Contingency planning

Needless to say, our friends and family have been fretting about the possibility of disaster at sea, and it's not a topic that has been neglected. Since leaving Cowes in July, Croix des Gardes has acquired a significant amount of new kit and is now looking like a more typical cruising boat - full of clutter!

We've been buying kit since we planned our departure, starting with new rigging, a sizable liferaft and a small rib (Big Blat) to supplement the small inflatable (Blat), extra batteries, a larger diesel tank, central heating and replacement water tanks. With tanked water alone we have enough for the requisite "2 ltrs per person per day" for the trip. More recently, James has installed solar panels, a towed electric generator, sat phone with external marine antenna, and a water maker (nearly commissioned). Bilge pumps seem to be breeding in my absence, with one accessible from the cockpit (in the floor) and a new one in the heads I believe. There is also a salt water tap in the galley although turning on the sea cock involves accessing the "crew" heads in the fo'castle, ie unscrewing the decommissioned loo to turn on the sea cock below. Part of this is that Croix des Gardes is so heavily built that James has struggled to find points in the hull where the rib spacing is sufficient to fit new sea cocks!

So here is a list of possible disasters and our plans:

• Hydraulic failure - this would impact both the autohelm and the water maker as both hang off the engine. James says he can cannibalise one to fix the other and helming by hand isn't a disaster with such a heavy crew.
• Fan belt failure - again spares on board
• Engine failure - spares aboard but if we totally lose the donkey we're onto rationed water (2lt per person per day)
• Medical trauma - head injury is the worst that can occur and that should be an adult-only consideration. Crew have to accept this and take care. Other physical trauma can be stabilised using drugs on board and we are prepared to do so for 72 hrs until a ship can be diverted to assist. Same goes for any disease, and with a heavy crew, we can afford to 'lose' one adult and still maintain easy watches. If we are two adults down we're getting stretched but James double handed to the UK from Oz successfully.
• Man overboard - children are used to being aboard and the lifejacket rule is NEVER broken. Elizabeth will have to refrain from climbing the rigging at sea!
• Collision - we have recently fitted AIS and new radar reflectors etc that make us look larger than we are to ships so collision with a vessel is not likely. Collision with a lost container cannot be ruled out. If we are holed we have an escape plan, grab bags with 24lts water, and have discussed our priority of evacuating the kids from their cabin via the fore hatch.
• Piracy - we are not planning on entering any areas of recognised pirate activity. Piracy in this area tends to be the more old-fashioned kind rather than the Somalia variety and we'll have a suitable amount of cash to hand over if it comes to it. So long as we're OK.
• Navigation - there's not really a lot to do mid-Atlantic other than try to maximised the weather. If we do lose GPS etc, we have a sextant and chronometer aboard so will still make landfall in Barbados.
• Running out of supplies - water usage will be monitored to ensure the tanks are sufficiently full to maintain 2lts per person per day if we lose the water maker. We also have fruit juice and UHT milk in stores. We have food for 40 days plus some extra emergency rations. The crossing should only take 28 days. We also have fishing gear if we get bored.
• Heavy weather - I and Elizabeth will be sick and have anti-emetics. The rest are seasoned crew and the boat has a high freeboard and is heavily constructed. We have spare sails but not a spare main and downwind we could run on genoa and spinnaker if we blow the main. If we get rolled or dismasted then we have to jury rig something and call in a PAN, although the swells are not expected to be that violent in the area of our crossing. It's not the Southern Ocean!
• Loss of rudder / steering - this is potentially catastrophic but is extremely unlikely on our vessel due to her build.
• Loss of propeller - we're sailing! Anyway we could do with a new one....

We will also be carrying an Argos position tracker which will relay to the Transat Classique website every two hours. Everyone at home will know at once if we suddenly stop or are forced onto a suspicious course.

That's all from us for now as we've got a lot of packing and preparing still to do. Wind has gotten up a bit today but the marina is extremely sheltered. Planning to start the formal schoolwork today too.