Meet the crew!

In the Canary Islands Saecwen was joined by two new crew members, Jem and Emily.

Celebrating Landfall in Ilha do Sal, Cape Verde after 6 nights at sea

Jem, originally from Cowes on the Isle of White, has sailed all his life and as a former bike engineer and now UX consultant is a marvel at fixing things. His persistence for getting to the bottom of pretty much any snag on board is admirable, particularly as this often involves crawling into tight spaces in the 35+ degrees of heat.

Jem at the helm

Emily – from County Kildare, Ireland – ran away to sea for the first time 8 years ago and already has one transatlantic crossing under her belt as part of a tall ship crew.  Emily is a sustainability consultant, tri-athlete and most recently designated ship’s influencer keeping families posted with her excellent video diaries.

Emily under the Irish flag

Jem and Emily are Cadet Members of the Royal Cruising Club under whose burgee Saecwen proudly flies. They have now completed over 1,400 miles aboard Saecwen, and hopefully a few more thousand to go. Here some of their highlights and lowlights of the trip so far.

Emily

Lowlight: “Just as I was looking forward to ending my night watch and getting into my cosy bunk, Saecwen was hit by a 30kn wind squall, and I found myself clinging onto the wheel trying to keep the boat under control in pitch darkness as we surfed down the waves at over 11 knots  - until being rescued by Charlie”

Highlight: “I caught a tuna!!!  (my first ever fish)”

Jem

Lowlight: “Perspiration! Since entering the tropics it’s been SO hot”

Highlight: “The passage from Sao Nicolau to Mindelo, Cape Verdes. 18kns of wind on the beam, Saecwen flying along above hull speed, all sails set perfectly, Hydrovane steering the ship beautifully; three fish on deck in three minutes. Champagne sailing!”

Emily's video of the mast check