2124.32 15742.39 – Alex

Well and truly on the way – we were visited today by one of these long tailed terns – brilliant white, long pointy tail, razor wings and they dive spectacularly for fish. But also a sure sign we’re close to land. About 100 miles from Chesterfield island in fact, sailing along the south western edge of the reef-- As a verb – to shorten sail, to use reefing lines or other techniques to make the working part of a sail smaller and so reduce its power as the wind rises. --- As a noun, (1) the part of the sail that has been shortened, folded or rolled. May be referred to as a slab or a slab reef which is a particular way of forming a reef. -- As a noun (2) – a bank of coral, rocks or other obstruction usually close to a shoreline and potentially dangerous to sailors. and about 50 miles out. We should get around the corner in a couple of days.

A day of sweat and effort for the old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say. spent in the bowels of the vee-hicle unpacking and repacking the insides and then putting sponge rubber under the diesel containers in the cabin as they were moving around a lot and we don’t want them to wear through. ‘Er outside spent the time getting used to KevvoStainless steel self steering device, built by Kevin Fleming, used on Berrimilla and countless others’s idiosyncrasies – he takes a bit of practice and getting used to. And, as she told you, getting her knickers wet.

Repacking because we decided we needed a second bunk to sleep in rather than as a storage bin. We’d been hot bunking one bunk but because Berri is so tiny inside and everywhere is knobby or sharp or generally uncomfortable in some way, there is nowhere for the person on watch to sit or rest the aching back except – in our case – a bunk full of boxes, bags and stuff. So it’s all repacked and we got two bunks just like Pete and I had all them years ago. So it seems anyway.

Definition: hot bunking is two or more people taking turns to use the same bunk – you come off watch, peel off the wetties and party gearFull wet weather gear and hop into a nice warm bunk your oppo has just hopped out of. Except it’s often wet and soggy and you curse said oppo just as s/he curses you at the other end of the watch.

Ann, you asked about phosphorescence – isnt any here, though a couple of nights ago I looked over the stern at our wake and there was a glowing trail with lots of bigger sparkles – more or less instantaneous. Very like looking at the milky way on a clear moonless night except its stars are static.

We’ve been up and down the reefing system all day – from 3 and postage stamp jib to full everything and now 1 and about half the furklwe – how did ha happen? – meant to be furlerA device fitted around the length of the forestay(s) of a sailing yacht that enables the crew to roll the headsail partially around the forestay and so make its effective area smaller (the same as reefing) or to roll it up completely (furling it). The sail would be furled when at anchor or otherwise not being used. There is a full description here .. Always exhilaration in these conditions, with the constant grey knuckle twinge in the hairier bits. The sail works well, Brian – thanks. Different though, and needs different techniques.

Time to scrape ze teef. Another blog soonish on ConsultationA regular engagement with alcohol. One might say this whole epic is a Consultation with a bit of a sail round it. See also Conservation Mode; Linear and Parallel Methods of Consultation and our complement of medicinal compounds. Very different from last time.