0837hrs 28 Oct 2005 UTC 37’51”S 021’53”E Ref 496
DB: dmg 103 – seems about right, given the adverse current and the overnight park. 69 days out, so in 2 days we will equal the Falklands – Falmouth leg in days, followed the next day by a Berrimilla record voyage. We have already sailed about 1000 miles further.
We have again done a stocktake of the Medicine Chest in the face of an elongated voyage. We will run out of everything useful in about 40 days so we are on an abstemious kick – no more Dr Grumpy, morning Consultation with The Doctor on alternate days only and smaller G&T’s. Glooom.
Steve says our Fastnet medals for 2nd in the 2 handed div and 3rd in the seahorse div (that’s a special division basically for RORC newcomers) have arrived from RORC – there might perhaps be a photo for the site. We’ll be the last to see them!
Kevin and Denise – If it helps, I will do a 5 minute sequence for you in the next calm patch, showing how to set up Kevvo so he steers the boat right along the chalk line. Let me know. I’ve done a bit of the wild and woollies too over the last couple of days plus some bare poling. Not brilliant and I can’t get out there in the really spectacular stuff, unfortunately.
Last night, as we struggled with the wind and spray and brought in the headsails, I saw, right out on the edge of my peripheral vision in the glow of the spreader lights, a shape on the water – a sort of white patch, but not evanescent like most white stuff out here. It was an albatross, sitting on the surface watching us go by – noice! The spreader lights turn the exercise into a page from the Inferno – orange fiery jib, blasting, flashing spray moving horizontally, glistening red and yellow dayglo figures with bright reflective patches toiling at full stretch at heaving masses of canvas and lines and the whole lot tossing and crashing and rolling. What must an albatross think of us humans?
I’ve just made bread. Anyone who has romantic notions of the soothing feel of the dough and the tactile sensations and illicit pleasure of kneading and rising and the ultimate satisfaction of the small of baking – forget it – anyone who tries to make bread in a tossing gyrating small boat with no work surface, no stowage for the necessary implements and bowls, nowhere to ‘cover with a damp cloth, place in a warm spot and allow to rise until dough has doubled…'(if you try, you’ better be prepared to sit on it) – that person should be certified instantly and removed for their own safety. It’s a refined form of masochism and at the end, you have a monster cleanup of spilled flour, crumbs, hardened dough, bowls, frying pan etc. All for about 8 slices. Very nice to have and to hold, perchance to eat, but worth the candle? – I think not! Only about another ten packs to go.