AQUALUNA -The Beginning
Around the world with the Aqualunies
Jonathan & Gabrielle Lyne
Mon 26 Nov 2007 12:35
On board we have Jonathan our Skipper, Love Love Allan, Ex Exe Hedley, Roger
the Cabin Boy and me, Gabbie the First Mate. Why such peculiar names? Well
Love Love Allan pressed the wrong button (it was in Spanish) when having his
passport done and ended up with passport photos in a pink heart shaped frame
with 'Love Love' written underneath, he used this as his identity photo' on
his ARC pass, Ex Exe Hedley is the past commodore of the Exe Sailing Club in
Devon, Roger well his name says it all, and me, well I'm the wife of the
Skipper and half owner of Aqualuna.
After a very heavy week of partying and fun, eating and drinking far too
much and crawling back to the yacht in the early hours of the morning we are
off!! The build up of excitement as the hours ticked by to the start was
electrifying, the noise of the banter on the pontoons, everyone wishing each
other luck, the band playing and hooting of sirens as each yacht left the
marina. Las Palmas was great fun, very friendly everywhere in shops,
restaurants and the taxi drivers. The ARC staff and volunteers laid on such
fun for the whole two weeks we were there from parties to seminars on
everything to do with getting across 'the pond'.
The day before yesterday we ordered tons of vegetables and fruit, cleaned
them on the pontoon with special vegetable sterilzer, dried them and the
stored them in either the fridge or hammocks. Meat and dried goods were
bought and now both the freezer and fridge are fit to burst.
We had a good start not being over competitive and pushy but still able to
hold our own keeping up wind of most of the other yachts. A reef in the main
to start which
half an hour later we pulled out. Good Trade winds have set in and are
forecast for most of the sail across at about force 4-5 on average.
Presently it's a bit gusty with big Atlantic rolling waves. We are all
settling down well as the fleet spreads out.