1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:19,200 Welcome back to the Clean Sailors podcast. 2 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:24,440 Let's talk about sailing, our marine industry and innovations towards getting it clean. 3 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:28,880 I'm your host Holly, founder of Clean Sailors and a sailor myself with a passion for the 4 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:34,960 health of our mighty oceans. Through conversations with innovators, inventors, adventurers and 5 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:39,280 inspirational sailors, we're looking at those who are helping to change the way things are done. 6 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:46,960 Okay, she's back. I'm joined again by Ella Hibbet, who you won't remember from a podcast 7 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:55,120 episode we did earlier in 2024. Ella is gearing up for a solo Arctic Circle, attempting the world's 8 00:00:55,120 --> 00:01:00,160 first single-handed non-stop circumnavigation of the Arctic, but also importantly raising 9 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:05,760 awareness of the environmental challenges that we have going on up north. Ella, it's so good to see 10 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:11,200 you again. Thanks for having me back. So what was the purpose of this year's trip? 11 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:16,880 So this summer's trip was really about trialing and testing both the yacht and myself. Obviously, 12 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:23,040 Javer underwent quite an extensive reset for the first half of 2024, from generally up until sort of 13 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,920 June-July. So it was about getting out there and making sure the boat was up to the standards we're 14 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:33,520 looking for, making sure that I loved single-handing as much as I was hoping I would, and also trying 15 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:38,320 to push north and start raising awareness for the campaign that we're building and showcasing the 16 00:01:38,320 --> 00:01:44,800 reasons why I'm doing what I'm doing. So this was a test run in every sense. The boat, yourself, 17 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:49,760 the passage, just getting a sort of understanding of the, in some ways, I imagine also like the 18 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:55,120 weather systems. Yeah, absolutely. All of the above, really. It was just time for Javer and I to 19 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:58,960 get out there and put up anywhere on my clothes, you know, and do everyone proud and show the 20 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:03,040 sponsors that we're all heading the right way and getting geared up for next year's attempt. 21 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:09,360 What were you perhaps most aware of or nervous about before you left for this test run? 22 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:14,640 I think how I was going to handle sleep deprivation and being offshore alone. I mean, 23 00:02:14,640 --> 00:02:19,200 I've had every confidence in the boat from the get-go, but this was my first sort of 24 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:24,960 extensive single-hander trip. So yeah, I'm glad that I took to that as well as I was hoping I would. 25 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:29,520 I think the important thing is, right, as you said, smart to do the test run on every level, 26 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:34,320 but also the fact that you've come back and you are still gearing up to go next year, 27 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:38,400 because I appreciate objectively there is always the opportunity for people to say, 28 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:43,600 you know what, that was enough. But you're really raring to go for the... 29 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:48,880 Yeah, I think that was part concern, mostly probably from my family, that I might turn 30 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:52,320 around after doing what I did this summer and say, actually, I hate it that and I don't want to do it 31 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:58,320 again. But it was quite the opposite. I loved every moment. Even when things were less than ideal, 32 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:03,200 I was still loving it. So yeah, the Ava's back in the yard and fixing up a couple of issues we 33 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:08,160 found this summer, which is helpful in hindsight because those who have been following the campaign 34 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:12,160 from the beginning might know that the original plan was to attempt the second navigation this 35 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:15,680 summer before postponing to be able to get these trials done. And without doing that, 36 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:18,960 I would have encountered some issues during the second half that probably would have 37 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:24,000 hindered our attempt at it. So yeah, we're fixing all those up and yeah, definitely just excited 38 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:27,360 to get back out there. I've been online for about four weeks now and I've had enough already. 39 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:34,000 I mean, just I want to be really clear also, right? If you had done that and if anyone has 40 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:38,560 attempted or done the trial run and then decided it's not for them, that's completely legit, right? 41 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:44,160 I mean, it's just very impressive that this is something that genuinely hasn't been done before 42 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:51,280 what you're attempting. And so not only is it super prudent and obviously smart, but also just that 43 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:57,200 exercise of extending yourself into that physical environment on your own. I mean, 44 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:02,960 giving the goose pimples again, so many times that we talk because it really is exceptional. 45 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:06,400 It's exceptional in terms of the adventurousness and obviously the ingenuity of everything 46 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:11,040 you're doing to prepare your boat, etc. But also because it is genuinely uncharted to the extent 47 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:17,680 that no one has yet managed to do what you're looking to achieve next year. So it's no small 48 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:22,480 feat, Ella. Just going to say it like that. Thank you. Yeah, no, it isn't. But I think 49 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:27,520 the way that I recognise it is slightly different to how it must be seen for people looking in on 50 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:33,680 what's going on. So if I allow myself time to sit and think about how nuts it probably is, 51 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:38,000 then it wouldn't be being done. So it's all very modular at the moment, keeping everything 52 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:41,440 in mind. I think about mental health is working through the list of what I need to do to do 53 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:46,400 now or next year and just keeping focus rather than getting caught up in how extreme of an event 54 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:50,800 it might be or thinking about what happens when I get back from it. It's one step at a time. 55 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:56,000 I remember actually talking on your boat before you left about things like sleep deprivation, 56 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:02,160 because also Liz Aileen, that's obviously a big concern or let's say opportunity for self-awareness. 57 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:07,280 How did you manage that in the end? And is that still something that you feel most aware of or 58 00:05:07,280 --> 00:05:12,720 very aware of or nervous about still going forward? I don't feel as nervous about it anymore, no. So 59 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:18,560 when I sailed this year, we sailed up the noise and coast, gave it a night to Tromso and then 60 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:24,000 sailed from Tromso to Svalbard and Svalbard back to Tromso. So those two crossings of the Barren 61 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:29,200 Sea were seven days each. And at no point in either crossing did I sleep for more than 20 minutes at a 62 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:36,080 time. So I found pretty quickly that 20 minutes was the right time for me, 15 or 25 or 30. I would 63 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:41,280 wait up either not rested enough or too groggy. So 20 minutes was really the perfect number. 64 00:05:41,280 --> 00:05:46,400 And I found it much easier to get into the pattern of sleeping 20 minutes at a time than to get out 65 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:50,480 of it once I got back to land. Like I said, I only pursued it up to a week at a time, but I feel like 66 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:55,040 I could push that to about 10 days if I had to. A lot of next year's circle navigation is going to 67 00:05:55,040 --> 00:06:00,640 be coastal. And there will be opportunities in periods of open water to hope to and get longer 68 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:07,360 sleeps or if needs be to drop the hook or attach to an ice flow or do what I also need to not have 69 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:12,400 to push that seven day to 10 day sort of limit. But I'm confident that I could do a week at a time 70 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:16,720 if needs be of those 20 minute sleep cycles. So definitely please don't access those. 71 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:21,120 But we said that you found your medium, right? Because it's easy to say, well, you'll read 72 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:25,520 books like there's a fantastic one on Xtreme, you know, it's how people sort of go into environments 73 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:31,280 where they are, you are stretching your natural body rhythms or otherwise. And you almost can't 74 00:06:31,280 --> 00:06:35,920 write it and say, actually, you can manage it say two hours or 20 minutes or 10 minutes. 75 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:40,080 The fact that you found your personal optimum, I think it's so important, isn't it? Because 76 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:44,640 that's what your body needs. That's what your mind needs enough for you to continue and sort of be 77 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:48,720 rested, but certainly just aware and alert. You know, 20 minutes like work for everybody, 78 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:52,720 but it works for me. And if I can get enough 20 minutes that I'm averaging, 79 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:57,280 anywhere between three to four hours of sleep in a 24 hour period, then I'm pretty good. 80 00:06:57,280 --> 00:07:01,520 If I'm not getting enough 20 minute naps that I'm getting sort of less than two hours 81 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:06,160 sleep every 24 hours, then I'll start to struggle. But that's sort of three to four hour 82 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:10,080 in a 24 hour period seems to work quite well. And then obviously more if you can and 83 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:11,760 in the crack on if you can't. 84 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:19,120 And what were you surprised at? And perhaps what were you genuinely not prepared for in this test run? 85 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:25,520 I think on the crossing two Svalbard from Tromso, in the middle of the Barents Sea, 86 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:30,640 Yeva suffered total steerage failure and flooding to the floorboards. Now, 87 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:34,960 I'd had issues with the steering that I'd sort of jury rigged on an office we went, 88 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:38,080 and I'd had the flooding and I'd never had both happened at the same time. 89 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:44,400 So the issues there were two parts. So the flooding stems from the fact that the anchor locker 90 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:50,240 didn't have any outboard drainage. It had a drainage pipe that led to the bilges inside the 91 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:56,640 boat. So Javer's got a hollow keel, which is a meter 75 of draft, which is a lot of water 92 00:07:56,640 --> 00:08:02,160 for a 38 foot boat to get stuck in the bilges. So what we didn't realise with neither of the other 93 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:07,040 owners having particularly done any sort of heavy weather offshore sailing like the five meters I 94 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:10,800 was in in the barrens was we didn't realise quite how much water that was going to let in 95 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:16,320 to the point where the bilge pumps were sort of pumping all the time consistently and after 96 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:21,520 nine or 10 hours would just fail. So that was one half of the issue. And then the other half was 97 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:25,360 the steering, which is kind of hard to explain without drawing it on a piece of paper. But 98 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:30,160 essentially you've got the the rudder shaft and the rudder quadrant and the rudder quadrant was 99 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:36,480 held to the shaft by a keyway system like a male to female connector with four grub screws to keep 100 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:42,640 it in place. And with the bashing about in seas that heavy, the grub screws weren't enough to hold 101 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:48,400 the quadrant to the shaft. So it's slid off of the bottom of that male connector, which meant that 102 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:54,560 so obviously the hydraulic arm for the autopilot and the manual steering arm for the for the cockpit 103 00:08:54,560 --> 00:08:59,760 helm were both connected to that one rudder quadrant. So total steerage failure of the boat 104 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:04,480 essentially at that point. So luckily in order to mitigate issues like that, I'd already thought of 105 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:09,200 backup systems to backup systems. So I had the hydrovane on the back of the boat, which I used 106 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:15,920 for two days to get over into Longyear Bayonins Fulvard parking a steel boat on the hydrovane. 107 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:19,920 It's not something I want to try and do again, but we managed to get in. It was nearly midnight, 108 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:23,520 but it was obviously light because it was the Arctic summer up there. So it wasn't an issue 109 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:28,160 parking out other than the handling of the boat itself. And then the flooding obviously had 110 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:33,600 spare bilge pumps and I could wire those in. But in that particular scenario, it was more of a case 111 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:39,040 of pumping out manually and then steering on hydrovane to avoid the waves coming from the 112 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:43,360 wrong direction back over the bow because I didn't have enough wind at moments to leave the 113 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:48,560 hydrovane confidently searing whilst I went and started stripping and soldering wires and electrics 114 00:09:48,560 --> 00:09:54,000 to get bilge pumps reconnected. So those are the two main issues that the Yevas having six at the 115 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:57,440 moment. Actually, they've both been six now. That's what we've been working on the last couple 116 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:02,560 of weeks. So she's had a bunch of welding done and drainage holes cut in the bow and that pipe 117 00:10:02,560 --> 00:10:06,720 bunged off that used to lead to the bilges. And we've made a clamp for her steering that'll stop 118 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:11,200 the rudder quadrant coming down again. So yeah, those have been resolved now. So she's ready for 119 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:15,200 a new liquor paint and some anti-fouled and then we'll get back in the water hopefully. 120 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:19,840 I like your talent to my question because in asking what weren't you prepared for, 121 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:24,080 it was a very honest and kind of what didn't you know could happen that happened. 122 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:29,440 And it is fascinating that you had all of the preparation and norm as the backup to the 123 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:34,560 backups as you described, but preparing for the two of them coinciding at the same time was 124 00:10:34,560 --> 00:10:39,520 um you know on paralleled. Obviously, it's quite a unique event in any sense for them both to occur 125 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:45,840 at the same time, let alone being solo sailing up in you know Northern Europe. Yeah, it was a bit 126 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:50,000 of an overload to the system that they both happened at the same time. And then you know, 127 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:54,080 steering on the hydrovan obviously when there's no wind. So part of the reason that I bought Yeva 128 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:58,160 obviously is because of the doghouse to keep me out of the elements. Now coming into Longyear by 129 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:03,200 and it was raining freezing cold sleep and I was manually steering on the hydrovan under 130 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:08,480 engine to come into port. So set up on deck holding onto that hydrovan in everything every layer that 131 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:14,720 I possibly owned. Pretty odd and miserable. But yeah, I managed to jury rig a fix to the steering 132 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:18,640 that managed to get us back to Scotland. But ultimately it was the repeated flooding of the 133 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:23,120 anchor locker into the bilges of the boat that caused me to sort of end the summer sea 134 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:27,760 charts in Scotland and work on getting Yeva back home. Makes a lot of sense and as we described 135 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:32,640 the subsequent stormy weather and prevailing south-westerly, nastelies that we've had over 136 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:38,800 the last like two months. Makes a lot of sense to focus on the fixes and getting ready for next year. 137 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:43,520 Yeah, it's about having enough time in the spring to go and sea trial knowing that I've still got 138 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:47,840 time to come back and reinforce it. It's not quite up to standards yet. Hope it would be. I mean, 139 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:51,520 now rain who have been working on the boat in the yard have done a cracking job. So 140 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:56,160 not anticipating any more issues, but we'll find out when I come and see you in Falmouth in January. 141 00:11:56,160 --> 00:12:00,640 Yes, storm chasing, you will be. But it's still, I mean, I have to say, I was going to ask you. 142 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:05,680 I mean, a very natural question is, so what are some of your highest moments? And arguably, 143 00:12:05,680 --> 00:12:11,200 if I'm an outsider sort of listening to you and, you know, seeing in some ways like the seriousness, 144 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:16,400 but also the sort of fondness of which you're talking at, there's like, that has to be one of 145 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:21,680 it. I mean, that that is in itself such of achievement to be able to pull all of that together, 146 00:12:21,680 --> 00:12:26,640 relying entirely on yourself to be able to, you know, get the duro exorted and get back to 147 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:33,280 Scotland. And, you know, I appreciate sitting outside and like seemingly minus 10 breezes when 148 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:38,160 it's sleeting and you're like, it's the North Coast and Norway is a really tough situation to be in. 149 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:42,240 And yet you're, you know, there with your hand on the hydro rain, getting yourself into port. I mean, 150 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:47,520 that has to in some ways, you know, register as a big achievement and hopefully some really 151 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:52,080 high moments of what you've learned so far. Yeah, it does. It's one of those things that 152 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:56,400 I need to get better at is probably giving myself credit when it's due, 153 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:01,600 but rather than just thinking about what comes next and cracking on. But it was, yeah, it was 154 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:07,360 very rewarding to be able to fix the oversteering with what I had on the boat and get her home. 155 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:12,080 Yeah, it was not without its challenges, but I feel like those are the moments when I really 156 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:17,200 came into myself because I just loved it. You know, I sent one of the lads on my shorty 157 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,480 a message on the sat phone from the middle of the bar and saying, you know, boats going 158 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:24,640 around in circles need to investigate steering. And he sent me a text back saying, why don't you 159 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:31,520 have a nap? And then maybe you'll find that it's fine to get a... And I was like, as much as I 160 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:38,480 understood his point, he didn't word that very well. I said, I don't need another nap. I'm gonna say, 161 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:44,320 did you do failure? You know, so it was the last one I needed it really. But yeah, no, I loved it. 162 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:48,160 I love the challenge of it. And seeing, you know, seeing where we got to, I mean, even just going 163 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:52,960 to Svalbard, which isn't really on the routing for next year. So it's somewhere that I'm bad. 164 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:58,080 I got to see this summer, but seeing things like while Braluga whales, you know, is filming up the 165 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:04,400 fjord in front of the boat and glaciers and the walruses and the Arctic turns. I mean, it was just 166 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:08,240 an incredible, incredible experience and environment. Yeah, really chuffed with it. 167 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:11,840 I think also your trip coincided with some of the most spectacular 168 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:19,600 activity of the Roroboialis. Yeah, on the way back from Svalbard, I saw them a couple of times, 169 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:24,160 once off the north coast of Norway, and then once actually coming into Inverness in Scotland, 170 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:29,200 where we finished our sea trials. No stunning. Obviously, when I was up in Svalbard, that was 171 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:35,120 all Arctic daylight, Arctic summertime. So the night navigation started on the way back and as 172 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:40,160 did the Northern Lights, which was a good way of keeping you motivated at three o'clock in the morning. 173 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:45,840 Yeah, nowhere more spectacular in some ways to be viewing them than on your own, on your boat, 174 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:51,120 on an expedition like that, in the middle of the Northern Sea. I mean, bit of a pinch me moment, 175 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:54,800 I'm sure. It was definitely an emotional one. Yeah, there might have been a couple of tears 176 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:59,920 shed at that. Yeah, they're stunning. On that point, Ella, always like candidly, what were some of 177 00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:05,280 the lowest points for you? The things that just either got too much or were frustrating. I mean, 178 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:09,040 appreciate that message from your shore team would have been either you laugh or you cry. 179 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:14,800 Right. The absolute lowest point was leaving Shetland. The intention when I left Shetland was 180 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:19,040 to sail to the northeastern coast of Scotland and start making my way down the east coast of England 181 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:24,080 to come home. Now, I've been waiting in Shetland, waiting out some storms to blow over. We had 182 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:29,200 sort of 68 knots of wind in the North Sea that I certainly wasn't set in sailing to. But knowing 183 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:35,200 that Yeva couldn't cope with a lot of water coming over the bow meant trying to route around as much 184 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:39,120 as the weather and the waves as possible. So Shetland, yeah, with the intention of going to 185 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:44,800 northeast Scotland. And after about eight or nine hours of waves on the nose again, found the boat 186 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:48,880 flooded to the floor once more. One of the two bilge pumps had failed, not both of them at that 187 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:54,720 point. So I had to make the decision to divert to Fair Isle, which I don't know if anyone listening 188 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:59,520 has been into Fair Isle, but if you have, you'll know that it is an incredibly narrow entrance 189 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:03,760 where you've got a cliff on one side, rocks on the other. And it's pitch-black dark. There's no 190 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:09,280 lighting of any voyage. There's no lighting once you get into the bay. So getting in there in the 191 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:14,320 absolute chucking rain in between sort of running downstairs to manually pump back outside onto the 192 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:19,120 steering, trying to get sails down, heading into this bay. Once I got into the breakwater and I was 193 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:22,960 out of the waves, I still couldn't even see the dock that I was supposed to be docking on. And 194 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:28,240 through my torch, through the rain, couldn't see it either. So I was just sat in the middle of this 195 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:32,800 bay trying to keep her off of the shadows, trying to get the sails down. So sort of running from 196 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:36,800 the helm station to the sails to the manual bilge pump to the helm station to the sails, 197 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:42,560 trying to get benders out. Until finally, these two guys came down to the dock and lit up the 198 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:46,880 floodlights and sort of lit up the dock at about, this must have been about two or three o'clock in 199 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:50,960 the morning, and came and took my lines and helped get you over ashore. And that was the moment I 200 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:57,520 really sort of felt like I'd had in arse. That was quite a spectacle over the evening. So the 201 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:03,760 following morning, I slipped lines just after eight and re-diverted to Wick. And then in that 202 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:07,600 crossing, sort of 80 miles to Wick or whatever it was, I managed to keep her more beam onto the 203 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:12,720 sails so she wouldn't flood again. And then waited in Wick for the right conditions to be able to 204 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:17,760 get to the NES where we finally put her on a truck for the way home because the flooding was just, 205 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,960 I mean, that was about the fourth time she flooded through the anchor locker by that point. 206 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:27,920 So I mean, I'm sitting here, no one can see me but I mean, generally aghast and I have almost, 207 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:33,680 I have got goosebumps because as a combination of factors, I think most people, I think, would 208 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:38,320 guard against being in this kind of context. Obviously, when you almost are choice less, 209 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:43,920 let's say, or certainly it's the best choice to be making out of an unpalatable bunch of choices. 210 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:47,360 Well done. I mean, that's bloody good. Sea person ship. 211 00:17:47,360 --> 00:17:52,640 Not quite that way. Yeah, it was a relief to get her in this open sound and then obviously get us 212 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:59,200 back to mainland safe and sound, but it was quite intense. Emotional and sort of physical few days, 213 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:03,120 those ones. There was a lot going on. But we got there in the end, we got back safe and 214 00:18:03,120 --> 00:18:08,720 very much. It's incredible. I mean, it's obviously so exciting, yeah, listening to you, 215 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:12,000 but I also appreciate it. I think my threshold may have been a little bit lower than your 216 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:16,800 threshold. I should have given that. I probably would have cried at your friend's message. Put it out. 217 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:22,560 That's what you know, when you haven't got choice, you've just got to get on with it. In part, 218 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:26,960 I probably have my dad to thank for that sort of military mindset approach to things. But 219 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:30,640 you deal with it, deal with the emotions later, just get on, get yourself safe and sorted and 220 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:34,080 yeah, I'm pretty much myself that I'm capable of doing that. 221 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:38,880 Hello, when we were sitting on your about the summer week, we had, I remember looking at your 222 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:45,600 fantastic charts of literally the Arctic, right? And to the untrained eye appreciating, obviously, 223 00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:51,360 you understand the geography of the system, but we're talking about the sort of literally the apex 224 00:18:51,360 --> 00:18:59,040 of the planet and the way that the wind and the air moves as well as the water isn't like 225 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:03,680 obviously any other coastline on the planet. What did you notice? Like what was the weather 226 00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:07,440 like in the general climate in terms of the temperature and the wind and the precipitation? 227 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:13,520 And is that something that you had expected? To be honest, both Norway and Svalbard were a lot 228 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:18,160 warmer than I would have ever have anticipated. So in Tromso, we were walking around in shorts and 229 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:24,560 T-shirts and Svalbard just two days before I arrived there reached a record temperature of 22 degrees 230 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:29,840 Celsius this year, which is mad because the extent now where there is current debate happening, 231 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:35,360 whether Svalbard is still allowed to be classified as Arctic desert or not, because the warmer 232 00:19:35,360 --> 00:19:40,240 temperatures have caused so much precipitation that there's so much more rain and runoff from 233 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:45,760 the snow melting on mountains and into the fjord that they are currently redefining 234 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:50,720 to whether Svalbard still fits that definition of Arctic desert. It was quite harrowing to see 235 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:55,920 fast hand. Obviously, it's the first time I've been up there, but having videoed and documented 236 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:59,760 what I did and putting it out online, I've received comments from people who would say, 237 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:03,920 you know, we were there 10 years ago and wowed how different does it look now and, you know, 238 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:08,720 what a shame to see that, you know, the fjords no longer freeze over like they used to and it was 239 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:13,600 definitely eye-opening in that sense. And then as far as sort of pressure systems, there's definitely 240 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:18,400 more heavy weather in the North Sea in the summer than I was possibly expecting. I was expecting 241 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:23,360 it to probably get worse more towards September, but I was up there in July and August and still 242 00:20:23,360 --> 00:20:28,160 having to route around quite a lot of storms, but mostly purely because of the issues with 243 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:33,520 the Ava rather than the not being able to be out in those conditions. And, you know, if we look at 244 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:38,160 climate models and things at the moment, we'll see the polar jet stream drifting from the South 245 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:44,000 and the whole world of change going on up there that we keep an eye on that makes forecasting 246 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:50,000 next year's expedition quite difficult in the sense that there's no sort of prevailing wind 247 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:54,960 that's consistent enough to know that I'll be beating into it for X-mantel miles and then 248 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:58,880 sailing downwind for X-mantel miles like we're seeing from the Vondeglobes and stuff. It's a 249 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:03,600 very unusual place to try and predict. Well, it's already unusual, isn't it? I think, like you said. 250 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:08,240 And then this year, certainly, with it already being unusual just by virtue of its geography 251 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:13,520 on the planet, and we're already seeing, I mean, this year has been incredibly pronounced in terms 252 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:18,720 of odd weather. And I say that in just bucking the trend effectively. We've had this exceptional 253 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:24,800 high pressure system sitting really high and this band of low pressure whacking Europe. I mean, 254 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:30,640 for most of the year, I mean, you're in places like Italy as early as, say, April, in March time, 255 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:36,080 just being under deluges of water. So you're combining those two factors, right, of the 256 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:41,680 already changing climate, but also being in the most unique part of the planet arguably for weather 257 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:48,480 systems. Yeah, absolutely. So a lot of next year's expedition is going to be rooted on the go 258 00:21:49,120 --> 00:21:54,560 almost. So there'll be a combination of my short team at home sending me updated models and 259 00:21:54,560 --> 00:22:00,720 info that they're seeing, but also me using my own eyeballs and common sense and knowledge of what 260 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:05,600 cloud means, what's coming next and playing it almost not quite, I don't want to say by year. 261 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:09,760 There's obviously going to be planning and support, but yeah, being over vigilant and 262 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:14,400 updated forecast daily rather than relying on one for a three day prediction kind of thing. 263 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:18,960 I think it's a poignant reminder in some ways about what your expedition was also 264 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:25,360 to highlight and describing it firsthand. We initially began this conversation on that very 265 00:22:25,360 --> 00:22:32,320 premise around about our ice caps and how they've been perhaps the biggest, most referred to proxy 266 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:36,880 for the alarming rate of temperature change on our planet, how they've been preserved for 267 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:42,640 millions of years and now we're seeing exponential increase in the melting and your description 268 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:51,040 of the sort of Svelbard Arctic desert changing is quite pronounced. I mean, it's these inhospitable 269 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:55,600 and impassable and just somewhat remote and as you said, desert like areas are changing 270 00:22:56,400 --> 00:23:01,200 incredibly dramatically and that you even in Northern Norway and could experience that much 271 00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:06,880 ahead of even heading up as far as the, you know, into the Arctic Circle proper. I mean, 272 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:13,120 that's quite something. Did that bring it home some way in terms of the charities that you're 273 00:23:13,120 --> 00:23:17,360 supporting and also the awareness raising element of your mission too? 274 00:23:17,360 --> 00:23:22,000 Yeah, it absolutely did. I think one of the big things that you find when you go up into the 275 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:27,120 Arctic, whether it's on the Norwegian coast or up in Svelbard, is that everyone living there 276 00:23:27,120 --> 00:23:31,760 is acutely aware of what's going on around. Whereas, you know, down here on the South Coast 277 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:35,840 of England or around the middle of the Caribbean, we might not be as in tune to what's happening 278 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:43,120 up in the Arctic. So it did sort of boost that ambition to try and spread awareness and link 279 00:23:43,120 --> 00:23:48,560 people to what's happening up there better, but also to help the charities Pona Bears International 280 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:52,960 and Ocean Conservancy with what they're doing. And that's what this whole campaign has always 281 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:58,400 been based about, you know, is both raising awareness and helping NGOs that are out there 282 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:03,040 trying to fight for a better future for the Arctic. So yeah, it really did bring all that home for me. 283 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:07,920 And I think that's partly what has given me the boost and the energy to keep going through 284 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:13,600 yet another winter shipyard reset to be able to get out there and really highlight what I'm trying to 285 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:15,360 try and showcase next year. 286 00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:18,800 And given that this was also a bonding session between you and Yeva, your boat, right? I mean, 287 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:24,160 that was an incredibly personal relationship. Did you notice, aside from obviously the opportunities 288 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:31,680 for fixes like the anchor locker and the rudder fixing, did you notice that Yeva operate differently 289 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:37,440 in that environment at all? And it sounds like an odd question, but I'm just thinking about, you know, 290 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:43,360 the density of cold air in comparison to to wolf. I mean, that does change the way you sail, right? 291 00:24:43,360 --> 00:24:49,360 Yeah, it does. Fairman, like I said, we were up there in August this year, and it was unbelievably 292 00:24:49,360 --> 00:24:54,640 warm to sort of wreck on new highs. So we haven't yet had the sort of ice in the water experience 293 00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:59,520 that we'll be getting around the Northwest Passage in Greenland next summer. But Yeva handled the 294 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:05,440 conditions beautifully. She's got a chined hull, which was amazing in the larger offshore seas. 295 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:12,240 She's not so good in choppy waters trying to head up a fjord or a river. She's quite crap. 296 00:25:15,120 --> 00:25:17,760 It's choppy and close. I think that's fair, Ella. 297 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:22,640 You know? Yeah, it's helped me get to know how to sail her, obviously, because we've only done 298 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:26,080 sort of shorter passages around the South Coast, being the before this big trip. 299 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:29,520 And now we've done well over three and a half thousand miles single-handed. And one of the things 300 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:35,040 I really had to, you know, sort of urge myself to keep doing was to shake out a reef, you know, 301 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:40,240 let her have more sail plan. I forget that she's a heavier, slower boat. So it's helped me, yeah, 302 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:45,920 fine-tune my sail trim and sailing on her as well. But I've got every confidence in her. And I know 303 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:49,920 I always have, despite the issues we had this year. So now that both of those have been fixed, 304 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:53,840 yeah, I'm going to take some time off over Christmas to see my family and then hopefully 305 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:57,120 get back out in January and go sailing on my baby boat again. 306 00:25:57,120 --> 00:25:58,560 I'm just really looking forward to it, eh? 307 00:25:59,120 --> 00:26:02,880 But like, yeah, it's very strange living in a house again after being on board 308 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:06,640 this, only temporarily whilst she's out of the water. 309 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:12,480 Well, I think on that note, and in the spirit of well-deserved rest of which you, more than most 310 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:16,720 of us after this year, are perhaps in need of, particularly in view of your 311 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:21,440 adventures upcoming. Ella, it's always such a pleasure. And Raymond looks forward to us 312 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:25,680 discussing further over the course of next year and your adventures, what you find out about 313 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:31,680 yourself, your boat, and as importantly, the ecosystem up north as you find out. 314 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:34,960 Thank you so much for having me back and yeah, I can't wait to have another chat. 315 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:39,520 Ella hit bit solo sailor and next year, attempting the world first non-stop 316 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:43,760 circling navigation of the Arctic Circle. Thank you so much. 317 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:44,880 Thank you. 318 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:50,240 You've been listening to the Clean Sailors podcast for information on all episodes. 319 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:53,680 And for more about Clean Sailors, head to CleanSailors.com. 320 00:26:53,680 --> 00:27:23,520 Thank you for listening and see you for the next episode.