Our New Crew

Welcome our two new crew...

Timothy and Sarah!

We welcomed them in yesterday and today. Timothy (the Monitor) and Sarah (the Autohelm) have proven themselves to be invaluable members of our crew.

I would never have actually recruited Sarah in the first instance, but I must admit. She is a great helmswoman when we are motoring up the lee of an island. We left her to it and only had to coax her once or twice as to a direction change.

Timothy on the other hand is a stalwart. No sooner had we left Bequia, did he leap into action. You only need to provide him with the most minimal of encouragement and direction and he does all the rest. How we lived without him I don't know. Although I do love to helm, helming for 7 consecutive hours while beating can take it out of a man. It is great when you have a crew member who loves doing it so much that he will do it for 24 hours if you ask it of him!

Sally and I were able to chill out and relax for the remainder of the trip. Safe in the hands of Timothy. As Orion is such a well balanced boat, Timothy had no problem coasting along at a comfortable 6 knots.

Sarah picked up her share of load earlier today as we motored up the coast of St Vincent. There was no wind and a flat sea. Ideal conditions for her I think. She was a real champ and did exactly what we wanted. I will be employing her more often to helm for us when we are motoring.