Letter No 5 sent on 3 Aug 2001 11:40
Anchor watch is not something we normally practice on our holiday cruises. Either we have a stable High Pressure choosing to anchor, or, if we have strong winds, like a gale, we are “blown in” and seek shelter in a port or harbour. When Karolina called last evening, she was sitting in the cockpit responsible for Mahina not to drag (i.g. moving due to the fact that the anchor does not hold). They have had hail today when it was not raining and now they have found some shelter in a bay just north or Harstad. The anchor watch is definitely necessary since gusts up to 49 knots are screaming through the rig, despite the “shelter”.

The other crew members are down eating their dinner while Karolina is on deck regularly cross-checking bearings. The light night on these latitudes makes this task easy. However, it is cold. Some 6 degrees Celsius, making the wind and rain not really comfortable. All the arctic clothes (which were lost on the plane) had been used during today’s sail. She must have looked like these Whitbread sailors I have seen on TV sailing down under, with only the eyes visible. Despite these modern fibres in several layers with GoreTex, Micro fibres and Teflon, Karolina was freezing....

Soon Karolina’s anchor watch ended and someone else took over keeping a sharp look-out all night through. Next anchor watch for Karolina was 00:00 – 01:00 in the morning of the 2 August. Wind had increased even more by then. They had to put out a second anchor and this had not happened on Mahina for the last 4 years!

Throughout the night, the wind repeatedly decreased to 15 knots and then suddenly, within seconds, increased to over 50 knots again. These gusts were really putting on force onto the anchor gear. Karolina measured 54 knots during her second anchor watch at midnight. I thought the wind instrument would fly off in these winds! The wind force pulled water cascades up from the surface and captain John Neal had not seen this since Kap Horn! One could just imagine how it would feel being out offshore now in these circumstances…. Soon Mahina will be heading offshore, but hopefully with some decreasing winds. They all were very thankful laying at anchor at this time, as long as the anchor held, that is...

This day’s theoretical school class was “anchor techniques”. Could they have chosen a better timing?

The anchor held throughout the night, but the winds had built up a great swell and the “wind over tide” situation gave a very rough and choppy sail the next morning, just as the day before. Luckily, winds had decreased significantly and were “just” blowing some 30 knots, as Karolina explained laughing on the telephone the next day. We both know that 30 knots mean gale winds and we normally don’t sail in gale... at least not voluntarily. Karolina’s short SMS message while sailing was just “Going to Lødingen for the night. Great Sailing!”. What a salty wife I married!
"We cut our day short, anchoring at Eidet, 69.05N, 17.11E, a small village we had stopped for a night in on our voyage north. Although we found protection from the seas, we were still being buffeted with 30-40 kt winds. Setting both the 75lb CQR with 250' of chain and the 44lb Delta on 130' of line and 50' of chain in 27' depths we stood watch all night and even though we never budged an inch it was still hard to sleep as we danced around in the squalls. For the first time in months, it actually got dark at night. It was strange, and I missed the midnight sun.."
Capt John Neal
Despite rough seas and despite Karolina being responsible for navigation that day, she did not get sea sick at all, luckily. And navigating means being under deck at the chart table, a very “good method” if one wishes to force some sea sickness… John came up into the cockpit with buckets for each of the crew for sea sickness, but these were not needed. So the “training” with avoidance of coffee for 14 days before the sail plus drinking 2 litres of water each day really pays off! So, my sailing friends: no coffee and loads and loads of water hereafter!
Karolina’s watches this week are from 06:00-08:00. 12:00-14:00, 18:00-20:00 and 00:00-02:00. They are two crew on a watch: one steering and one navigating and keeping look-out, changing the two tasks every half hour.

The crew is very friendly and Karolina was surprised that they all had an equal level of sailing experience. Thus mainly “normal people”, most of them who own or have sold their own businesses. One couple has sold their house and moved on board their 42 foot sailing boat.
“Babe-Watch”: Karolina and Michelle

Karolina uses the port berth in the saloon. However, she as not found very much sleep, yet, since last night as the responsible for navigation the following day, she was preparing next day’s sailing until midnight together with Amanda. Then, the first night onboard was too excited to find some deep sleep. This will probably change, since after a couple of days one will get so exhausted, falling to sleep immediately is an easy task, I imagine.

On the evening of the 2 August they went ashore for the first time, in the “city” of Lødingen, as planned. It took half an hour to actually find a pub on this deserted place on earth and now the crew was really longing for a good pint of beer (and some secret coffee, maybe?). Ahhhh, a great sip of Norwegian beer! Cheers to the crew of Mahina!

Now they are heading west towards Lofoten. This morning’s (3 August) SMS was “Blue Sky and Beautiful!” Well, it can’t be that bad, can it?
"We are continually surprised how few pleasure boats we see in these spectacular cruising waters. In large towns like Tromso, Alesund, Bergen, etc. we generally see one or two cruising boats only, usually from Scandinavian countries. The locals mostly favor 30'-35' double-ended powerboats, usually made of fiberglass. Many of the fishing boats, even up to 80' have varnished wooden hulls with painted wood or aluminum deck houses."
Capt John Neal
Interior of Hallberg-Rassy 46 MAHINA TIARE III

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