around the hornes

UPDATE 13 08 08

Wendy, Bob, Robert and Simon are now back in Torquay ............................ BUT THERE WILL BE MORE !!!

UPDATE 30 07 08

Text Message from Bob:

3rd attempt to leave Azores - story too long - ETA Torquay12 days.

Bob

UPDATE - 26 07 08

Email Message:

Started last leg on Wednesday and at 3am Thursday the bolt holding 4 stays to the mast snapped in a storm when there where no sails up (fortunately!). Managed to secure the mast in testing conditions and motored to the nearest land which was Sao Miquel, 150 miles away, into the teeth of a very strong gale. Arrived on Saturday pm and, of course, everything was closed so we are seeing the 'mast' man on Monday morning - he has been warned of our situation. Hope to be on the move again Monday pm and then 10 to 15 days to the UK. Fingers crossed.

Cheers, Bob

UPDATE - 17 07 08

Text Message from Bob:

Arrived in Horta (Faial, Azores) absolutely 'knackered'.

UPDATE - 16 07 08

Text Message from Bob:

Arrived at Fiores (Azores) today. For the last seven days we have had gales - so much for the Azores 'high' and calm weather!!!!

Cheers, Bob

UPDATE - 03 07 08

I received a recorded telephone message from Rob yesterday. It was 12 50 our time and 08 50 their time. They are currently about 500 miles off Bermuda and still have around 1400 miles to go. There is no wind so they are motoring and in an attempt to find a depression and some wind.

Rob sent regards to everyone and hoped we all enjoyed our Wednesday evening!

UPDATE - 28 06 08

Message from Bryony:

Just to let you know that all left Bermuda last night in high spirits and expect to be in the Azores in approx. 19 days.

UPDATE - 21 06 08

I'm sitting on the dockside where I can get a better signal. It is 10.20 our time 0220 yours. It is a balmy night. We have had a slap up meal which will be our last in Bermuda. We know the part we need is sitting in the Customs House 50 yards down the road and we are hoping they will take pity on us tomorrow and let us have it pdq. We are fully fuelled and vittled and ready to go.

In the last couple of days a part arrived that was ordered for us but it wouldn't fit so I drove over to the other side of Bermuda on my hired moped and found a Volvo dealer - we identified the part on his computer. After that 2 sets were ordered (I am not going to be caught out again 500miles from land!!) for emergency despatch and now we await the customs.

We will be sailing 100miles north of Bermuda to catch the prevailing westerly winds to carry us 'tout suite' to the Azores.

There are four boats on our dock and every one has some sort of engine problem or another and they are all having fun and games getting parts.

Still, the dark rum is going down smoothly and the boat is great. The crickets are singing their hearts out. Thank God we have air conditioning onboard because the evenings are very warm. Lovely!

All the best, Bob

UPDATE - 20 06 08

Report received from Bob last evening:

Hi Everybody,

'We have been at anchor in Bermuda for the last two days and I have just managed to get connected to the Internet. Left Behamas on Sat 7th June after previous day of sea trials to test all equipment. On passage we had good force 6 winds for the first two days while going around the Bahamas and then north using the Gulf Stream doing a steady 8 knots. The wind changed and came directly from Bermuda at force 3 to 4 so we started motoring. After 30 hours the engine sucked in air and I had to bleed it. The engine then ran intermittently, sometimes for 6 hours, sometimes for only 15 minutes. I taped every joint and re-secured the fuel lines over a period of two days. It was difficult to work over the engine when it was hot but I did it in short phases to stop being burnt Then the wind dropped and we sat in a calm for at least two days, too far out of range for motoring the whole distance but we were running north to try and pick up some wind from a high. We then heard a loud grating noise from around the keel area. I stopped the engine and sailed in circles to try to free whatever we had snagged. After an hour the noise gradually reduced and then stopped. After another half an hour, I started the engine to move on in the light winds - however, no thrust! When I checked the shaft it had come away from the engine and the thrust bolt had sheered. So, keeping Bermuda Radio informed, we sailed slowly on until, finally, the wind came up from the west and for a day we had another terrific 8 knots boat speed. We arrived at St Georges' at approximate 2 am and were towed through the 'cut' by a friendly local who three days earlier had volunteered to tow us in. I will email with more info soon.' Bob.

No photos at present !!

UPDATE - 18 06 08

Have now heard that Bob and family have arrived safely in Bermuda - I will post more as soon as I have news.

UPDATE - 16 06 08

Rob et al have now made contact by satellite 'phone. They have had some gear failures but are now about 120 miles off Bermuda. ETA is expected to be late afternoon/early evening tomorrow (Tues).

UPDATE - 12 06 08

Roger from RTYC has had an email to say that Bob, Wendy, Robert and Simon set sail from the Bahamas last Friday, 6th June. I will email Bob to try to establish why I have heard nothing yet - perhaps he forgot to take my email address!

The info below should be in the Herald Express shortly - I have had no direct contact with Bob yet although the story goes that he had trouble boarding the plane at Heathrow since he only had a one way flight booked and no Visa. He was saved by the Bill of Sale for the Boat !!

On June 3^rd Bob Horne (a local councillor) will be starting an Atlantic Crossing in a 33ft yacht called Elan which means Freedom of Spirit. He will be accompanied by his wife Wendy, his youngest son Robert (21) and a friend of Robert’s called Simon - also 21.

The distance they will be sailing is approximately 4000miles. Although Bob was in the Merchant Navy the smallest ship he has ever captained was over 1000 feet long, and none of his family have tried anything like this before. It is going to be a huge adventure and experience for all of them. Friends and family have offered gifts for the trip which include a book of clouds (as he will be looking up at clouds a lot!!) and “How to survive on the Fish of the Sea” as food and water supplies will be limited. It is also technically the start of the hurricane season although there has only been one hurricane in the month of June in the last 15 years.

They will be starting from the Bahamas and calling in at Bermuda and the Azores on the way and, yes, they will be going through the Bermuda Triangle (so Bob is practising his Alien Speak!!). In parts of the Atlantic the water is 2 miles deep !

You will be able to follow Bob’s adventures on www.border-photos.co.uk . The owner of the website is Jean Border who is a Trustee of the Trinity Sailing Trust. The Trust own two old Brixham Sailing trawlers, an east coast sailing trawler and also a gentleman’s yacht built in 1908. The boats are used to take disabled and disaffected young people to sea where they learn self reliance, how to become part of a team and how to form relationships. Many have never had a holiday or been away from home before.

It is hoped that Bob’s trip will raise some money for the Trust. Please will you support him by entering the competition to be run by the Herald Express (one of the prizes will be a sail on one of the trust’s boats) or contact Jean Border at jeanborder@btinternet.com for more details on how to help this very good cause.