Guy Fawkes in another universe

0700/5th position 0508 02441 trip 110/24
Almost exactly half way between the corner of S. America and Ascension Island. Progress, but slow. Wet, lumpy and uncomfortable. Arse-bone complaining to the Ass.
Nocturnal visitor returned last night – not in the bird book and just possibly a land bird – brownish all over, lighter head, dark eye patches wingspan about 40 cm long thin black beak no hooked end. It departed when I had to put the second 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. in and get soaked for my troubles.
It’s been said that we sem to be enjoying this one rather more than the others – probably right, no deadline, we’re going somewhere on the way, and we certainly haven’t got to the hard bit yet. I think that’s about 3 weeks away, down near Tristan and then all the way to Hobart. We’ll see – it has certainly been astonishingly easy so far and I’m sure the ExaminerShe who asks awkward questions of the crew and tests them with difficult tasks. is polishing her whip