young people of different nationalities and backgrounds; and experience something that few do experience - the welcome of a city. It is then also an opportunity for a city to celebrate itself.
Gdynia is a natural host for this event. There is a large basin for the larger ships as well as a separate area for the smaller yachts. The Pegasus is one of the smaller, large boats and is moored in the larger basin and so part of the major attractions. The lads have been good embassadors, greeting people on the quayside and stamping their programmes with the Pegasus commerative stamp. Around us lie some of the largest Tall Ships in the world - including the Mir and Sedof from Russia, the latter all the way from Myrmansk.
Today, we had the Crew Parade. All the crews of all the Tall Ships took part in a parade through some of the main streets of the town and back to the quayside. The way was lined with people, the band played, the sun shone, the people waved and the cameras clicked. We were only 10 from Pegasus amongst hundreds of others from each of the larger Russian, German, Danish and Polish ships. Having a musician as one of the crew, we made music while many of the other made noise.
The city of Gdynia must have been empty this evening; there were so many people down at the quayside. After the fireworks, most of the locals headed home, leaving the crews to circulate and get to know each other. Some boats will have different crews for each leg of the adventure; the Pegasus is possibly unique in having the same crew throughout. Gdynia is the first port; there are 3 more to come.
Tomorrow is the final rest day before the first leg of the race begins on Sunday.

Gdynia - the first day and the fleet arrives

2009-07-02T18:05:00.002+01:00

Thursday 2nd July 2009 , 17:36 BST, Gdynia, Poland

The Pegasus is now safely moored in the basin in Gdynia. We arrived yesterday, ahead of most of the fleet. The organisation here is superb with a very friendly welcome. Wednesday night felt like locals night. Many people wandering around looking at the boats but not too busy (yet...). Much of the infrastructure for the event was still being built. Gdynia is a working port and harbour and has some of the facilities year around. Some of us found a nice cafe/restaurant playing a mix of soul/blues/popular music and we chilled out. The lads explored the port area. They found both the playground/funfare and the beach, and began to appreciate what it is like to find yourself in another country.

We had an easy morning. Everyone helped do a clean of the boat then it was time off. The opening ceremony was at 2pm local time. Being on ships time, one hour behind, we missed the start and were greeted by sound of all the ships klaxons as we walked to the Dar Pomorza. She is the pride of the Polish tall ships. A brass band played and the sun shone.

Everyone is very friendly here. Clearly, the Tall Ships event brings a lot of people into Gdynia. Both a lot of sailors and also very many people who come to look at the boats and just wonder around - to see and to be seen.

During the morning, more of the Tall Ships arrive. The Lord Nelson stands out, as do the boats from the UK, Norway, Denmark, Russia and of course Poland. The Mir, from Russia, is perhaps the grandest of them all. To a newcomer, it is all so very impressive.

The basin now resembles a large village fete - very many stalls, the best sell food but many sell tat. There is a real coffee bar just down from our boat which we managed to miss in the crowd!

Tonight is the Captains Dinner. As a reward (?) for getting us here, and coping with all the bureauracy (sp? = paperwork and officialdom!), Amy and Diggs get a dinner along with all the other ship captains. This is part of the formal side of the Tall Ships and will happen in each port. Out comes the suit and frock (ah! but which frock?).

More ships arrive, the John Laing joins us, moored conveniently (!) just behind. We have a large boat from Guernsey between us and the quay; a Danish boat outside of us until just now when another, larger, Danish boat arrived and they changed places. The smaller Danish boat is, quite appropriately, also a pilot cutter. She was built in 1929 as a recreational boat and used to put pilots onto freighters. She is also wooden, with two masts.

It is now dinner time, then another stroll around, in the continental evening warmth, light and atmosphere.

to be continued...

We have arrived!!!!

2009-07-01T12:24:00.001+01:00

Wednesday 1st July 2009 11:47 BST Gdynia
Pegasus has arrived in Poland, 3 days after leaving Rendsburg. 3 days at sea; 3 days motoring; 3 days of watches. The last 24 hours have been perfect -- no wind for sailing but this gave us a velvety calm sea and a very easy passage. The late evening watch saw a thunderstorm over the shore on our starboard side so they took down the sails. Better to be cautious, we don't want to damage the boat now in a storm. But the storm stayed over the land and went away. The light during the midnight watch was absolute magic. The sea so calm and the night never really became dark. Plenty of time to reflect, the North Sea now a distant memory.

Gdynia is protected on the north east by a long spit of land. We approached it then went parallel. The Baltic is very deep here, some 70M. Whereas even while going along the open sea, it had been just 40M. We could see beaches along the coast and then the headland and we turned west towards Gdynia. We were early and considered stopping at the interestingly named Hel. However, it did look too great so we gave Hel a miss. It wasn't time to go ...

We crossed the shipping lane and were met by a welcoming motorboat, a very powerful inflatable speedboat, whose job it is to welcome the Tall Ships as they arrive and guide them in. As we were still quite far out, 4 of the lads were given a short and very exiting ride on the boat. They were returned on board and we followed south west towards the port. As we got closer, we could see the masts of Tall Ships behind the harbour wall.

We turned right to go behind the harbour wall. It is being repaired and even the welder stopped to take a look at us. Entering the marina, we could see that we are amongst the first to arrive, being a day early. We have tied up alongside a boat from Guernsey. Just as we did, it began to rain. Welcome to Poland!

We now have to wait for the immigration formalities to be completed. Then it will be time to spruce up the ship (when it stops raining) and go shopping to replenish the provisions.

We are here. Some 900 miles and 11 days from Portsmouth. The race itself starts on Sunday. Now it is time for lunch.

The crew become more ship shaped

2009-07-01T12:23:00.001+01:00

30th June 2009 07:07 The Baltic Sea
As I sit here with my cup of tea, having wolfed down a plate of baked beans on toast with bacon, the boat is bouncing around just enough to be slightly uncomfortable (and cause of few tupos). A big contrast to a week ago when only Amy and Diggory would have even contemplated eating while sailing along. The human body is very adaptable.

Continuing the journey

2009-07-01T12:21:00.000+01:00

30th June 2009 06:47 The Baltic Sea
After passing between the German coast and a Danish island, we headed out into the Baltic, coming again along the German coast before steering towards Bornholm, a Danish island just to the south of Sweden. The sea was calm, there was little wind and we pottered along. With the German coast on our starboard side, we saw a few other sailing boats and the occasional freighter. Sunset was impressive again, hoping for some good photographs. The evening grew cold and quite damp. The Baltic feels colder and certainly damper than the North Sea but at least it is calm. The night watches are long but uneventful. Sunset was at 8.45pm but it didn't really feel dark until well after 10pm then it was light again when the watches changed over at 2am. Sunrise came at 0323 and was classic again, first a very small arc of orange which grew quite quickly into a half then full circle of shimmering orange-red.
This watch was able to put up the staysail which is the one between the jib (at the very front, above the bowsprit) and the main mast. We were now motoring along at a steady 6 knots, aided by the wind, pointing at 085 degrees.
The mind wanders delightfully during quiet watches. What does one miss? What does one feel like now? At 5.30am, a full english breakfast would be nice. No words were spoken but at 6pm the main crew area became Phil and Wayne's cafe serving beans on toast with bacon. Wonderful. Those going on watch are served first followed by those coming off watch who then do the clearing up.

Preparing to fiddle

2009-07-01T12:19:00.000+01:00

29th June, 13:10 ships time

There are two distinct bonuses from having a musician as one of the crew. Firstly, when there are the three of us on watch, we can talk about music; or two talk and one mostly listens. Secondly, there is the priviledge of listening to a professional prepare a new instrument, in this case a fiddle, to suit their particular style of playing. The fiddle was purchased from a junk shop in Exeter from a batch of bankrupt stock, new and a bargain but still a cheap instrument. An emery board is used to gently sand the bridge to find the right profile. Gradually it sounds better and better until the boat is filled with the joyous sound of a fiddle tune. We look forward to more music once we reach port in Poland.

Motor-sailing or close encounters of the Baltic kind

2009-07-01T12:18:00.000+01:00

29th June 2009, 12:30 ships time (BST)

The sea has been calm all night. The Baltic has no tide as such. A lot of rainwater flushes in to it from all the surrounding rivers and the only way out is via the North Sea which is also trying to come in. A balance of sorts is achieved. There has been little wind.
We progressed from Kiel with the German coast on our starboard (right) side and a Danish island on our port. We had two brief encounters of the Danish waters kind. It was a cold, starry night in the middle. The Sun set behind a cloud and appeared again, above the clouds which still covered the horizon, at 04.43 (precisely: the watch always bet on who guesses the time of sunrise). It was a short night. In the late evening we had the company of the John Laing and the Mir; the latter being a 3 masted sail training ship of the Russion navy. The middle watch saw the Lord Nelson. All of whom will be together at Gdynia.
The early morning watch began cold and misty. We had another close encounter, this time with a ferry. Close being around half a mile. Gradually the mist began to clear and patches of blue sky appeared. By 11am it was actually getting warm. We had been sailing due east, then north east, finally clearing a headland and a breeze appeared, together with a few smiles as the mainsail was un-reefed and raised to its full height, then the jib (the front-most sail) was unfurled and we were not just motoring but motor-sailing. It was now 11:30. Perhaps before long we can actually sail?

The watches changed at 12 noon. The deal is that one person from each watch work together to make a meal. Lunch was tuna/ham/cheese sandwiches. Time to catch up on the travelogue, tidy up the boat a bit, and check the tuning on the fiddle and guitar.`

Into the Baltic

2009-07-01T12:17:00.000+01:00

28th June 2009

The Baltic at Kiel is a busy place. It is "Kiel week" with various events going on. There was no room for us to moor so it was decided to press on to Poland. The mainsail went up, still reefed as we would motor through the night and then plan to sail after sunrise. We passed the "John Laing" who had picked up a new crew in Kiel and would also head for Poland although probably not the exact same route.

We had dinner as the watches began again - 6pm-10pm then 10pm-2am, 2am-6am, 6am-12noon, 12noon-6pm and so on.
We expect to be at sea for some 3 days now, perhaps arriving a day early in Poland but everything depends upon the wind.

How we spent our Sunday afternoon...

2009-07-01T12:15:00.000+01:00

...motoring along the Kiel Canal.

28th June 2009
We left Rendsburg around 11.45 ships time (BST) and re-joined the canal. There was not very much traffic. We did encounter a number of large vessals coming towards us but nothing overtook us until we reached Kiel when some 3 or 4 large ships appeared behind us, queueing to get into the large ship lock.
We did pass many people out for a Sunday afternoon stroll along the canal. There seemed to be a few "rest areas" with people eating and drinking up top of the canal bank. Cycling along the canal path is another popular activity. The weather was good, not very sunny but pleasant.
We arrived at the lock at Kiel around 3pm. We joined another half dozen yachts going our way, including one boat also going for the Tall Ships race, a dutch two masted boat, the Marie Antoinette. Then the lock gates opened and the baltic appeared before us. We crossed the line from the calm water of the lock into the almost as calm water of Kiel and we were there. Some 450 miles after leaving Portsmouth - but still another 330 miles to go!

Completing the canal

2009-06-28T11:40:00.002+01:00

Sunday 28th June, 1140am BST
We have now re-filled with diesel and are heading back to the canal proper. The current plan is to complete the canal passage, probably 3 hours, then stop in Kiel itself to wait for the wind to improve on Monday. However, until we get there, we won't know for sure what is the best plan. There remains a long way to go to get to Gdynia.

The Kiel Canal

2009-06-28T11:34:00.002+01:00

The canal is a very impressive feat of engineering. Only a little wider than the Thames in London, it is some 20m deep and can take very large ships. We motored along at a steady 5 knots with larger vessels passing us as they kept to the maximum 8 knot speed limit. The canal has km markers to keep track of how far along you go. There are many ferries darting across, in front and behind. You pass small groups of houses, then larger villages, many of which appear quite new. There are a few bridges across, either road or rail. One rail bridge had a ferry suspended from it. As we approached Rendsburg, we saw a hugh railway bridge. Looking at the map, we saw that the railway line takes a circle through the town as it gains the height to cross over the canal.

There is good mobile phone contact along the canal. One of Phils' friends in Cardiff found a web cam on the bridge at Rendsburg and emailed him a photo of Pegasus passing under the bridge. Such is modern travel.

Diggory decided to see whether we could stop in Rendsburg for the night. There is a cut from the canal into the town. We motored down it and found a yacht harbour at the end. We circled around looking for a place to moor. Then we spotted someone waving at us and directing us around, behind a line of yachts, to a mooring long enough for the 56ft Pegasus (with the bowsprit, she does need a long space). However, to get there, and be ready to get out again in the morning, Diggory needed to reverse her in, not easy for a boat designed to go forwards. It was good to see how this is done - with patience and based upon a lot of practice. We moored up and stopped the engine which had now been running continuously for some 57 hours. The silence was lovely.

We had done some two thirds of the canal. When sailing to places that you have never been to before, you never know what you might find. This time we were in luck. The Yacht Club in Rendsburg is a little gem. Small, very neat and tidy, with friendly people. Nice hot showers and cool beer! We ate our first meal ashore for a week and slept in the quiet.

Den Helder to the Kiel Canal

2009-06-28T11:30:00.002+01:00

25th to 27th June 2009

This was the hardest passage so far. We left Den Helder 8am Thursday morning and arrived at the entrance to the canal at 7am Saturday morning - essentially 2 days later.

We had to motor all the way, the wind being against us. The first day and night were quite pleasant, despite the constant (but reasurring) sound of the motor. The sea was relatively calm; the sunset was classic as the sun "globbed" into the sea. Many photographs of that with Ben having one of the best. The sea became heavier as we approached first the Eider then the Elbe. We passed a hugh container ship waiting to go into port. Visibility became poor during the afternoon. The mainsail came down early evening.
During the 2am watch, early on Saturday morning, as we entered the Elbe estuary, the sea became quite rough. We followed the bouys towards Brunsbuttel, avoiding the large ships that were heading either for the canel or up into Hamburg. For those of us on deck, it was quite a priviledge seeing how sea traffic operates. We watched as a modern pilot boat come out and put a pilot on board a large ship over on our port side. As well as following the line of buoys, we were watching behind us as the big ships took their course, going much faster than we were. Diggory steered us skillfully close to the buoys and the big ships passed safely on our port side. The Elbe estuary seemed to go on forever until finally the canal entrance came into sight.
We entered the lock for yachts, quite large and could take around a dozen boats of our size if full. We shared it with only one other. The gates closed behind us, the lock slowly filled, then the gates opened in front of us and we passed into the canal proper - 48 hours since leaving Den Helder. The water was now smooth -- we had made it!

The North Sea Crossing

2009-06-24T20:08:00.000+01:00

24th June 2009
Ramsgate to Den Helder

The Pegasus (and her crew) have achieved their first goal - crossing the North Sea. We left Ramsgate at 10pm Monday evening and arrived 38 hours later in Den Helder which is on the top of the dutch mainland coast.

The crossing began quite benign - calm sea and a clear evening turning into a starry night. The crew were organised into 2 watches - 10pm to 2am, 2am to 6am then 6am to 12 noon and 12 noon to 6pm. 6pm to 10pm and around again.

The first watch needed to dance around the shipping as we motored north along the coast. The wind was against us so we could not sail, although we did have the mainsail up (but reefed in) to provide stability to the boat. We were to learn later that stability is a relative concept.

The second watch took over and turned the boat east towards the line of rather large ships moving right to left. This was the western traffic lane. "How do you cross?" we asked. "Well it's like crossing a dual carriageway onto the central reservation: you pick a boat and aim behind it". Which we duly did. While they are large and move quite quickly, they are very well lit and predictable.

It was a lovely starry night, with a soft glow along part of the horizon. We slowly realised that it was getting lighter and the stars began to go out. First, the softness of impending daylight gradually took hold then a shout from the lookouts up at the box and we saw the sun peeking above the horizon - very very orange. Pictures to follow. It takes only a few minutes for the sun to reveal itself fully, a pulsing ball of energy, so very far away, and very soon too bright to look at. It was Tuesday morning.

The next watch continued motoring across the central reservation. It was now Tuesday morning, a gloriously sunny day. Was this a typical crossing of the North Sea? Probably not but is it ours. We progressed along at a steady 6 knots. We had changed direction slightly from East to North East and had got up level with Ijmeiden. The afternoon watch continued the progress but now the sea was also against us and getting a little lumpy which began to slow us down.

During the evening watch, 6-10pm, the sea began to get difficult and progress became much harder. We slowed to 3-4 knots with a headwind of force 4-6. The next two watches had a difficult time, trying hard to find the balance between making progress towards the Netherlands and not bouncing the boat around two much - not just for the benefit of those on deck but also those sleeping below. The 2-6am watch suffered worst, at times making little progress at all! Despite the tough going, the sunrise was again spectacular as we motored into Wednesday. By around 9am we sighted the dutch coast and by a little after noon, we arrived in Den Helder feeling quite a sense of achievement.

We will now overnight here and press on early tomorrow (Thursday) morning. The forecast for tomorrow is for less wind (although still against us) and possible no wind on Friday. We aim to reach the Kiel Canel and then Kiel itself by Saturday. Wayne and Phil are now cooking dinner (with a special surpise desert!) and we all look forward to a good, and long, and undisturbed, (and very well-earned!) nights sleep.

Next news probably from the Kiel Canel.

Portsmouth to Ramsgate

2009-06-22T16:44:00.001+01:00

Monday 4.45pm.
Pegasus (who is a she) arrived in Ramsgate following a continuous 23 hour passage from Portsmouth. The crew formed 2 watches of 5 people each. The first watch began at 6pm after leaving Portsmouth. There were 3 overnight watches - 6-10pm, 10pm-2am then 2-6am. This gave everyone the opportunity for at least 4 hours off to sleep which most managed. The going was very calm with little wind. We put the sails up after leaving Portsmouth but had to take the foresails down during the second watch. The engine ran continuously.
The watches then changed to 6am to 12 noon then 12 noon to arriving in Ramsgate (a shortened watch).
The crew are now showered and looking around the town. Phil is due to arrive about 5.30pm. Dinner is at 7pm.
The plan now is to leave with the tide at 10pm and go north a little way and then accross to Den Helder. This is expected to take around 36 hours. The forecast is for the wind to continue to be against us so it's motoring all the way.

Sunday morning: the calm before...

2009-06-21T10:04:00.000+01:00

Lovely sunny start to the day. Very quiet in the marina. Pegasus looks very smart and tidy. Only 3 on board last night. Now waiting for the rest of the crew. The Lads from Liverpool are due around 10.30. Vanessa arriving mid-afternoon. Complications with Phils visa means that we will have to divert to Ramsgate to pick him up tomorrow. Does help to reduce the choice of route to take.

The general plan is to go up the English coast from Ramsgate then cross over to Holland. Then work our way up to the Kiel Canel. Ramsgate is just an overnight passage. Aiming for Den Helder by Wednesday then the canel by Friday. Weather currently looking good but not very much wind and what there is, is against us.

Further posts as and when we get a signal.

Getting ready for the off

2009-06-21T09:43:00.000+01:00

The crew began to assemble on the Saturday. Weather warm and sunny so a picnic lunch on the boat. Diggory making a brake for the reefing gear - not so much a last minute job but rather something he'd meant to do for a while. Amy and Phil went off to do the final (ultimate!!) shopping trip then we stowed it all away, filling up every nook and cranny of storage space.
Phil then went off for the final concert of the Show of Hands tour, at the New Theatre over in Portsmouth. They were on "home turf", having played many gigs in the area when starting their carear as a duo. It's quite an intimate theatre and the audience were in good voice. Many stayed behind afterwards to talk and wish Phil "bon voyage".

Less than two weeks go and counting

2009-06-10T20:26:00.002+01:00

The skipper writes: Here we are, just two weeks to go and we are nearly ready. Just the last little admin bits.... Pegasus has had a little bit of a refit prior to the off and is now fully laden with spares and lines and all the little things we might need along the way. We even had the mainsail adjusted slightly. There are so many little things. We need to fly the national flag of every country we visit, not normally difficult to find but Estonia and Lithuania are not commonly available in U.K. shops! Thank you ebay! Just had a last minute meeting with Phil about the instruments he's bringing and to the Liverpool lads to see how their fundraising is going. Everything looks good and we are about ready. The next entry might well see us on our way. Don't forget you can find out more about the boat at www.islandcutter.co.uk

Preparation

2009-06-10T20:26:00.001+01:00

The skipper writes: So things proceed a pace. Pegasus is working hard as the season rolls around to the start date and in between times we have been doing the hundred and one things a project like this throws up. The boat is weighed and measured for her time correction factor. This is done to enable a disparate fleet of ships to race on a level playing field. All the relevant forms are filled in and the process of applying for visas for Russia has got underway. It all feels like a bit of a nightmare but its a small price to pay for such an extraordinary experience......

How it all began

2009-06-10T20:25:00.000+01:00

The skipper writes: Tall Ships 2009 is going to the Baltic, new ground for both Diggs and Amy, skipper and mate of Pegasus so this should be exciting. Finding a crew hasn't proved to be too difficult...seems lots of people want to try this.
First to join us was folk star Phil Beer. Over discussions during a recording session, he expressed his wish to do a voyage just like this one and signed up more or less on the spot! Vanessa joins us after we met her on the quayside in Swansea and Tom we met at a folk festival. The remainder of the crew came from The Princes Trust in Liverpool after a chance phone call Amy had with her sister! It is thus how a motley crew is recruited!