Year 3 -9th September 2026 -St Helena- Cape Verde -Day 7

Julian and I were on for the red eye slot 2.00am -5.00am. We were sailing quite pleasantly but a little off course and I knew this as we planned to gybe at about 8.00am. The stars were out in force and very clear but we did not see the moon which was due to rise at 4.30am but we could not find it.

We were glad to get to our beds and slept well. I was up again at 7.45am and ready for the gybe at 8.00am. Mark, Dave, Paul, John and I affected the gybe by gybing with the helm and by releasing one sheet and one tack line and pulling in on the opposite side. The sail came round nicely and we were heading more Northwest.

I checked the weather again and the ECMWF model had us heading toward the West African coast and up and other models went off to the West more and some straight down the middle. The route seems to change each day but I can see ahead that the wind will die out at a certain point for all models and then we will have to motor and it appears 4 days of thunderstorms and rain as we pass through the ICTZ. We discussed it and the models seem split and the model we trust after the ECMWF is the PWE model which went down the middle. This suited our course and the waypoints I had plotted and so we decided to take this route for now. We can monitor twice a day and adapt as we go.

It was another lovely sunny day and very warm. The sea was relatively flat and there were some small fluffy white high pressure type clouds which would not bother us. It was a question of westing today so that when we gybe again we can sail up the middle toward Cape Verde.

Paul had his usual bacon and eggs for breakfast and the rest of us papaya, granola and yoghurt – that was the last of the yoghurt now gone.

The morning went by with my sorting out my fan in my room and getting out a dressing up kit to become King Neptune. We were only about 90 nm from the Equator and we shall pass from the Southern Hemisphere and the South Atlantic to the Northern Hemisphere and the North Atlantic. For me this will be the fourth time I have crossed the Equator on my circumnavigation.  If you have not crossed the Equator on a boat you are called a “Pollywog” and once you have crossed you become a “Shellback.” Pollywog: A sailor or passenger who has never crossed the equator by ship. They are viewed as uninitiated or "the lowest creature in the sea" until they pass the ritual. Shellback: An experienced sailor who has already crossed the equator and completed the initiation. They become trusted subjects of King Neptune.

The line-crossing ceremony, also known as Crossing the Line, is an initiation rite in some English-speaking countries that commemorates a person's first crossing of the equator. The tradition may have originated with ceremonies when passing headlands, and became a "folly" sanctioned as a boost to morale, or have been created as a test for seasoned sailors to ensure their new shipmates were capable of handling long, rough voyages. Equator-crossing ceremonies, typically featuring King Neptune, are common in the navy and are also sometimes carried out for passengers' entertainment on civilian ocean liners and cruise ships. They are also performed in the merchant navy and aboard sail training ships. Throughout history, line-crossing ceremonies have sometimes become dangerous hazing rituals. Most modern navies have instituted regulations that prohibit physical attacks on sailors undergoing the line-crossing ceremony.

By the eighteenth century, there were well-established line-crossing rituals in the British Royal Navy. On the voyage of HMS Endeavour to the Pacific in 1768, captained by James Cook, Joseph Banks described how the crew drew up a list of everyone on board, including cats and dogs, and interrogated them as to whether they had crossed the equator. If they had not, they must choose to give up their allowance of wine for four days, or undergo a ducking ceremony in which they were ducked three times into the ocean. According to Banks, some of those ducked were "grinning and exulting in their hardiness", but others "were almost suffocated"

Baptism on the line, also called equatorial baptism, is an alternative initiation ritual sometimes performed as a ship crosses the equator, involving water baptism of passengers or crew who have never crossed the equator before. The ceremony is sometimes explained as being an initiation into the court of King Neptune.

I planned to dress up as King Neptune and to conduct a line crossing ceremony for Dave, John and Julian who were Pollywogs.

Our 24-hour run to 12.00noon was 184nm which was not bad. John made a lovely frittata for lunch which we had with salad and coleslaw. Paul, as he had his eggs earlier had a sandwich. Mark and Dave made a number of more soft shackles from the dynema I had which was very useful. This took a number of hours.

Julian and I were on at 12.00noon until 4.00pm. We had a quiet watch as we just sailed on nicely in the sun doing mile after mile – roughly 7-8 kts per hour. The countdown to the Equator continued. The guys slept or read or just rested or sat out the back enjoying the sun.

We handed over at 4.00pm to Mark and Dave and Paul began to prepare supper.

At 6.00pm I dressed up as King Neptune. I had a Trident from before and put that on the end of a boat hook and I had a white shirt, blue baggy pirate type trousers, a hat (from Indonesia), a bit of netting for a beard. I called for Captain Hine as I had been on this good ship Stormbird 3 times before to deal with Pollywogs and had noted the Motely Crew which Captain Hine had out together and this was a Motley Crew of crews!!

Dave, John and Julian, the Pollywogs, were called on to the aft deck and it was noted they wanted to cross the Equator and King Neptune asked them to justify why he should allow them across. Dave waffled on about his cake which of course was of interest, Julian waffled on about spreadsheets and having Starlink and John had little to say but Neptune had noticed the smoke – which was John vaping.    

King Neptune required them to pick an apple out of a bucket with their teeth which they all managed albeit with dripping heads. They were then anointed with the cup of plenty – the 44 DD used for breadmaking and then anointed with the Sperm of a sperm whale (houmous) on their faces. King Neptune agreed they could cross the Equator. This was then celebrated with a half can of beer each. We do not drink alcohol on passage but this was a special occasion. It was a tame affair compared to some initiations but some fun and merriment for all. We toasted King Neptune and of course Stormbird who looks after us so well.

We had this ceremony while it was still light as we shall pass the Equator at about 12.15am and other than those on watch everyone will be asleep.

We have about 1,200nm to go to Cape Verde and are nearing halfway since St Helena.

Paul made a vegetable and lentil stew which we had with tuna steak which was delicious. The sun went down and we had had another lovely sunny hot day while we eat up the miles.

In looking up the weather it appears the wind is going to run out and we may have to motor across the Doldrums and through thunderstorms and rain. We hope to sail well overnight and then to gybe back again. The wind is beginning to decline a little to 10 + kts and we need it to continue.

The picture of the day is King Neptune addressing the Pollywogs who will become Shellbacks in the night.

 Need/Opportunity Year Three

I am now on the way to Cape Verde, Azores and back to the UK. 

The blog will continue as we continue the journey. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com