Below decks is absolute chaos. Soaking sails lie the full length of the companionway, ready to be dragged out of the main hatch for sail changes. The floors are soaking and condensation drips from the walls. Air temperature is just above freezing. Our heater was on the blink as we headed across the 60S (450 miles from pack ice !), incredibly cold. So many times my feet and hands were as cold as they have ever been, absolute agony when they warm up.

During gales it is very difficult to sleep. Everything, including your sleeping bag is damp and the noise from the decks - wind and water, winches, people shouting is extremely loud and you are also being thrown around in your bunk and your head is being bashed against the cabin skins. In rough weather I often come off deck a bit 'hyper', a bit too much adrenalin. My Walkman is really important here, it allows me to quickly relax and get some sleep.

Food - the Southern Ocean diet comes into play. This is about 5000 calories. I loved the food, couldn't eat enough, terribly greedy. Breakfast was a big bowl of porridge (sometimes two), with some re-hydrated stewed fruit on top (strawberry or apple) and occasionally toast. Lunch was a pasta variant with sauce. Dinner was rice and freeze dried sauce, chilli, bolognaise, curry or something similar - then a pudding - the stoggier the better. Bread was baked every 2 or 3 days - a heavenily treat when heavily loaded with peanut butter.

Using the heads and Motherwatch in the galley were extremely hazardous areas of the boat. As we crashed off waves, bowls of food blew from one side of the saloon to the other - horribly annoying or very funny depending on your mood or who they hit !. Using the heads, which are in the bow, coupled with the concept of 'air time' is a complete nightmare, enough said.

Adrian Pilkington
Concert Crew