Today has been the longest day of the year, solstice. We thought it was going to be another day in the office beating the best course to windward, but in the morning at 9am the steering wheel started feeling stiff. On closer inspection it became clear that the bolts of the base had become loose, and so we had to use our secondary steering tiller while the problem was being fixed.
Crew members Oli and Clive rolled up their sleeves and dove into the lazarette, while the helmsmen queued to play with the new tiller toy. It was very enjoyable to try your hand at a new steering method, and fortunately wind and sea state allowed us to carry on sailing while the steering was being repaired.
Oli and Clive worked tirelessly on the fix for straight six hours in very crammed and hot conditions. Attempts to ventilate ended up miserably, when a wave sent a stream of water straight into the lazarette and Clive's neck, eventually travelling all the way to the boots inside his salopettes. Now the steering base block is probably stronger than the original, and it should easily see us all the way to Southampton.
Today in Finland everyone has escaped to the countryside to celebrate national holiday in leafy green settings by thousands of lakes. Here in North Atlantic we have been enjoying Summer Sailstice, which is an international event celebrating the sport of sailing on the longest day of the year. We took a group photo this morning with the Sailstice flag, from left to right: Nick, Oli, Clive, Nigel, Alec, Paul, Derek, Sharon, Kurt, Greg, Steve and Carter. Tea was enjoying her mother watch sleep and I took the photo, so obviously we're not in it. Happy sailing!
Greetings from Visit Finland,
Riikka & crew
