Azores here we come....
Bardeau returns across Atlantic
Robert Bard
Wed 8 May 2013 16:48
finally set off at around 18.30 last night. Final cigarette on the fuel pontoon lit by the ship's blow torch as it was a bit breezy .... rapidly extinguished after the diesel man came hurtling over. I explained it was for a photograph of what to never do on a fuel pontoon and he smiled, and walked away !. Then over to customs for departure.
me: lots of yachts left today for the azores have they?
customs: yep
me: weather must be good then.
customs: mebbe
me: (voice in higher pitch) everyone makes it do they?
customs: yup...but some don't....captain, take this form for arrival in Horta
Me looking over my shoulder...who the hell is he talking to now...then realise it's me ! Captain ! coooolio....i'm a captain.
last night was tumble drier zone. We left on the edge of a subsiding american storm but we are hurtling along.
Seem to have attracted a sea creature this morning. It's been swimming alongside for an hour ....its about 6 feet long...brown, and stays about 10 feet off our quarter and about 3 feet down. I'm opting for a shark, but it hasn't broken the surface yet. I offered to put one of Houlahan's Fray Bentos Horse Pies in the water to see what it was, but the sulk came on again: jeez skip, stop feeding my food to the fishes. last time I used his Fray Bentos Beef Horse Pie in the caribbean stuffed into one of my socks and tied to a line to get some reef sharks in. It may have worked but I fell asleep and woke up after the sock and pie had gone.
We were going to take the northern route, but the chart said there were icebergs into June and July. Visions of titanic, except houlahan who pointed out he had a pick axe and that some of the finest gin and tonics could be created from a floating berg.
A yeehaaa from fireman Mark this morning. I was sitting at the saloon table doing nautical things...i heard this shout, woke up and he had discovered the pot noodle stash.
Anyway, he now on the helm, pot noodle in hand discussing the merits of the Robin Hood pub in Hamilton...one could say he is as happy as Larrymore
Illustrious skipper about to go back upstairs and see if it's a shark