Here we see the deck from the bow back to the mast paying close attention to the two foresails - the yankee and the Genoa staysail - and the spinnaker poles attached to the deck.
We can follow the halyards at the front of the mast as they climb the mast and drop down inside. Just above the boom, they emerge again either side of the mast and feed through pulleys and jammers as they run back to snakepit. Here a crew member will be responsible for raising and lowering the sails (as well as other jobs). Others will stand at the side of the mast and pull the halyards through; known as 'sweating' the halyard.
We work back along the deck from the mast to the helm focusing on the primary winches which are linked to a grinder in the centre of the boat so that two people can work on the same line. Near the companionway (which leads down to the saloon and galley) we see where the crew sit between sail changes. This can be a dangerous place to sit because of the boom and the strain on the mainsheet so it is avoided when sailing downwind.
On smaller yachts, the helmsman works with a tiller but the Clipper boats have a wheel which operates just like the steering wheel does on a car. The main difference is that as well as keeping the correct course, the wheel is used to counter the effect of tide, waves and sudden gusts. It can also be used to a limited degree to keep the sails trimmed.
Winches take some of the effort out of operating sheets and halyards. They should be fully loaded to avoid the rope slipping. The inch handle should never be left in the winch. If it is not being held by the hand it should be stored safely away in its pocket. Winches generally have two gears but the primary winches have three and are generally operated from the grinder rather than with a winch handle
This is arguably the most important part of the boat since a well fed crew is a happy crew. It can also be one of the most dangerous. Managing pots of boiling water whilst cooking for 17 can be very challenging when the boat is sailing along at 40 degrees.
This is the heart of our communications with the outside world. From the navigation room, the skipper can access all the important data relating to the boats performance so the key decisions around course selection and race strategy are often made here
When the crew are not on watch, they may eat or read in the saloon but can often be found sleeping or listening to the ipod on their bunk. It is the only 'personal' space that a crew member has for 10 months at sea and even then, people swap bunks depending on which way the boat is heeling
Cleanliness and hygiene on the Clipper boats is very important. The heads house the toilets but also double up as wet rooms providing shower facilities - but not every day!
