Episode 7 Channel Patrol

It's the busiest waterway in the world.

Come on, skipper! Get a move on that way!

A gateway to our nation.

Over 90% of the world's trade travels by sea.

It's not just TVs and refrigerators. It's everything around us.

Protected by a multi-agency task force,

it's a unique stretch of water.

This is Warship Tyne, Warship Tyne. Channel 1-2. Over.

RADIO COMMUNICATION

It's very difficult to police the Channel,

to board every vessel is an impossible task.

It's a place where swimmers and Sunday sailors

fight for space with cruise liners...

..and cargo ships.

It's like trying to get across the M25 during rush hour.

For some, the English Channel is their place of work.

If my mum came out here and saw what I was doing up here,

she'd tell me to get off!

-For others, it's a playground.

-Whoo-hoo!

But for those who venture onto its unpredictable waters...

We're just going to assess the moving of the casualty now.

Port control, Dover lifeboat.

..it can mean life or death.

Just drag him onto the boat!

I hope my babies get to see this and see what Daddy does for a living.

Today on Channel Patrol, a rookie sailor learns the ropes.

Much harder than that, it'll be slave labour!

Harbour Patrol has its hands full.

Get a move on!

I wasn't happy

with your manoeuvre earlier on, sir.

The Navy inspects a fisherman's catch.

And a band of crane-operating brothers feel the strain.

But if something does happen,

it could mean someone's life at stake, really.

Today, holiday-makers from all over the UK flock to the Channel

to be carried on ferries and cruise ships to the Continent and beyond.

I'd like to welcome you on board the Belle Seaways for the 16.00 sailing.

The weather on the Channel this afternoon, a light westerly breeze.

These sturdy steel vessels are a common sight on the seaway.

But for hundreds of years,

magnificent wooden ships like these

were carrying men and women around the world.

Back then, they were the quickest form of mass transportation.

Tall ships are a traditionally rigged sailing vessel,

over 30 foot long,

with masts towering 100 foot into the sky.

Today, 46 of these vessels, from all four corners of the globe,

have come to Falmouth

to race to the Isle of Wight for the Tall Ships Regatta.

All ships in the tall ships fleet stand by for the start of class B.

They are taking part in a race of over 200 miles

up the English Channel.

-Can we go?

-Yeah, go!

The race to the Isle of Wight aims to engage young people

in the art of sailing.

One rookie looking to spend more time on the water

is 19-year-old council worker Joseph Nickless.

I don't want to work in an office nine-till-five

for the rest of my life.

Constantly working towards budgets and deadlines.

I'd rather be out on the sea, taking it all in,

rather than sat in front of a computer typing away.

He hopes, one day, to build his own boat.

But for now, he has to learn the ropes

on board the 100-year-old Kapitan Borchardt.

I don't know what to expect, really,

because I've only been on a small yacht before.

And I've not had much experience on that. Excited. Really excited.

Training up Joseph is officer's mate Katarzyna Szarecua.

The biggest challenge is learning the technical terms,

learning how to do things properly.

I'm going to go full steam ahead,

trying my best to soak it all in like a sponge, if I can.

Rigging these relics from the past

is far more complex than modern vessels.

Their giant masts and wooden timbers are heavy

and their sails complicated.

Yeah. More or less.

All the boats in the regatta will be racing under wind power alone.

So just to get out of the harbour to the starting line...

This?

..involves Joseph and his fellow trainees

hauling these heavy canvas sails 92 foot to the top of the mast.

You can have all the strength in the world

but if the technique isn't there,

you're not moving anywhere with that sail, it just won't go up.

Phew!

Hopefully, that's one of the harder ones.

Much harder than that, it'll be slave labour!

It's a tradition of the Tall Ships Race

that as these grand old dames of the sea

make their way slowly out of Falmouth Bay,

smaller, more modern boats rally round

and escort them out.

Set port lever ahead one to starboard lever stern two.

The race line is set between the naval boat HMS Severn

and a cruise ship.

James, do you want to be out there looking to make sure

there isn't an early cross?

It is being closely monitored by race officials,

who are running the operation from the navy vessel's bridge.

On my sign, we'll set more sails, we split up,

and then we go to cross the start line.

It's a timed race and the boat skippers need to make sure

they're in position and their mainsail set,

ready to get a good start.

This is us.

And all the other ships are ships from our group,

heading towards the start line.

All ships in the Tall Ships race, 20 seconds to the start of class A.

Ten,

nine,

eight,

seven, six,

five,

four, three,

two, one...

Now!

HORN BLARES

So we are almost on the line.

Yeah, nervous.

A bit worried about something happening

and being stranded in the Channel somewhere.

Then again, I could always swim back. I've got my wetsuit.

Each tall ship now has just two days

to reach the finish line at the Isle of Wight.

And as they leave the safety of Falmouth Bay,

they soon have to vie for space

with other vessels on the Channel.

The most dangerous in travels is traffic.

Between Europe and the rest of the world, it's very dangerous.

All these big ships are much bigger than ours,

they are much faster than we,

so if there would be a collision,

probably, they just crush us.

The GPS shows they are on a collision course

with another vessel.

RADIO COMMUNICATION

Good morning, sir.

This is Kapitan Borchardt,

the sailing vessel on your port side.

I would like to ask you to go off our stern

because we are on sails and have limited manoeuvrability.

RADIO: Please keep your course and speed

and I will alter my course to port.

OK. Thank you very much.

You see over there, there is the big vessel, the cargo ship.

And they are, for now, a bit collision course with ours.

And as we are on sails, very close to the wind,

we have much less possibility to manoeuvre than they have.

It takes time for them to change course,

but it's much more easier than for us,

because they don't have to change the sails.

SHIP'S HORN BLARES

They are passing us

and I think they will correct their course in a few minutes

and back on their way.

The potential collision is averted.

But when it comes to sailing on the Channel,

there's one thing that is completely out of Katya's control.

The Isle of Wight is 100 miles away.

With limited wind,

the Kapitan Borchardt is slipping behind other, bigger-sailed ships.

The wind's not picked up like we expected, I think.

So, at the minute, we're not going at any speed.

We're doing about two knots, I think.

I guess it will pick up eventually.

Finishing the race within the official two-day time limit

looks in doubt.

We have to practise our patience for this.

The Channel is a lifeline to the UK's economy.

The majority of our imported goods,

from exotic fruits to foreign cars,

come in through this stretch of water

on board towering, majestic shipping vessels.

Southampton is the most productive port in Europe

and 38 million tonnes of freight

pass through its container terminal every year.

The crew here turns around container ships

faster than anywhere else in the UK.

And when it comes to container ships,

they don't get much bigger than the Marco Polo.

This super-vessel was once the largest man-made object

to move across the planet,

with her vast decks the size of four football pitches,

carrying more than 16,000 containers.

And unloading such a giant is no easy job.

Hold it there. Hold it there.

It's a dangerous environment.

Containers can weigh up to 40 tonne apiece.

Shift Ops Manager, Colby Squibb,

must ensure the monster ship's hefty cargo

is unloaded quickly...and safely.

Right, good morning, gentlemen.

The sheet, as it stands, is crane 21 is out for maintenance.

Today, in amongst the thousands of containers on board the Marco Polo,

there's a particularly challenging cargo.

Crane 41, discharging four wind generators.

There's about 96 boxes before we get there on that one.

The spare parts for a wind turbine, weighing nearly 40 tonnes apiece.

So getting them onto land safely will be no mean feat.

Any questions?

To add to the pressure,

the Marco Polo needs to be unloaded as quickly as possible

so it can get under way to its next destination.

Colby has just the crack team for the job -

his brothers,

Steve and Jay Squibb.

I suppose you could say, although I don't like to say it,

I'm their boss.

Well, I don't like to see it that way.

And I'm sure they don't see it that way, either.

Following in their father's footsteps,

the brothers have been working at the docks for the past 20 years.

Ships are so much bigger now than when I started.

It's incredible, really.

It's frightening that they are getting even bigger.

I think this place is a good barometer for the economy.

When we went through our lull,

the volumes on the ships was so much down.

We sort of noticed that things were picking up

a long time before anyone else did,

just with the amount of business that we were doing.

The youngest of the three brothers is crane operator Jay.

And one of his job requirements is a serious head for heights.

And when he reaches the control cab, 160 feet up,

he has a glass floor looking all the way down.

No, it's a lovely view, isn't it?

Especially on a nice day like today.

If it gets too windy, we've got wind alarms.

Fog as well. You get quite a bit of fog down here.

You have to stop for fog,

as soon as your visibility goes - it's a safety thing.

Unlike the rest of the cargo,

the generators have not been shipped in a container.

We have to look at how we're going to lift it.

We've got loads of different lifting equipment.

What the weight is, what the size of it is.

Because we've got lifting gear

that can lift heavier stuff and lighter stuff,

so we have to make sure we use the right gear.

It's a lot slower.

You know, normal containers, the spreader just locks on,

takes them on or takes them off. Very quick operation.

There's lots of uncontainerised loads

that come through on the ships.

It can be wind turbines. It can be yachts.

It can be Airbus wings.

Hold it there.

Unloading uncontainerised goods is much more dangerous,

because it requires a crew on the ground

directly below the heavy load.

The most important aspect,

when you're doing a lift like that, is communication.

Jay will probably be well-versed in what he has to do beforehand.

And he'll have to take explicit instructions

from Steve at all times.

OK, Jay, just wait there, mate. Rich will bring the trailer under.

It's vital.

If the crane driver doesn't hear you stop,

you could cause untold damage.

Or, you know, accidents or whatever.

So, yeah, good communication is paramount.

Just hold it there, mate.

They're my eyes down there.

I don't do anything until they say. And you don't want any doubt.

You need everything to be fixed and in place.

OK.

I can hear you loud and clear now, Jay.

-I'm more or less ready.

-OK, mate.

Each wind generator has to be moved individually.

And with the crane itself weighing over 1,000 tonnes...

Come down. Come down now, Jay. Come down now.

..it's a risky business for Jay and Steve.

Yeah, go on. It's a bit flat, mate.

But big brother is watching.

I monitor the channel, so I can listen to what's going on.

But I don't have any input.

To begin lifting the wind generator,

Jay has to position his cab and the winch over the hold of the ship.

OK, Jay, come on down. You're stopping just short there.

And just hold it there. Can you just go aft for me again a touch?

I think we're there now.

So far, I've got it down far enough for him to shackle on.

Obviously, you don't want there to be any errors.

I suppose it's just unforeseen circumstances,

things that happen out of the ordinary.

But if something does happen, you know,

it could mean someone's life at stake, really.

Because you know, that's a big, heavy thing we're lifting there.

And if anything were to go wrong, you know, anything could happen.

We're just going to take the weight, just to see what it does,

just as we lift it a little bit,

as long as there's not a lot of movement.

OK, Steve, I'll just take the weight

and then I'll wait for you to give me a shout.

OK, mate.

How heavy is it? Over 38 tonne.

So, you know, if 38 tonne were suddenly to fall off,

you know, it's disastrous.

All right, Jay, if you just want to take it off.

OK, mate.

So where I've got a load and they're suspended,

you don't want to just steam back. You want to just go nice and steady.

You don't want 38 tonne just swinging about.

This is a time when you do drive a crane just nice and slowly.

With time of the essence,

the crew needs to balance efficiency with safety.

We got to be careful with everything we lift.

You know, we treat a container, a bit of un-con,

everything with the same respect.

They're not particularly fragile

but we've got to treat them with the utmost care.

You have to have good depth perception.

You have to judge height well.

All right, don't trolley back any more, Jay.

-Just come down like that, mate.

-OK, mate.

Keep coming, Jay. Just hold it there, mate. Hold it there.

Jay, just trolley back for us, please, mate. Trolley back.

As the ground crew go about their work 160 foot below Jay...

Just a couple of inches, Jay, just to get it right.

..it's the ultimate exercise in brotherly trust.

Getting into position now to turn it.

One false move

and nearly 40 tonnes of heavy metal could come crashing down.

Steve obviously knows his role really well.

Just square it up, lads, and I'll land it.

Just come this way, Rich.

Most of the pressures

and the difficulties that they would face.

And, in turn, Jay is a skilled operator.

So, yeah, and them being brothers,

I suppose there's that relationship and that trust.

All right, just, just...

Just, come down about a foot, mate.

Perfect.

No, he's got a steady hand. Yeah, he's good.

No-one wants to make a mistake.

Right, hold it there, Jay. Just hold it there.

Let's get the rubber down, lads.

You just trust each other.

Yeah. Bit of slack, mate.

Beautiful.

That's landed now.

Cheers, mate.

As well as trust,

the brothers share the experience of operating the cranes.

I've spent some time up the crane.

So, on how good he is, I would say he's definitely better than me.

Whether Steve would say he's better than him,

I don't know - you'd have to ask Steve that.

To be honest, I think, out of the three of us,

we're all pretty good up the crane.

I think Jay's probably the best out of the three of us.

With all four 40-tonne loads

safely disembarked from the giant freighter,

the Marco Polo is ready for its next assignment.

You OK, Jay?

-Yeah.

-Come on down, mate.

Keeping the flow of freight coming in to the Squibb brothers

and other crews at the container terminal

is the job of Southampton Harbour Patrol.

Paul Black escorts these freighters

through the dense harbour traffic of fishing and leisure craft.

His job is to prevent accidents and collisions.

We're at Dock Head now,

where the River Test and River Itchen join.

We have a six-knot speed limit

in the whole of the docks area

because often you've got divers working on ships

and you can never be sure whether they are or not.

The flags are not that prominent.

You've got mooring areas.

You've got people getting into dinghies.

You've got people walking about in small boats.

So generally, we try and keep the wash down.

We've got a guy coming down the river here - it's not excessive,

but it's just a bit too fast.

So I'm going to have a quiet word with him

and just advise him of the speed limit.

SIREN SOUNDS

Hello, skipper!

Just to advise you, we've got a six-knot speed limit in the port.

No problem at all.

I think they took it quite well.

He made a point of saying he was aware of the rules

but saw the fast catamarans going in excess of that.

They have a dispensation.

They call up every time as they approach the docks.

And they're given permission, if it's safe to do so.

We obviously can't do that for every single small boat.

To police his 30 square miles of water,

Paul has various tools at his disposal.

We've got blue flashing lights.

We've got two tones.

We've got a tannoy system.

And, as a last resort, go right alongside the yacht

and actually blocking the path.

The yacht on my starboard bow, sir, are you happy to go astern of him?

You've got commercial shipping, yachting,

a unique tidal regime, sandbanks.

You know, what is there to go wrong(?)

Paul's first job of the day

is to guide a massive oil tanker safely into port.

We have a precautionary area.

It's an imaginary box, if you like,

about 1,000 metres ahead of each ship and 100 metres either side.

And the idea is that that box is definitely a no-go area.

There's a reason why Paul's job is so crucial.

In 2011, a yacht breached this exclusion zone

around a 120,000-tonne tanker

before Harbour Patrol had time to intervene.

Its crew narrowly escaped with minor injuries.

But the skipper was fined

and ordered to pay legal costs of over £100,000.

Five to starboard. OK. Thanks very much.

We've got a 260-metre crude oil carrier behind us,

the Navion Britannia.

You're talking, for this particular crude carrier,

100,000 tonnes upwards.

Big freighters like this take a long time to stop or change course.

So it is crucial the smaller traffic gives way.

If we can turn that one back or make sure he doesn't come

to the south, please.

-RADIO:

-We'll send them down...

Thank you.

You don't need a licence to go behind the wheel of a boat.

So Paul is always on the lookout for yachtsmen behaving badly.

The yacht that's motor sailing, I guess, fine on your starboard bow,

just keep an eye on that one, we might have to turn him back.

Yeah, we will do. I see him. Over.

The yacht continues on its path,

aiming straight between Harbour Patrol

and the 100,000-tonne tanker -

a major breach of navigational safety.

-What are they doing?

-He's still coming.

SIREN SOUNDS

The yacht is now in the prohibited zone.

Paul has to manoeuvre his boat 180 degrees to try and block their path.

Come on, skipper! Get a move on!

Get a move on that way!

That really is a no-no.

"I'm going that way," he said. "Are you really?"

Make sure he gets a piece of paper.

What was it? Sun Seeker, wasn't it?

We've taken his name.

I think we'll definitely need to have a word with him.

Quite why he felt he needed to get across in front of that ship,

so close to it, I really don't know.

After successfully guiding the tanker into port,

Paul is now on the hunt for the Sun Seeker's skipper.

He has on board what we call AIS,

automatic identification system,

so as long as he keeps that switched on,

we should be able to find out where he is

and then go and have a polite word.

-There he is.

-That is him.

We've got some information here.

Some bedtime reading for him.

-Hello, sir.

-You all right?

-Yeah.

I wasn't happy with your manoeuvre earlier on, sir.

I thought you were too close to the big ship.

The thing is, you leave no margin for error.

If you have a mechanical problem, there's nowhere you can go

and there's no way that ship's going to go.

There's the paperwork that relates to it. Have a little read.

I'm not upset. But have a safe one.

Well, I thought for a moment, he was going to be argumentative.

You know, if something goes wrong, you've got nowhere else to go

and the ship's certainly got nowhere else to go.

And his face, his whole attitude changed.

I don't think he'd thought of that side of it,

which is when he stuck his hand out and shook my hand.

-So, yeah, good result, really.

-Excellent.

Paul's busy shift is over

and the Port of Southampton has been kept accident-free for another day.

Southampton's harbour officers

aren't the only ones patrolling the Channel.

This is Dover Coastguard Information Centre.

The Royal Navy is also tasked with defending these waters -

and not just in times of war.

This is Protection Vessel Severn on channel 1-6. Over.

During peacetime,

they adopt crucial roles protecting the UK's interests.

And safeguarding the country's £500 million fishing industry

falls under their remit.

Overfishing has threatened sustainability,

so the government has introduced fishing limits and regulations

to conserve stocks.

To ensure fishing vessels stay within the law,

the navy patrols the fisheries up to 200 miles off the UK coast.

HMS Severn is part of this Royal Navy task force.

In position 5-0.

5-0.

0.03.

0.03.

HMS Severn is an offshore patrol vessel. She was built in 2003.

There are three of her in her class -

HMS Severn, Mersey and Tyne.

All are used for marine enforcement tasking around the UK.

Today, she is tasked with patrolling the Channel

off the coast of Falmouth,

with orders to board and search fishing vessels

suspected of flouting the strict regulations.

These cover everything from how much fish you can catch,

what type of fish you can catch,

to the equipment that you can use, areas in which you can fish in.

And our role is to board and inspect these vessels

and ensure they are compliant with all of the rules,

which will allow fish stocks

to remain sustainable for the foreseeable future

and will support the fishing industry in British fishery limits.

Every fishing vessel operating in UK waters

is required to carry a tracker,

which the navy can use to identify it.

One boat in particular has caught their attention.

Fishing vessel Imogen, fishing vessel Imogen.

This is Protection Vessel Severn calling on channel 1-6. Over.

All craft are required to be available for radio contact

at all times via a specific VHF channel.

You can see somebody in the wheelhouse.

When you're steady, try again. And then blast with the siren.

This is Protection Vessel Severn calling you on channel 1-6. Over.

Yes, please.

SHIP'S HORN BLARES

Keep an eye on his course. He's coming to port slightly.

So make sure we don't hit them.

Fishing vessel Imogen, call sign Foxtrot Yankee 470,

this is Protection Vessel Severn on your port beam at two cables.

Calling you on channel 1-6. Over.

RADIO: Yes, OK.

Fishing vessel Imogen, request channel 1-0.

-Yeah, you're on this one now.

-Good afternoon, sir.

Just some routine questions for you this afternoon, please.

Yes, OK, fire away.

Where was your last port of call and when, please?

Yeah, it was Zeebrugge.

Before deciding to mount a boarding mission,

the skipper is asked a set of questions.

Roger, skipper. That's all copied.

And how much fish have you on board at this time?

Not very much.

About 30 kilo of weight here.

This boat has not long set sail and has little catch

so, despite their initial suspicions,

the navy is happy with the skipper's answers and decides not to board.

Roger, skipper. All copied. Thanks for answering my questions.

I request that you answer the VHF

a little bit earlier next time, if possible.

In the meantime, we wish you good fishing.

Listening at channel 1-6.

Yeah, OK. Thanks a lot. Cheers.

HMS Severn can now continue its patrol.

We've got all these vessels in the vicinity here.

As part of their work,

the marine management team carry out routine on-the-spot inspections

of fishing vessels in the area.

We've got eight vessels in the vicinity, sir.

Manx Ranger looks like she's the most likely.

She's a scallop dredger, last boarded on 26th July by myself.

OK, where's the Manx Ranger?

The Manx Ranger is down here, sir. 12 miles away at the minute.

OK, so we'll proceed down there at best speed.

Close to a mile, hail, and then we'll board as soon as we can.

Aye-aye, sir.

Fishing vessel Manx Ranger, fishing vessel Manx Ranger,

this is Royal Navy Fishery Protection Vessel Severn.

Yes, Fishery Protection Vessel Severn, you're calling Manx Ranger.

Stand by on channel 10, please.

The team decide to board the vessel

to carry out routine checks on its catch.

The plan at the moment is, having called the vessel,

it is a viable target.

Therefore, my intention will be to board the vessel.

Boarding team at Bravo Charlie.

Sea surface temperature is 70 degrees.

Survival time in the suits, four hours, in excess of.

As per usual, team.

Coxswain, your decision as to when you're in the water

and whether you make the approach.

Boarding officer, your decision about getting on board.

Have a good look at the boarding ladder.

Anybody have any questions?

OK, boarding and boat ops authorised as briefed, 13.43.

The Manx Ranger catches scallops

that reside on the bottom of the Channel.

Consumption of this mollusc in the UK

totals over 650 tonnes a year,

with a retail value of £13 million.

My name is Dave. I'm the marine enforcement officer. This is Sam.

She's my assistant.

Have you got all your paperwork, documentation and stuff?

That's great. Cheers.

The penalties for flouting regulations can be severe.

In 2012, two vessels were ordered to pay £1.62 million

for illegal overfishing of ling and hake.

Commercial scallops smaller than 100 millimetres

should be thrown back into the sea to protect the mollusc's population.

The landing gear is also inspected to ensure it meets legal criteria.

Bravo Charlie, that's gear inspection complete.

Most fishermen support the inspections,

respecting the need to preserve the diversity of species

in the marine environment for future generations.

It's definitely a good thing.

As long as you keep within the law and all that, it's not a problem.

It's never been a problem for us, anyway.

We, you know, just keep within the law and that's it.

With the inspection complete,

David is happy to report back that everything is in order.

Boarding complete. We're nearly finished. Over.

-RADIO:

-Roger.

With hundreds of square miles still to patrol...

Fishing vessel Milly Jean, fishing vessel Milly Jean,

this is Protection Vessel Severn on channel 1-6. Over.

..HMS Severn continues its important mission

to protect the Channel's fisheries.

From its mouth at the North Atlantic Ocean,

the Channel gradually narrows from 112 miles to 21 miles.

And 53 ports and harbours feed it with 500 vessels a day.

SHIP'S HORN BLARES

In the 1970s,

catastrophic collisions in this overcrowded waterway led to

the world's first radar-controlled traffic separation system.

Joining the swarm of vessels this week

is a flotilla of imposing tall ships,

racing from Falmouth to the Isle of Wight.

Crewing the century-old Kapitan Borchardt

is a group of young novice sailors,

including 19-year-old Joseph Nickless,

who wants to leave the nine-to-five and spend more time at sea.

A couple of months ago,

I would never have dreamt I would've had the chance to do this.

You know, so... A lot of hard work. You've got to work as a team.

And it's good for your biceps!

Why not?

The crew's attempt to get to the Isle of Wight

within the two-day time limit is being hindered by the lack of wind.

The ship is losing its position in the race

to its competitors with bigger sails.

We've only been cruising at about two to three knots. So...

But I think the captain decided

to go out and try and catch the sea breeze coming from France

and then go back in and up through the Channel to the Isle of Wight.

I don't know how that's going to work,

because, obviously, I'm a novice, so I wouldn't know.

But, erm...the captain will know what he's doing.

So...I guess the crew all puts their faith in the captain and that's it.

As night falls, the captain's gamble pays off.

OK. OK.

And the sails start to catch the wind.

The next morning, the wind picks up further.

And to gain every bit of speed,

the trainees opened the outer jib sail on the front of the boat.

So...you've got an extra sail up so you're getting more sail area.

So, in effect, you're getting more speed out of the wind

and it's pushing you more cos it's catching the wind.

Changing sails on these old boats is quite an undertaking,

and perilous for the uninitiated -

especially in these conditions.

The worst thing is the risk of falling off

because, obviously, you're not in a catch or a schooner,

you're on netting.

And if you're not clicked on with the harness,

then there's a chance that you can fall into the sea.

So it is risky.

It's all right. Loosen.

Loosen.

More loose. More loose.

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

Is it usually that hard?

Mind your leg! Leg! Leg!

With the movement of this wind and with the pressures on those lines,

it's very dangerous what these guys have to do,

because if they weren't careful,

they can actually fetch one of them over the side.

So you truly need one hand for yourself and one for the ship.

With the crew battling to get the sails up,

the Kapitan Borchardt makes the most of the wind

and gains good speed on her last leg of the race.

But as the Isle of Wight and the finish line come into view,

the skipper has some bad news for his valiant team of trainees.

As you see, the Isle of Wight here, we are passing south of it.

Actually, now we are crossing the real finish line.

We have not crossed it on time.

But, in accordance with the racing rules,

for the ships who are not able to cross the line on time,

they finish at sea.

But it's not all bad news.

The lack of wind has affected the whole Tall Ships race

and the boats will still rank in the regatta.

I anticipate sixth position out of 45.

This is what we can make.

We will see.

For me, I feel the experience,

I enjoyed more than anything in the race,

actually being out on the sea.

I've gained insight into what I want to do.

I want to do a lot more sailing, be on the sea a lot more.

I'll try my hardest to get better at doing that.

I've never sailed up to the Isle of Wight before.

So it's all a new experience.

Yeah, I wish I could go back and start it all over again.

As the Kapitan Borchardt continues east,

it joins the ranks of the hundreds of other pleasure boats

getting away from it all on the Channel.

This is what we keep this old lady alive for -

to give people enjoyment.