The Atlantic Crossing

 

 

Well we’re now 7 days in and halfway across the Atlantic Ocean and I’m totally over it already. The excitement of doing my first crossing died rapidly after we hit bad weather and bumpy seas after day 3. Standing in my cabin is like trying to balance on a bosu ball ontop of a speeding car in a Formula 1 race. You know it’s bad when the boys have to sit down to pee... Trying to shower is a nightmare and you slide all over the place like an eel (a blind eel when you’re attempting to wash your hair), so everyone has taken a hygiene “hiatus” and is showering as seldom as possible. Hair washing has been pushed back from a usual every second day, to every third or fourth day and yesterday when the weather was so bad that condiments’, glasses and plates of food went crashing to the floor at lunchtime after a big wave hit; I did a stand up Indian shower with a facecloth by the basin. I can’t even count the amount of times I have tried to sit on the loo and almost missed and sat on the floor with the jolt of the boat. Walking down corridors and up and down stairs is like being a ball in a bingo cage. I swear I have bruises from being thrown around so much. You have to use your shoulders to bump against the walls to steady yourself so you don’t fall over or drop things (like platters of food). Trying to sleep is impossible as you just roll from side to side like a tin can in the wind. After trying all sorts of measures like sleeping in the recovery position and surrounding myself with pillows to make a “ditch” to sleep in, Carolyn and I (my new room mate who is our new 2nd Stew, who is absolutely lovely and we are in fits of giggles most of the time!) have moved to the lower guest cabin; where there is less movement (the only bonus of this is the big, extremely comfy beds which are a dream compared to our pokey bunks).

 

 

So we’re tired, sick of tumbling around like tumbleweeds and being bored with cabin fever (you can only watch so many movies), so we’re now starting to get on each other’s nerves a bit and there’s the odd snappy comment or clear irritability from crew members on occasion (apparently I’ve been told I whine a lot- me? Really?). People are having the most pathetic disagreements and petty fights but it's just because we all have cabin fever and its really getting to us. I decided that exercise would be a great idea to lift my mood, so yesterday I went up on deck with my skipping rope and mat and determinedly set out to do some skipping in 2m swells. The boys snorted with laughter and said I’d probably land up going overboard. Determined to keep my pride intact and prove them wrong, I went anyway and tried, rather unsuccessfully, to lay out my mat in the 25 knot wind and do some skipping. After having to use weights and my radio to weigh down the mat and stop it from flying away and taking out a seagull, I attempted to do some skipping. Well I think I managed to do about 3-4 before falling sideways, but I resolved to do at least 50 so the boys wouldn’t take the piss out of me (so it was 4 skips, fall over, 4 skips, fall over till I got to 50). I decided floor work was going to be the best option, after lunges and squats on a rocking boat proved absolutely futile.

So today we had our “transatlantic crossing initiation”. Basically there is this ritual in yachting where you have to be initiated on your first crossing, it usually occurs midway. It’s called “King Neptune” and usually involves the captain dressing up as King Neptune and giving orders for new sailors crossing his sea’s to pay a price (arrrr arrr!).  Newbie crew members normally get covered in fish guts or something equally revolting. Nico and were made to dress in funny outfits and then given our talk by King Neptune (our relief captain for the crossing) and then Elliot (dressed as a sea wench) did the initiation. He put “necklaces” on us consisting of a condom on a string; filled with the most revolting, foul smelling mixture my nose has ever come across. It smelt and looked like cat vomit (I found out later it was a mixture of fish guts, raw meat and other revolting stuff blended pup by our chef) and I started gagging as soon as it went around my neck. I continued gagging and trying not to throw up on the deck whilst my crew members screeched with laughter, all taking pics and video. King Neptune then grabbed the condom and wacked it against my chest where it exploded and then, covered in cat vomit smelling raw meat and fish, I started hurling up on the teak and over the side of the boat (lovely I know, but apparently this is pretty standard initiation stuff). We were then made to  drink a revolting mixture that I thought was tuna in brandy (thats what it tasted like and what the consistency was) although I later found out contained kaluha, baileys and steak sauce. More hurling followed, but being the soldier that I was I still went back for seconds and finished it. We then got green and blue goo poured over our heads and finally hosed down with sea water with the fire hoses (the sea temp was around 16 degrees and air temp around 18 so we were absolutely freezing). It was a revolting experience but really entertaining and actually loads of fun. The pics are hilarious and someone also took a video:

One...

Two...

SPLAT!

Gag

Hurl

No more. No flipping way



Screw you guys!

 

So I thought I should recap over the last 2 months seeing as I’ve been useless as keeping this up regularly…

The Caribbean was loads of fun and even though we worked hard and put in long hours, our days off (well it was the nights were the fun happened) were well spent and I really enjoyed my time on the island. I made some new yachtie friends, partied A LOT (probably a good thing we left when we did) and tasted some awesome food. A few good memories:

St Paddy’s day- Elliot and I had a huge night out the night before and limped into the boat at 10am, only to shower and change and head out with the entire crew (the boss was away for the weekend so we all got time off!) for a St Paddy’s day out. We headed to Mullet Bay beach for drinks in the sun and listened to some awesome tunes courtesy of Deane’s ipod dock. He introduced me to a great NZ band called Simply Stupid- you have to check them out. That night culminated in another big jol. The chef to the boss is this hilariously fun guy called Don and we had some mad nights out with him too.

St Paddy's beach day with the crew!

My big brother on board and fellow Libra - Johnny

 

Dan, my favourite security guy to the boss, took me out for dinner the night before he left this amazing sushi restaurant in Orient Bay. The chef (called Chef Golf”) is an absolute legend and has worked for many Hollywood stars.  The sushi is not only mouth-watering, but the presentation is just beautiful.

 

The following day was my last on the island so I decided I wanted to do some shopping and then spend it on the beach, lying in the sun, drinking cocktails (as you do in the Caribbean). So I woke up early (ish) and headed to Marigot where I heard there were sales. I stocked up on some make-up (cosmetics are cheap in the Caribbean) and got a few nice items of clothing, and then decided to have midday tea at a very well-known Patisserie called Sarafina’s. The cakes and desserts are delectable and the smell wafting down the street just makes your mouth water and you seem to migrate towards the place in a sort of food trance. I decided on a latte, a pistachio macaroon (my favourite) and this gorgeous looking strawberry tart that was just a work of art.

After satisfying my sweet tooth, I jumped on the $2 bus and made my way back to Orient Bay. I lay on the beach, had my cocktail, hired a wave runner for half an hour and belted it up and down the beach- nothing like that feeling of going fast and the spray of the sea in your face- and then went back to my favourite sushi restaurant.

Being on my own and being my friendly self I went and chatted to Chef Golf at the sushi bar who then suggested I pull up a chair and sit at the Sushi bar. I ordered my new favourite white wine called Quincy (that Dan’s friends had introduced me to the night before. And yes I did order a whole bottle to myself) and then Golf delighted me by making me some of his speciality dishes and telling me all about his incredibly interesting life as a chef to the stars, Thailand and all the other amazing places he has worked, like Moscow. It was a wonderful way to spend my last day in St Martin.

 

From St Martin we headed off to Fort Lauderdale and even though this crossing was a short one, its customary to do some fire and other emergency drills the day you leave to “familiarise”. I have a fire escape in my laundry, behind a door, and decided this would be a great time to actually test it out. It’s quite fun because you climb up a ladder and the hatch opens up under one of the cushions in the crew mess!

Typical lunch spread

Daily fun!
 



My escape route...

...that escapes into the crew mess upstairs!

 

 

We were lucky to have some gorgeous weather the day we left and it was a pretty smooth journey to the states (unlike this joyride…).

Yacht club by the bridge

Leaving St Martin

 

My first weekend in Lauderdale, I jumped on a plane to Boston to go and see my two best friends and favourite people in the world, the Berold sisters! It was a fun filled and much needed weekend as I have really missed my close friends and it just made me feel closer to home. We had a lovely and hilarious dinner out at a Chinese restaurant and went for drinks at a bar where we met a "club owner" (who later turned out to just be the bouncer haha) who invited us to his club. So we went to "Bijou" for a bit of a party! Tam also took me Harvard and then to Fenway Park where I got my very own Boston Red Sox baseball cap! 

Tam and I at Harvard University

At Boston Common

Gorgeous Boston Common

Boston Red Sox Merchandise store

Dinner

 

 

 

 

Fort Lauderdale is another world! Its yachtie heaven! The gorgeous beach with numerous bars and restaurants along the strip reminds me of a super pimped up version of Camps Bay. There are hot guys and girls everywhere and the crowds spill out onto the outdoor seating areas that line the beach road. The parties are awesome with something happening pretty much every night. The highlight for me was the Sunday pool parties hosted at a bar on the beach front called Exit 66. After a day on the beach, you rock up there around 3pm to a sick outdoor area with a large pool with lilo’s and other fun stuff and a DJ playing the most insane house tunes with people just dancing in their bikini’s and boardies. It is the most awesome vibe ever.

 

 

I don’t know what it is with me attracting young guys but I met another 21yr old on my first day in Laudies and spent the night partying with him and his friends. They live in a crew house (its more like a digs in a flipping rad house with a pool) and drive around on scooters. Made me miss my days of the cupboard-under-the-stairs apartment in Antibes with my fabulous flatmates (although don’t miss the eating cereal for dinner because you spent your last daywork money on crabbies or a bottle of wine).

Night out at Tap 42

Night out at McSorleys

Our boat in the shipyard

Lauderdale was also a well needed change from the island life of St Martin. Even though the Caribbean, with its laid back, relaxed atmosphere was bliss, it felt marvellous  to be back in a first world country with shopping centres and Starbucks and nightlife and PEOPLE. The Caribbean was quiet the last 6 weeks we were there as most of the boats had left already. Fort Lauderdale was just teeming with yachties (it is the yachtie capital). I met up with some old friends on other boats and made some new ones (Raaaaaay!). I absolutely love the vibe there and really wish we could have stayed longer.

 

 

The captain, my chief stew and I entered the Miami Mudrun which is a 5km obstacle course where the end obstacle involves crawling on your belly through the mud. It was loads of fun and even though I had a big night out the night before and was totally hungover, I surprised myself at how fit I was and felt like I could have run the 10km version.

Team!

There was a music festival in West Palm beach (45min on the train from Laudies)called Sunfest and Nico, Caro, Paul, Elliot and I went up for the day. I had been out the night before and had a rather large one, only rolling into the boat at 10am, so I just had time to change my clothes before leaving for West Palm. This awesome New Zealand band called Simply Stupid was playing and we managed to get into the front few rows even though the place was packed.

 

Sunfest music festival in West Palm

Caro and I chillin at the concert

The prices were a slight shock to the system after the cheap Caribbean. Beers and meals are like double the price so you’re money just doesn’t go as far. I wanted to get the iphone 5 but just ran out of time. I DID manage to buy some kettlebells and a gym mat though as I HAVE to start training again before I turn into a roly-poly. I’m actually too scared to weigh myself but all I can say is it’s not good! I’ve already started some training on the crossing and I feel great! I’ve really missed that energetic, burning muscle sensation after a good sesh! Now I just have to keep it up!