LOIS RANCE
During previous voyages, I’ve focussed on the practical elements, such rope handling and conducting lookout, so I’d love to gain more insight into navigation and decision making. From my understanding, Excelsior’s programme has a greater emphasis on navigation for all trainees, however as I have predominantly sailed on larger boats this isn’t something I have been exposed to.
The benefits to this project would not only be personal upskilling, but also an increased ability to assist the rest of the voyage crew. This would involve being able to position the vessel in specific areas to collect scientific data and provide artistic subject matter. Although, I would like to become more confident with basic navigation, this is something the rest of the voyage crew will also be learning. After speaking with skipper Charlotte, I am aware that Excelsior has a sextant onboard. The more traditional techniques of navigation, such as using a sextant, is an area that I would like to focus on, since I believe this incorporates the history of Excelsior and thus would be harder to achieve on another vessel. This conversation also sparked a ‘research rabbit-hole’ into the ‘Viking Sun Compass’. I believe that we could make a crude version to test the theory and work out ideal positioning, before making a more permanent version, fitting of a place on a traditional boat such as Excelsior. This would require collaboration and discipline from all the watches to ensure that we have a calibrated compass, however I think it would be particularly fitting since we will be sailing in what was once Viking territory.
One of the things I enjoy most about sailing, is the ability to disconnect from the world around me and focus on both the boat herself, and the compact group of people around me. Unfortunately, university means that I spend large proportions of my day looking at a screen, and this is something that I love to get away from during my breaks. Not only does the more traditional approach lean into my creative side, it would also allow me to become more confident in being self-sufficient as a sailor.
Besides the more complex, traditional methods of navigation, I would also aim to collaborate with the creatives to produce a short, informative video for first-time voyage crew. The main motive for the video is based on my own reflection that despite several voyages, I am still not confident in these basic areas.
The main challenges I foresee on the voyage are the unpredictability and the wide range of variables at play. Not only is the weather very variable, the crew dynamic can also be changeable. In order to combat these challenges, you must remain mentally and physically well. This involves sufficient sleep (which is something I need to learn to prioritise), good nutrition and managing potential seasickness. Finally, the maths required to calculate using a sextant could be very challenging initially. Although I have a good level of maths ability, I haven’t utilised this in the past few years, and therefore this is something I would need to practice!