28:07N 15:25W
Tales of Amok's Adventures
Mike Jones
Wed 16 Dec 2009 09:00
Sorry for the long delay in posting, we've had some minor SOH failures. Now, before you lovely shore based landlubbers think I am talking about some highly technical piece of crucial sailing equipment, I am not. Well I am. Kinda. Of course, SOH stands for sense of humour, and yes, lately there have been a few wobbles.
Just to give you a flavour of what I am talking about, here goes.
We have a watermaker that doesn't make water. Sadly this is a fairly common complaint and doesn't seem to have any relation to how much money you spent on it.
We have a wind indicator that is afflicted with "crazy needle syndrome", i.e. it spins like a plane losing altitude and doesn't give any indication of where the wind is coming from, which is what it is supposed to do. But just to baffle us, the wind speed doofer works fine.
I paid 40 euros which is about 35 GBP or 70 AUD/CDN for a set of kitchen scales at a very posh department store called "El Corte Inglis" which would give John Lewis/David Jones a serious run for it's money. Unfortunately, when I got home, the box was empty of said scales and only contained the 200g calibration weight and a set of batteries. It seemed I had picked up the display box but got tricked by thinking there was something inside. They have now been re-named the ghost scales, and Mike calls me "the buyer of empty boxes".
Our lovely new ship's computer doesn't like spanish wireless cafes, but unfortunately, you need to have at least 3 coffees there to learn this. no sleep for the wicked.
On a more positive note, we are all in good health, Toby has been whazzing around the harbour in our little dinghy, teaching himself tricks and learning to get the outboard motor running before letting go of the rope which secures said tender to Amok. He's been doing a grand job as Mike's assistant. ie. tool fetcher.
Pandora is demonstrating occasional signs of a personality disorder, sometimes she's Mary Bryant with the thickest Cornish accent you've ever heard and only talks about stealing bread. Other times, she's Gavin from Kintore (don't ask) who runs a fish and chip shop.
More frequently, she's Mr. B from Wales, and talks alot about students and leeks. She's working on her Canadian persona but somebody keeps correcting the pronunciation
Lastly and most frighteningly, she is Peggy Sue from New Orleans. Peggy asks shop keepers in fishing shops "to show us your lures for the lay-dies". I often pretend she's not with me.
Mike is good, but is wondering when his back to back is turning up.
I bought one of those old fashioned granny trolley dollies for hoofing the groceries home, but since coming on board, it's been made the butt of everybody's jokes.
I have a triple recipe of bolognaise burbling away on the stove, I decided to get some cooked up and frozen for those nights when nobody feels like cooking. "Nobody" feels like cooking right now, but like some presenters, I have started so I will finish.
Mike has taken himself off to the Pizza/Beer Parlour as he's feeling a little under appreciated. He has put hooks up everywhere for all of our lifejackets, no doubt Pandora will get the label maker out tomorrow and put names on all of them.
hope the sun is shining where you are, and if you are South, keep cool and if you are North, keep warm!!
love from Nobody!
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