Latest message indicates Mokum is becalmed and motoring again, but has made great progress - Lat 50.12N Long 10.29W. They will likely go straight to Portsmouth arriving on Friday or Saturday, depending on weather. I don't know who is more excited - the crew or the bloggers!
Mary Shelley
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Portsmouth Harbour view
A sighting of Mokum's arrival in Portsmouth might be possible on the internet by viewing the Portsmouth webcam
http://www.harboureye.co.uk/
and clicking on the live view webcam/harbour/live video.
The webcam views a portion of the harbour at roughly 50 47' 37.23" N, 1 6' 37.62" W.
We'll see if we receive an estimated time of arrival at Portsmouth.
signed, Ted Goddard (well-wisher and occasional racing crew aboard Mokum)
http://www.harboureye.co.uk/
and clicking on the live view webcam/harbour/live video.
The webcam views a portion of the harbour at roughly 50 47' 37.23" N, 1 6' 37.62" W.
We'll see if we receive an estimated time of arrival at Portsmouth.
signed, Ted Goddard (well-wisher and occasional racing crew aboard Mokum)
Crew morale at an all time high! 50.06N 11.12 W
Yes it's true. Erik reports that the winds are fair, the sun is out (for the second time of the entire trip) there's still fresh coffee and Martin is once again baking bread. And, as if that's not enough, the crew even saw their first sun-rise of the whole trip! All in all everyone is getting very excited and optimistic about an end in sight. Yesterday the crew saw five large freighters pass by (luckily the freighters saw them as well) which also gives a feeling that land is not far off. The first land that they'll likely see is the Scilly Islands. There remains some debate as to where they will actually dock but the destination at this point is Portsmouth, dependent on the weather. I'm sure we all wish we could be there to wave them ashore wherever that may be.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Wind has shifted and freshened
Latest text message "wind shifted and freshened at midnight - can almost make the course we want...smoking along upwind... position 49.43N,14.16W". Ahhh...the power of positive thinking! Mary
Lat 49.32 N Long 15.08 W
At 08:00 this morning Jan Pieter called to say they were south of Ireland and heading towards the channel. It was foggy, misty, and grey. They say everything is wet, messy, sticky, dirty and "definitely not a Lesley day" Martin called out in the background! It is is starting to wear on them a little. They have not seen the moon since they left. They have 2 reefs in the main and one in the jib and are travelling at 6.5 to 7 knots with a SSE wind Beaufort scale F5.
It sounds, to me, as though they will head for land at the first opportunity they get which will be Falmouth harbour on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday....depending on the weather, of course.
I wanted to say they are "itching" to get to land but then Joanne will call out the "pun police" on me again! (See comments to "Mokum Comes Through with Flying Colours")
As I was talking to them I mentioned that I was writing everything down for the blog and they said they think we are having more fun with the blog than they are at the moment!
Grey is certainly not their favourite colour....
Sunday, July 29, 2007
More Fog - Lat 49.02 Long 16.48
I have just had a call from Martin - all is well, but unfortunately the weather is not cooperating with their arrival pool! They have had "dead calm" and had to motor through the night. The wind has now come around to the east so they are having to buck and are against the current. At the moment they are headed for Lisbon. This will probably put their arrival in England about 1-2 days behind what they had hoped. The fog seems to be with them almost nightly, so much so that they haven't even been seeing any stars - good thing they haven't had to rely on the sextant alone for navigation! For some reason, they have not been receiving our text messages since Thursday, so were relieved to know that all was well on the home front. Let's hope for a change back to a west wind to put them back on schedule!
Mary Shelley
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Almost at Long 20
Just had a text message from Martin - they are almost at Long 20W. Martin must be in baseball withdrawal - they have a "pool" for crossing long 6.20:
Martin Wed 1800hrs, Pieter Wed 2300hrs, Erik Thurs 0800hrs, and David Thurs 1100hrs. Sounds like the excitement is mounting!
Mary Shelley
Friday, July 27, 2007
The sun even came out today!
A brief chat with Erik revealed their new coordinates -- 49.06N 23.05W. He reports that everything continues to be settled and quiet. Despite the sound of the rain falling in the background, they had their first sunny skies earlier in the day today. To top it all off Martin's bread was a delicious success. They have eaten well and managed to get caught up a bit on their sleep after their adventures earlier in the week. All in all a great day for Mokum and the crew!
Mokum and crew weather storm with flying colours!!!!!
Jan Pieter seems to have called my parents in Cambridge hoping to reach me. I was working a Paris to Vancouver flight.
The message was that both Mokum and his crew had weathered the storm very well and he was very pleased and proud of both.
I am posting this from Vancouver. I fly out tonight to London and our pilots are going to attempt to call them via their sat phone. I am not too optimistic because Mokum doesn't have the phone on all the time. I have texted them a time to receive.
It would be exciting to make an air to sea connection!
When the boat left St John"s Martin had just been out to make the last minute purchase of a "loaf tin". There were a few comments from the crew.....JP rolled his eyes and warned the others to keep an eye on Martin if he started putting things in the oven. Hopefully now they can all "eat their words".
Let's all raise a sandwich!??!!( don't anyone dare say sub)
To Mokum!
The message was that both Mokum and his crew had weathered the storm very well and he was very pleased and proud of both.
I am posting this from Vancouver. I fly out tonight to London and our pilots are going to attempt to call them via their sat phone. I am not too optimistic because Mokum doesn't have the phone on all the time. I have texted them a time to receive.
It would be exciting to make an air to sea connection!
When the boat left St John"s Martin had just been out to make the last minute purchase of a "loaf tin". There were a few comments from the crew.....JP rolled his eyes and warned the others to keep an eye on Martin if he started putting things in the oven. Hopefully now they can all "eat their words".
Let's all raise a sandwich!??!!( don't anyone dare say sub)
To Mokum!
July 27 Baking bread!
I just had a text message from Martin - they are making great headway - almost two thirds of the way. Lat 48.39,Long 24.26 in a great high zone (I hope that means the weather!). He was baking bread and asked me to check for any weather changes. Sounds like the trip is proving to be everything they hoped for and more.
Mary
Thursday, July 26, 2007
July 26 Lat 47.36 Long 27.41
Text message today indicated "Flat Motoring...all is well..no weather concerns". What a relief after all the crazy weather of the last few days! Thanks for all the calls and messages of support...we appreciate them!
Mary Shelley
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Halfway Point!
Just got a text message from Erik a few minutes ago reporting that all is well and that they have weathered the storm. The crew would like us to join them in a toast as they have successfully reached the halfway point at: 47.36N & 30.00 W. That really is cause for celebration!
July 25: 47.22N, 31.03W
We awoke to a text message from the crew this morning. The message read "ALL IS WELL, WE ARE STILL IN LOW PRESSURE AND RAIN, BUT THE WAVES ARE DOWN FROM 30' TO 20', WE LOOK TO BE ABOUT HALF WAY". They also inquired about any further storm systems, so we sent an updated weather report. It appears that they are back on course. Hopefully this will be the end of the tough weather.
Relieved!
Mary
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Stormy Weather: 46.45N, 33.41W
The Mokum crew has had a busy night battling the weather of the Atlantic. They have been in touch with the Coast Guard to register their position, and considered altering their course to avoid further storms. At this point, they are staying south, and battling the high seas resulting from the storm which appears to be moving north (away from them). After a tough night, they are more encouraged this morning as a high pressure system seems to be moving in. We'll continue to keep you posted.
Mary Shelley
Monday, July 23, 2007
July 23 Lat 46.39N Long 35.16W
I have just had my first call from Martin and it was great to hear his voice. They have had the most challenging day so far - 40mph gale force winds for over an hour this morning! Pieter had them change to the smallest storm sail and they successfully navigated through the weather. They had been in touch with a passing ship who advised them of a weather system heading south from Greenland toward the Azores, and encouraged them to bide their time until the system passed. As we spoke, they were looking forward to their first fog-free night. They have eaten most of their "fresh food" and are now into the cans of non perishables. They are safe and well - skirting the storm may have put them a day or so behind schedule but we are relieved that they made the right decision (after all, they were ahead of schedule to date!)
Check out the new link on the right hand side of this page to follow Mokum's progress to date (yes, it is in Dutch, but the map itself is universal!). Thanks to Yolanda for putting this together. We hope you don't mind us posting the link directly to the blog for all to enjoy!
Mary Shelley
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Sunday, July 22
Julie has just had a call from Erik. They've had great sailing and are making good progress. Latitude 46.33 N, Longitude 38.59 W. Martin will be calling tomorrow to get an updated weather forecast.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Saturday July 21
Jan Pieter just called on the sat phone. Erik was cooking. The motor was running to recharge the battery. Fog was rolling in. The water temperature in the Gulf stream was 22.5 degrees (- no wonder there is fog - ) They said the weather and sailing were good and everybody misses everybody!!!!
Their position is 45.40 N and 42.17 W
They have travelled 550 nautical miles which is about a quarter of the way across! So they are making great time.
It was great to hear Jan Pieter's voice :) but, of course, we couldn't chat for long.
Until next time
Lesley
Friday, July 20, 2007
Position LAT 44.56 N LONG 46.31 W
A short while ago Julie called me, having received this message. ALL IS WELL. FOG AND DOLPHINS...IN THE GULF STREAM LAT 44 56 N LONG 46 31 W.
Jan Pieter's message to me was that he does not feel that he can relax yet on this 2nd part of the journey.
The pictures Rainer has posted are amazing and they reflect what a wonderful trip this has been so far.
Photos - Quebec City to St. John's NFLD.
A photo journey of some of the photos taken along the way. June 30 to July 16, 2007.
Enjoy. Photos by Rainer Leipscher
Metting Elmer, Jan Pieter and Pim at the marina in Quebec City, where my part of the journey to St. John's Newfoundland begins.
After work on the boat, a tour of the old part of the city was in order. Unique monument.
Artists display their craft.
Courtyard.
The charm of old Quebec City is everywhere.
Happy tourists.
A colourful sight at every turn.
Elmer, Jan Pieter, Rainer and Pim enjoy the charm (and a drink) of old Quebec City. What a lively, artistic and beautiful part of the city.
Entertaining the tourists.
July 1 - Elmer, Jan Pieter's brother, leaves Mokum for his trip back home to Holland. He has been with the boat since 50-Point Marina on Lake Ontario.
Leaving the last lock at the Quebec City yacht club behind. No more locks from here on. Plan is to reach Tadoussac before nightfall, but it's a long way off.
A very strong tide rushes past channel marker. Made over 11 knots over the ground with the tide and under 4 against it, even though the boat speed was 6.6 knots.
Find that marker yet?
Rain gear was off and on for most of the day.
Tea time.
Always on the lookout for tanker traffic.
Life is good.
Mokum running with a very strong tide.
Lighthouse at entrance to Tadoussac on the St. Lawrence River, at low tide.
Whale activity on the St. Lawrence River at Tadoussac, Quebec.
Fin whale (hard to tell).
Beluga whale.
The clubhouse-restaurant at Tadoussac harbour, sits high above the low tide waterline. Tadoussac is located at the entrance of the Sagueny River and the St. Lawrence River. A very picturesque town with an active tourist trade. Whale watching is a main draw to this community. Beluga whales are very abundent here.
Low tide in harbour.
One of oldest churches in Quebec.
Journal update time.
Inspecting a humpback whale skeleton. Better get back soon to close the hatches. Sky is a little too dark.
Took a very scenic hike on a boardwalk along the shore, before leaving Tadoussac.
How would you like your meat done?
Pim kept us well fed.
July 2 - Underway. Full gear was needed for cold and damp night. It seemed time moved slowest between midnight and 3 a.m. Still were chilled when shift was finished. A hot chocolate or coffee helped.
July 4 - 6 a.m. arrival at Riviere-au-Renard, on the Gaspe Peninsula. A long 36 hr. run from Tadoussac. Took a hike around the harbour, bought some fresh fish and had a much needed $4 shower at the club house.
The town has a very active fishing community.
Darkness and a cold night, are soon to come.
A wet deck.
Invigorating sail at sunset.
One of dozens of lobster trap floats we had to navigate around. What a mine field.
Shoreline of Iles-de-la-Madeline. Arrived at 1300, after a 25 hr. run from Riviere-au-Renard. Fantastic sailing throughout the night.
The harbour at Cap-aux-Meules on Iles-de-la-Madeline is a busy fishing and pleasure boat centre. It is said that 80% of the population are descendants of shipwrecked sailiors.
Stacked lobster traps, with Mokum in background.
Fishermen unload lobster traps on the second last day of the lobster season.
July 6 - A hill with a view over the harbour.
A barren landscape and a red clay shoreline.
Lobster fishermen take in their catch.
Tanker crosses our bow. We had to reduce speed so he could pass safely in front of us in the fog. Radar is a must.
Smooth landing.
Plenty of bird activity to help pass the time while underway.
Spotting first sight of land in Newfoundland at Port aux Basques. Radar, the fog horn and help from Port aux Basques Traffic Services guided us through heavy fog to the narrow entrance of the harbour.
Fishermen tending their nets near the entrance to Port aux Basques harbour.
Jan Pieter and Pim - Welcome to Newfoundland.
Jan Pieter and Rainer are happy to be ashore after a 22 hr. trip from Iles-de-la-Madeline, in heavy fog.
Ferry from Sidney arrives in fog after a 6 hr. trip.
Not many sailboats in this part of the world. A great spot to rest and wait for Erik.
Walking part of the Trans Canada Highway.
An abundance of flowers growing in the wet bog.
A beautiful stretch of winding road, with not a tree in sight.
When stepping off the road, your foot would sink in the thick wet bog.
Pim leads the way.
Hiking along stone ridge.
Wild orchids.
A toast at the spot we first sighted land through the fog.
Ferry entering Port auz Basques harbour.
Mokum crew thanked communications officer for helping us enter Port aux Basques harbour under heavy fog conditions, earlier in the day. All ship traffic must report with the Marine Communications and Traffic Services centre before entering their zone. Very friendly and professional.
Traffic controller keeps track of all ships around Newfounland, part of Labrador and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Has information on each ship, as to who they are and where they are going.
July 8 - Taking on more diesel fuel before leaving Port aux Basques.
Jan Pieter show his culinary skills.
Toast to another great hot meal.
July 9 - Erik is getting his sea legs, after joining Mokum in Port aux Basques, Newfoundland.
Any time is nap time.
July 10 - Refueling while underway in the Atlantic. Hold on tight Erik, we don't want to lose the skipper.
Passed across the bow of tanker that was waiting for clearance to enter the Placentia Traffic Zone. Lucky he was dead in the water. We hove-to (setting the boat up so it wouldn't make any progress in the water) shortly after this and spent 4 hrs. resting, so we could enter Trepassey harbour in daylight the next day.
Whale gets airborne.
July 11 - A very rugged and inhospitable shoreline for a sailboat. Making our way to Trepassey located at the end of a long bay. Most of this part of trip was in heavy fog.
Erik tends to the main.
A pod of humpback whales surface near the entrance to Trepassey harbour, at the south-east tip of Newfoundland. Jan Pieter slowed the boat to keep up to their movements through the water. Followed them for 20 minutes. They were totally at ease with us following them. What an experience.
Fishermen unload over 16,000 lbs. of swordfish and tuna, after spending two-and-a-half weeks on the Grand Banks. The fish will be shipped to Boston by transport truck, a two day journey.
Tricky descend to boat at low tide, but a secure and protected dock in Trepassey.
A sunny hot day in Trepassey, with fog over the harbour.
Low tide. Watch that first step. Fog would roll in at any time of the day.
Captain Charlie (right) and his crew from the fishing boat came by for a chat.
Dusk at Trepassey fishing dock, with fog rolling in over the bay.
Jan Pieter, Pim and Rainer, dressed for the cold and wet conditions.
Supper with full weather gear on.
July 12 - Getting ready for action.
Gusts up to 30 kts. and speed over 9.
Hold on tight.
High seas, 20+ knots of wind and a speed over 9 kts. This is sailing.
Always time for photos, no matter what the conditions.
Long, high waves, help move the boat along at over 9 knots.
A blustery sail under high waves.
Mokum arrives at St. John's Newfoundland.
Lighthouse at channel entrance to St. John's harbour.
Securley tied up to dock after a long day at sea. Left Trepassey at 3:30 a.m.
Our neighbours on the dock, Andre Johansen and Marita Hermansen. They sailed their 30-foot Pacific sailboat, Hogo Grotius from their home port of Oslo, Norway, leaving
July 2006.
July 13 - Ready for our first breakfast in St. John's.
No way am I going to finish this, even with Jan Pieter's help.
Erik tries to solve the curse of getting the satellite phone to work with the computer. Ready to pull his hair out after spending over three hours on the cell phone to Kitchener.
Racers from the Royal Newfoundland Yacht Club raft off on Mokum and Hugo Grotius, the sailboat we share the dock with.
George Street comes alive after 10 p.m. There are 65 licensed establishments in a three block area. Lots of fun.
Lively George Street.
Magical dusk light.
Well kept homes.
July 14 - We were invited by the Royal Newfoundland Yacht Club to join the race they held once a year in the harbour. Jumped at the chance. Skippers meeting was held before the race.
A great day for a race in St. John's harbour.
Almost too close for comfort.
Winds went from strong to none.
Congestion around the race marker.
The skipper likes to cut it close. We could have reached out and touched the tires.
It was a tight race to the finish marker. We took 4th place.
Erik celebrates after the race.
Old homes along the steep cliffs.
Sign says it all.
The rugged, narrow trail snakes it's way along the cliffs up to Signall Hill.
Another rest stop on the steep trail up Signal Hill.
Canons from the past, guard the entrance to St. John's harbour.
Colourful mailboxes decorate many homes.
Time for a good cleaning.
Maybe a few more cans of curry before we go?
Jan Pieter, Joanne and Warren on George Street.
The Navy frigate St. John's, leaving for patrolling duty on the Grand Banks.
Jan Pieter, Lesley and friends Joanne and Warren, who made the trip to St. John's to visit the crew of Mokum.
The crew involved in the adventure of Mokum's journey, (left to right) Jan Pieter, Erik, Pim, Martin (front), David and Rainer.
Jan Pieter, David, Erik and Martin eager to start the Atlantic crossing.
Enjoy. Photos by Rainer Leipscher
Metting Elmer, Jan Pieter and Pim at the marina in Quebec City, where my part of the journey to St. John's Newfoundland begins.
After work on the boat, a tour of the old part of the city was in order. Unique monument.
Artists display their craft.
Courtyard.
The charm of old Quebec City is everywhere.
Happy tourists.
A colourful sight at every turn.
Elmer, Jan Pieter, Rainer and Pim enjoy the charm (and a drink) of old Quebec City. What a lively, artistic and beautiful part of the city.
Entertaining the tourists. 
July 1 - Elmer, Jan Pieter's brother, leaves Mokum for his trip back home to Holland. He has been with the boat since 50-Point Marina on Lake Ontario.
Leaving the last lock at the Quebec City yacht club behind. No more locks from here on. Plan is to reach Tadoussac before nightfall, but it's a long way off.
A very strong tide rushes past channel marker. Made over 11 knots over the ground with the tide and under 4 against it, even though the boat speed was 6.6 knots.
Find that marker yet?
Rain gear was off and on for most of the day.
Tea time.
Always on the lookout for tanker traffic.
Life is good.
Mokum running with a very strong tide.
Lighthouse at entrance to Tadoussac on the St. Lawrence River, at low tide.
Whale activity on the St. Lawrence River at Tadoussac, Quebec.
Fin whale (hard to tell).
Beluga whale.
The clubhouse-restaurant at Tadoussac harbour, sits high above the low tide waterline. Tadoussac is located at the entrance of the Sagueny River and the St. Lawrence River. A very picturesque town with an active tourist trade. Whale watching is a main draw to this community. Beluga whales are very abundent here.
Low tide in harbour.
One of oldest churches in Quebec.
Journal update time.
Inspecting a humpback whale skeleton. Better get back soon to close the hatches. Sky is a little too dark.
Took a very scenic hike on a boardwalk along the shore, before leaving Tadoussac.
How would you like your meat done?
Pim kept us well fed.
July 2 - Underway. Full gear was needed for cold and damp night. It seemed time moved slowest between midnight and 3 a.m. Still were chilled when shift was finished. A hot chocolate or coffee helped.
July 4 - 6 a.m. arrival at Riviere-au-Renard, on the Gaspe Peninsula. A long 36 hr. run from Tadoussac. Took a hike around the harbour, bought some fresh fish and had a much needed $4 shower at the club house.
The town has a very active fishing community.
Darkness and a cold night, are soon to come.
A wet deck.
Invigorating sail at sunset.
One of dozens of lobster trap floats we had to navigate around. What a mine field.
Shoreline of Iles-de-la-Madeline. Arrived at 1300, after a 25 hr. run from Riviere-au-Renard. Fantastic sailing throughout the night.
The harbour at Cap-aux-Meules on Iles-de-la-Madeline is a busy fishing and pleasure boat centre. It is said that 80% of the population are descendants of shipwrecked sailiors.
Stacked lobster traps, with Mokum in background.
Fishermen unload lobster traps on the second last day of the lobster season.
July 6 - A hill with a view over the harbour.
A barren landscape and a red clay shoreline.
Lobster fishermen take in their catch.
Tanker crosses our bow. We had to reduce speed so he could pass safely in front of us in the fog. Radar is a must.
Smooth landing.
Plenty of bird activity to help pass the time while underway.
Spotting first sight of land in Newfoundland at Port aux Basques. Radar, the fog horn and help from Port aux Basques Traffic Services guided us through heavy fog to the narrow entrance of the harbour.
Fishermen tending their nets near the entrance to Port aux Basques harbour.
Jan Pieter and Pim - Welcome to Newfoundland.
Jan Pieter and Rainer are happy to be ashore after a 22 hr. trip from Iles-de-la-Madeline, in heavy fog.
Ferry from Sidney arrives in fog after a 6 hr. trip.
Not many sailboats in this part of the world. A great spot to rest and wait for Erik.
Walking part of the Trans Canada Highway.
An abundance of flowers growing in the wet bog.
A beautiful stretch of winding road, with not a tree in sight.When stepping off the road, your foot would sink in the thick wet bog.
Pim leads the way.
Hiking along stone ridge.
Wild orchids.
A toast at the spot we first sighted land through the fog.
Ferry entering Port auz Basques harbour.
Mokum crew thanked communications officer for helping us enter Port aux Basques harbour under heavy fog conditions, earlier in the day. All ship traffic must report with the Marine Communications and Traffic Services centre before entering their zone. Very friendly and professional.
Traffic controller keeps track of all ships around Newfounland, part of Labrador and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Has information on each ship, as to who they are and where they are going. 
July 8 - Taking on more diesel fuel before leaving Port aux Basques.
Jan Pieter show his culinary skills. 
Toast to another great hot meal.
July 9 - Erik is getting his sea legs, after joining Mokum in Port aux Basques, Newfoundland.
Any time is nap time.
July 10 - Refueling while underway in the Atlantic. Hold on tight Erik, we don't want to lose the skipper.
Passed across the bow of tanker that was waiting for clearance to enter the Placentia Traffic Zone. Lucky he was dead in the water. We hove-to (setting the boat up so it wouldn't make any progress in the water) shortly after this and spent 4 hrs. resting, so we could enter Trepassey harbour in daylight the next day.
Whale gets airborne.
July 11 - A very rugged and inhospitable shoreline for a sailboat. Making our way to Trepassey located at the end of a long bay. Most of this part of trip was in heavy fog.
Erik tends to the main.
A pod of humpback whales surface near the entrance to Trepassey harbour, at the south-east tip of Newfoundland. Jan Pieter slowed the boat to keep up to their movements through the water. Followed them for 20 minutes. They were totally at ease with us following them. What an experience.
Fishermen unload over 16,000 lbs. of swordfish and tuna, after spending two-and-a-half weeks on the Grand Banks. The fish will be shipped to Boston by transport truck, a two day journey.
Tricky descend to boat at low tide, but a secure and protected dock in Trepassey.
A sunny hot day in Trepassey, with fog over the harbour.
Low tide. Watch that first step. Fog would roll in at any time of the day.
Captain Charlie (right) and his crew from the fishing boat came by for a chat.
Dusk at Trepassey fishing dock, with fog rolling in over the bay.
Jan Pieter, Pim and Rainer, dressed for the cold and wet conditions.
Supper with full weather gear on. 
July 12 - Getting ready for action.
Gusts up to 30 kts. and speed over 9.
Hold on tight. 
High seas, 20+ knots of wind and a speed over 9 kts. This is sailing.
Always time for photos, no matter what the conditions.
Long, high waves, help move the boat along at over 9 knots.
A blustery sail under high waves.
Mokum arrives at St. John's Newfoundland.
Lighthouse at channel entrance to St. John's harbour.
Securley tied up to dock after a long day at sea. Left Trepassey at 3:30 a.m.
Our neighbours on the dock, Andre Johansen and Marita Hermansen. They sailed their 30-foot Pacific sailboat, Hogo Grotius from their home port of Oslo, Norway, leaving July 2006.
July 13 - Ready for our first breakfast in St. John's.
No way am I going to finish this, even with Jan Pieter's help.
Erik tries to solve the curse of getting the satellite phone to work with the computer. Ready to pull his hair out after spending over three hours on the cell phone to Kitchener.
Racers from the Royal Newfoundland Yacht Club raft off on Mokum and Hugo Grotius, the sailboat we share the dock with.
George Street comes alive after 10 p.m. There are 65 licensed establishments in a three block area. Lots of fun.
Lively George Street.
Magical dusk light.
Well kept homes.
July 14 - We were invited by the Royal Newfoundland Yacht Club to join the race they held once a year in the harbour. Jumped at the chance. Skippers meeting was held before the race.
A great day for a race in St. John's harbour.
Almost too close for comfort.
Winds went from strong to none. 
Congestion around the race marker.
The skipper likes to cut it close. We could have reached out and touched the tires.
It was a tight race to the finish marker. We took 4th place.
Erik celebrates after the race.
Old homes along the steep cliffs. 
Sign says it all.
The rugged, narrow trail snakes it's way along the cliffs up to Signall Hill.
Another rest stop on the steep trail up Signal Hill.
Canons from the past, guard the entrance to St. John's harbour.
Colourful mailboxes decorate many homes.
Time for a good cleaning.
Maybe a few more cans of curry before we go?
Jan Pieter, Joanne and Warren on George Street.
The Navy frigate St. John's, leaving for patrolling duty on the Grand Banks.
Jan Pieter, Lesley and friends Joanne and Warren, who made the trip to St. John's to visit the crew of Mokum.
The crew involved in the adventure of Mokum's journey, (left to right) Jan Pieter, Erik, Pim, Martin (front), David and Rainer.
Jan Pieter, David, Erik and Martin eager to start the Atlantic crossing.
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