Intrepid Travels

Vessel Name: Intrepid Elk
Vessel Make/Model: Outremer catamaran 51
Hailing Port: Fremantle
Crew: Robert and Revle Elks
16 May 2017
06 October 2016
30 September 2016
22 September 2016
18 September 2016
17 September 2016
14 September 2016
13 September 2016
12 September 2016
10 September 2016
04 September 2016
01 September 2016
31 August 2016
30 August 2016
27 August 2016
24 August 2016
23 August 2016
21 August 2016
19 August 2016
Recent Blog Posts
16 May 2017

Cherbourg encore

We are reunited with Intrepid Elk after a winter/summer separation and it is good to be home again. IE has had a facelift and her shiny white hulls are dazzling once more. She has a beautiful new bimini (shade cover) over the helm seat, which Robert designed and which was fabricated in Portsmouth and [...]

06 October 2016

IE preparation for winter

Our sailing days for this year are over and we are once again busy getting IE ready for a winter in the northern hemisphere. This year, she will be in the water for most of the time, with a short interlude on land in a large painting shed, where she will have her hulls painted. In order to get her into [...]

30 September 2016

Cherbourg, France

It was an inky black moonless night as we slipped out of the river and across the sand bar with fishing vessel Emma Louise behind us. Revle was on the bowsprit with a spotlight looking for hazards ahead. I was at the helm, peering at our chartplotter and concentrating on following our inward track. [...]

22 September 2016

Plymouth

We made a motoring passage of 35 miles to Plymouth Sound, then battled against strong currents up the Tamar River to an anchorage at West Mud where we spent a peaceful night. Plymouth has been a major naval base for centuries and we had some close encounters with modern navy ships in the harbour. We [...]

18 September 2016

Falmouth

Our passage to Falmouth took us past The Lizard, a projecting headland with a ferocious tidal race. We passed a little too close and got caught in the race which was too bumpy for comfort. Approaching the Falmouth harbour, we had the excitement of crossing our track from June 2015 when we made landfall [...]

17 September 2016

Newlyn

We left the Isles of Scilly early in the morning to catch a light northerly wind to Land's End and the fishing port of Newlyn, just south of Penzance. We couldn't believe our luck, having another gentle passage through one of the most treacherous and notorious waterways in northern Europe. We galloped [...]

Cape Verde to Saint Lucia

19 November 2014
We're off again! A friendly rivalry has developed among yachtsmen at the marina in Mindelo, and there was plenty of good-humoured banter going on. The race restart was on Wednesday 19 November at 12:45 PM for the multihulls and 1 PM for the other divisions. The start line was among the ships at anchor, shipwrecks and small boats darting around the harbour. It was very difficult to raise sails while avoiding a collision. Heading out into the straits between the two islands of Santo Antao and Sao Vicente, the rugged Cape Verdean mountains looked glorious against a beautiful blue sky. As we headed into open sea the magnificent sight of about 50 sailing boats was behind us. We rounded the islands and set our sails westward towards the Caribbean.
Once again we settled into our familiar watch system, alternating three hours each. In the Atlantic the winds build and change direction more slowly than in the Mediterranean and sail changes are fewer, hence rest is perhaps a little easier. The first two days are always difficult, probably due to nervous energy. Once the tiredness becomes intense, it is easier to sleep. Both of us became seasick on Days 2 and 3 and Intrepid Elk had to almost sail herself. We used a timer alarm system so that when on watch we could doze off for short periods before being awoken to check the course and sails. Unsurprisingly, we sailed very well for this period. There is a message there.
We each have our favourite watches. Mine is 1600 - 1900 in the afternoon. The sun has lost its heat and is settling on the horizon. It is possible to fish, read or do some yoga stretches. The worst is 0400 - 0700 when fatigue levels are highest. Sometimes it is necessary to do watches with a timer alarm so that dozes are short.
We have passed through many squalls from the east with the trade winds. If there is time, we reef and reduce sail in anticipation of high winds. Only minor ones so far and always in our favour giving us a good push long as the wind speed increases by 10 or 15 kn.
On Day 5 cumulonimbus clouds approached from the east. Heavy rain started and went on for hours. We took in a reef before dark but winds built during the night to over 30 kn. Swell soon built and we surfed down waves at speeds of nearly 20 kn. It was a very uncomfortable night.
Revle has pre-cooked and frozen delicious meals which are kept in our freezer. These are perfect for passages as there is minimal further preparation. These are supplemented by fresh produce which is perfectly fresh after 12 days at sea. Potatoes and root vegetables are stored in the dark below the floors. Citrus fruit, apples and onions in string bags hanging from the cockpit bimini. These add a pleasant market atmosphere. Adding further atmosphere, our two pot plants that have been with us since we began in March are still thriving. The white orchid has produced new buds during this crossing which have now opened.
The sea is over 5 km deep for much of the crossing. Other areas briefly rise to 2 or 3 km deep. There are mountain ranges below the sea. It is easy to get lost in thoughts, imagining what must lie beneath. On the surface, flying fish are an almost constant source of wonder. An evolutionary masterpiece with oversize lateral fins that have become wings. As single fish or schools, they break the water surface and fly up to several hundred metres before splashing down and becoming a fish again. Despite their flying skills, we often find them lying dead on our deck, having crash landed. Are these the locusts of the sea?
We are taking part in a research project to determine the level of marine microplastics in the oceans. This involves collecting sea water samples every 3 days. It is necessary to take care with each sample to avoid contamination so a strict sampling protocol is followed. The results will be sent to us after analysis in USA.
As I write we are approaching the northern tip of St Lucia at 2 am local time. Our Atlantic crossing time was about 12.7 days. The other multihulls - Archer, Makena and Alia Vita should have crossed the finish line about 5 hours ago. We have been less competitive than in Leg 1 and have analysed why. We plan to add a symmetric spinnaker to our sail wardrobe. Nevertheless it has been an amazing voyage and our position in the fleet is not important. We arrived safely.
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