Breare gets ready for challenge

Breare's Clipper blog
Andy Breare
BBC Spotlight's Andy Breare and cameraman Geoff Burrell are sailing the Atlantic aboard the Nova Scotia Clipper. Andy will be keeping a regular blog of his and Geoff's adventure here on the BBC website.

Andy Breare gets used to his new "studio" on board Nova Scotia

Well, we've arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia and we've met up with the yacht "Nova Scotia" and unloaded our luggage on board.

I had breakfast this morning with our skipper Rob, who tells me that the boat is full to capacity.

We have 20 crew on board, which is going to be a bit of a squeeze but many hands make light work, as they say.

I got assigned to my bunk today. It's in the middle of the boat which is good news for the rough bits.

I had a good conversation with Peter Appleby, a coach driver from Wadebridge who's done a leg of this race on board our boat. He advised me to keep the bunk dry as it's a haven when you're feeling tired and low.

Lovely to meet up with Sir Robin Knox-Johnston again today on the waterfront. We had a beer and talked about the race. I guess he is the reason I am here. The man is such an inspiration if you consider what he has achieved in one lifetime.

I am feeling really nervous about the race. When it comes to sailing I am a beginner and I don't want to get things wrong and let the crew down BBC Spotlight's Andy Breare

So, the plan is that we leave Halifax early Thursday morning and sail up to Sydney on the Canada coast.

For that 350 mile sail we have on board the Canadian Tourism Minister, who I have to interview for Canadian TV, so that should be fun. We have a couple of days in Sydney getting the boat ready for the start of the Trans-Atlantic race, which begins on Monday lunchtime.

I am feeling really nervous about the race. When it comes to sailing I am a beginner and I don't want to get things wrong and let the crew down. I've met most of them now and they seem like a great bunch of people, so hopefully I will be ok.

This voyage is going to be hard from a sailing point of view. And trying to send as much footage back from the boat for Spotlight will be tough, but we will do our best.

Will update this blog as and when I can.

I miss my kids terribly. Hi to Morwenn, Tabitha and Archie (who is eight on Sunday!).

Hope all is well back in the UK and we'll be updating you soon. Still on UK time so ready for bed even though it's only half five in the afternoon!

Andy