05/12/2009

Jeffrey has made it round the world!!

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/search/4360785.Jeffrey_conquers_the_world_at_the_age_of_71/

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01/08/2008, Middleton Lodge

(The last message didn't appear on the blog for some reason... sorry!)

After arriving in Nome James, Thomas & Anne said their goodbyes & flew back to the UK on a high note - what a trip! Jeffrey stayed on with Luck Dragon in preparation to carry on south to Japan.

New crew flew out to join Jeffrey - Frank Carroll & his team - and we brought the boat into Nome harbour, which was altered in 2006, making the entrance excellent. We had engine problems & the weather was bad, and Frank & co unfortunately had to leave because of the delays.

Once the maintenance had been carried out, 2 other local crew, Louis & Louis Green, joined him to head towards Dutch Harbour, 600 miles further south. We set off on Sat 29th Sept with an excellent forecast, hoping to arrive in 5 days...

However it was not to be. On Wednesday 3rd October a big storm came rushing in from Russia out of the blue 160miles from Dutch Harbour. We'd had a clear and cold night, with the stars shining brightly, & Jeffrey had been pleased the day before with how his forecast had been right - good westerly winds with the genoa right out. He got a new forecast about midday local time which stated a depression & big storm were on its way. By 4pm Jeffrey had heaved to, reefed in the sails & was putting the storm sail up. Wind & waves were picking up but Jeffrey was confident Luck Dragon would cope. The crew however contacted fishing boats on VHF channel 16 & requested to be taken off.
Between 6.30 & 7.30pm local time Sunset Bay, a fishing vessel from Dutch Harbour, answered the call. By this time the seas were 15ft high and made the departure from Luck Dragon difficult. After several attempts the mizzen mast came down but we were all able to be taken off safely using a lasso rope, although Jeffrey sustained a black eye after being pulled into the sea.
The storm escalated & even the large fishing boat was thrown about, & other vessels were seeking shelter around the Aleutians & St Paul Islands. The crew of Sunset Bay were excellent and we were back in Dutch Harbour on Friday 5th in the evening.
Jeffrey hadn't wanted to set off the EPERB because it would have alerted everyone back home before he'd been able to contact them, so he put an EPERB belonging to the Sunset Bay on board, which was switched on under coastguard's instruction to show Luck Dragon's position. After being checked out at hospital Jeffrey was keen to retrieve his boat and was approached by people working on the Deadliest Catch TV show who offered help & support. Scott Myers & Doug Stanley from the Discovery Channel & Dan Magone from a salvage company all helped out. However the Discovery Channel boats were both sheltering so we made no progress for a few days. The EPERB stopped working after 3 days so Jeffrey was estimating Luck Dragon's position and on the 14th October he decided sadly to come home.
Prue was surprised to receive a phone call from Seattle airport asking how he could get home, and a funny request given that he had just successfully navigated the NW passage!

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09/07/2007, Port Clarence

We've made it! First Brits through the NW passage in a fibreglass boat!

We came through the Bering Straits & anchored in the bay in Port Clarence, 70miles north of Nome. The forecast isn't good & we're not sure of the entrance into Nome so we've decided to stop here for the moment.

A taxi into town is beckoning...

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