Day seventeen - no defeatist talk seems to work...

Adonde
Neil & Tracy Batcheler
Thu 4 Jan 2007 19:02
Noon position 16:10.8N 44:51.0W
 
Day's run a best-yet 136nm
 
Well look at that, the moment I'm told I can't whine about our slow progress any more we do a best yet of 136nm. Blimey, there must be something in it. Although Tracy's unbridled optimism was sadly misplaced as far as last night's dinner went - the decision to fish for dinner was meant well but sadly Mr Fishy was elsewhere and wouldn't swallow our hook. We had corned beef.
 
A slightly less good day today as the wind's been a bit flukey so we're not expecting any records to be broken, and it's been a bit lumpy again which isn't pleasant. We decided to gybe earlier onto a course that would take us a bit further south, and the easiest way to gybe our gennaker is to drop it, swap the sheets (ropes) over and rehoist it. Well that sounds straightforward enough doesn't it? Well it usually works. This time, everything that could go wrong, did. We had a sheet jam in a block, the snuffer got stuck, we had the sail twisted and had to drop it again, you name it, it happened. Half an hour later the sail was finally set, I was dripping in sweat, and the air was a tad blue. No real harm done, but it was hard work! That bloody sail, it works so well and setting it and dropping it is a piece of cake when it goes well, but by jove when it goes wrong...that's why we don't use it at night!
 
Looks like chicken for dinner unless the killer pink squidy lure can weave it's magic, fingers crossed!