" A LADY TRIP " Sailing around the World ( presently at sea, between the Galapagos and the Marquesses )

A Lady
Stephen Hyde
Wed 17 Mar 2010 11:34
TUESDAY 16th March  2010
 
Miles to destination....................1298
Position.......................07:48'S     117:12'W
Wind ..........................SE  24 knots
 
A fantastic night for sailing, bombing along at 8.5 knots on average SOG ( speed over ground) even with an adverse current of about 1 knot,
Aileen did the watch from 01,99hrs to 05.00hrs and the skipper happily slept in the cockpit.
 
09.00hrs We changed course to 270 degrees true, ( from 256 ) and set up the boat to goose wing along.
25 knots still ,  plenty of big seas and blue skies,  The reason for altering course was we were 88 miles south of our rum line, so it was necessary to
get back on course, we went south originally to get into the breeze and that all worked very well,
 
10.00hrs  Radio time, ( this is done in Galapagos time, which is 12.00hrs) We recieved all radio messages , but again failed to transmit,
However we had already sent our position by email,
13.00hrs Aileen did American Waffels with maple syrup for lunch,, yum, yum,
 
We had an email from the skippers sister " Helen"
Helen is gas, different and interesting,loves nature and the wildlife, Helen actually cycled around Ireland in 2007, and is also
big into hill walking,  She also sailed with us from Portugal to Madeira last summer on our way south,
Helen has an acre around her house and keeps hens, cats, dogs, rabbits, and sometimes ,pigs.
This is funny, she had to get rid of the "bantham " cocks because the had the chickens worn out from too much sex,
A few years ago she had to get rid of her rabbits, because they had the cats terrorised looking for sexual favours,
in fact the cats spent most of the time up the trees , out of harms way,,,
 
Must be something in the air down by Cobh,
 
The afternoon was spent relaxing on the aft deck, while " Fats " got in his usual siesta.
The boat really rolled in the seas, this is one of the side effects of goosewinging,
We would have flown the spinniker if the wind was at 20 knots, but we felt it would be too much for Fats and the skipper
to get up and down in 25 knots, a 3600 sq, foot sail .and would have kepk the boat really steady, lovely , but just
too much wind at the moment,
 
17.50hrs,Skipper set about preparing dinner, Tinight we are having , Roast stuffed porksteaks, garnished roast potatoes,
Broccali, and a few creamed spuds, to add the flavour,  oh nearly forgot,  some apple sauce for the pork..   yum yum,
No Drink,  We must be sick or something !
Oh that reminds the writer, the friggin shoulder is still in trouble, and we will run out of pain killers shortly if it doesent get better,
 
Tonights shifts :-      Fats.......................... 10.00hrs / 02.00hrs
                              Skipper.......................02.00hrs / 06.00hrs
                              Aileen.........................06.00hrs / 10.00hrs
 
Thats it for today,
 
Signed  :-    Stephen Hyde,,,,    ( Skipper )