Spindrift ARC Log - Day 16
Austins' Travels
Chris & Lynn Austin
Mon 5 Dec 2011 15:38
We have heard that some crews on the ARC are complaining about lack and quality of food. We are a little concerned that the gin has run out but it looks like the wine will just survive and the 60 cans of beer will see us through. Rum and brandy will need to be rationed but with a little self control we should just about make it to St Lucia. The food stocks are running a little lower and there are only three pork loins, a pack or two of chicken, about five packs of bacon and the usual selection of mince, sausages, chorizo, salami, eggs, gnocchi, potatoes, onions, lemons, etc. There is enough pasta and rice and instant potatoes to get us to Australia and a few part baked french sticks ( for the bacon rolls) and pitta bread and we haven't really started on the canned or packet food which includes several types of beans, various bottled vegetables and peppers, dried onions, sun dried tomatoes, anchovies, tuna, sardines and, of course, Spam. There are plenty of nibbles - pate, cheese, biscuits, olives although the nuts have run out - and desserts of canned fruit. Porridge with dried fruit has become popular as the first breakfast (before the bacon rolls) and we have plenty of porridge left. Overnight nibbles of muesli bars, biscuits and dried fruit are all in good supply. Ken baked a cake and will start to make home baked bread (we have the flour, yeast, etc) when the other bread runs out. There are many cartons of milk and some juice and 120 litres of bottled water.
I think we'll make it! Also, as the food stock starts to decrease we hope to improve our position in the fleet which has been severely hampered by the the several tons of food on board. Dinner tonight will be Thai curry with pork loin unless we catch fish.
Yesterday we didn't have a single bite on the fishing line. I seem to remember reading somewhere that feeding habits have something to do with the phases of the moon - well that's my excuse for not catching any. But three flying fish landed on deck in the night. One hit the spray hood, which was up due to the rain at one stage, and gave Ken a start as he was sitting just next to it.
Chris E tried to have a shower on deck in the torrential rain but by the time he soaped himself the rain stopped which left him slithering around on deck looking for puddles until he gave up and used the onboard shower to rinse off.
During periods of slower progress at night the phosphorescence in the wake of Spindrift have been more noticeable, probably because the sea is more settled and the everything is more visible and at slower speeds we have longer to look and enjoy it before it rushes off into the night.