27:40N 15:13W
Tales of Amok's Adventures
Mike Jones
Fri 25 Dec 2009 17:13
Ahoy ye FESTIVE landlubbers.
OH MY WE HAVE DEPARTED! !,
How did that happen??
After an extended, unplanned BUT wonderful stay in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, we have finally managed to leave Las Palmas today, Christmas Day at around 11:15 local time.
We have met some amazing people, and are really sad to leave. It's a strange emotion, to be feeling sad to pursue a dream, but we have prior commitments which we need to keep. All the boats on our pont R( AIRRRR in local lingo) were such friendly people.
Michelle and Manu destined for Australia, John, Sarah and Willy who kept us laughing at our own mistakes, and some of their own, Phillipe and Francoise who are sailing to Cape Verde and departed just before us. They offered 2 of their bunks to a couple of Italian guys who are part of an italian circus. They entertained us royally one evening with their antics of juggling, trick bikes, swallowing balloons and generally larking about. Laughter offers such benefits to the soul, it is crucial to one's well being. Sometimes, it isn't until we have a good belly laugh that we realise how beneficial it is. No doubt P and F will be well entertained during their voyage. I am, curious however, how one juggles when the boat is heeling over.
The watermaker was duly fixed, and it actually wasn't a failed salinity probe in the end, but a problem with the master control board. I don't mean to sound technical here, but the big green thing with lots of wires poking out had something the matter with it. Best not to ask. We had a laugh over the salinity probe, as the longer it took to get to Las Palmas, the more we were hoping that a sanity probe would be sent alongside the salinity probe.
Our lovely water maker man, Jean Marie did his best with trying to solve the puzzle.
Anyway, we are all fixed up and currently have 15 knots of breeze from the east and we are trucking along at 6 knots over the ground, which is wonderful.
We tackled the local market yesterday morning, which was a brave thing to do on Christmas Eve, we came away with black pudding for our Christmas Breakfast, which turned out to be sweet (?) and something which purports to be a turkey. Time will tell. We had the butcher flatten it a little so we could fit it into the oven.
We also bought our stash of apples and fresh veg; Mike has hung a net basket up in the galley for storing all this, if in doubt, we'll eat apples. I am checking the deck to see if we have a dent in it; we should do with the weight we have hanging in the basket.
We opened our presents this morning around our Christmas tree, all 30cm of it, sitting on the table. The Christmas tree has flasing red and green lights on it, and Mike left it on one evening, then woke in a panic when he could see something flashing red and green from under the cabin door. He charged out of the cabin to see what the lights were, only to remember it was only the tree.
Toby and Pandora got a pair off fins with mask and snorkel and Santa has very kindly brought me a cookbook(?). What should I read into this, I wonder?? has he tasted my fare?? has he been told how bad it can be?? I made bread the other day, only to be get distracted between the first and second rising. Our galley looked like it had been inundated by doughy aliens - there was bread everywhere. I felt I had to get it in the oven to get control of it. I half expected to see it prise the door open, just like in ???.
Pandora certainly drew the looks from the spanish men, the rest of us could go jump in a lake as far as they were concerned. It was very entertaining to watch.
Anyway, my hearties, I hear the engine has started which means something is happen on deck, so I must run and check it out. Well, run, not really, more of a lurch really.
lots of love to all of our loved ones, you are in our thoughts.
PS just found out its a chicken, not a turkey, well, we'll pretend. now off to find that elusive jar of cranberry bought many moons ago.
PPS seasickness has obviously taken a grip as I have just found this still in the box waiting to be sent....
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