Extra extra read all about it

Muktinath
Pete and Chris
Mon 27 Jun 2016 13:33
25th June. On my first night watch of 9-12pm still feeling devastated at the utter shambles that Cameron's got us into. A helicopter appeared and seemed to be following us. It then hovered over the boat for about 15 minutes. I'd just been feebly waving at it thinking I'd better not wake Pete, when it made this hooting sirony sort of noise. At this point I thought I'd better wake the Cap'n. He just picked up the ship's radio and said hello to the helicopter above us and how can we help!!!!! I'd no idea this was what radios were for!!!!!

Anyway they were the Spanish air-sea rescue people and wanted to use us in a training exercise. This meant us slowing down to zero, taking the sail down, lowering the dinghy and receiving a handsome Spanish be-wet-suited guy on a rope (better than soap on a rope, I can tell you😀). He then received a dead dummy on a rope and then had to be hauled up with said dead dummy. It all took quite a while. I'm glad it wasn't me being rescued; I'd be long dead before being hauled up.

It all took place with the backdrop of a lovely sunset, but buggered up our shift schedule. However it's not every day a tall, dark, handsome Spaniard drops from the skies. It was worth it. I've now got to do till 1am, though, boo, maybe it wasn't!! That's the very, very dark bit of the night 😱😱

26th June 3.00 pm
This is as perfect as sailing gets. Bimbling along at about 5 knots in about 10 knots of apparent wind; so not keeled over at a ridiculous angle and not slamming up and down on crazy waves. AND in sunshine; so trousers rolled up!! Sleep-deprivation is my only complaint. Still, we're doing our utmost not to see each other at all today, by each grabbing every moment we're not on watch to be in the sleeping bag zzzzz

27th June 5.30am
Just coming to the end of another dark and lonely three hours. It's been an odd mix of fear, aloneness and boredom with odd moments of exhilaration and wonder. What is it all for, all this sea? There's SO MUCH OF IT!! At least this time the sea-sickness pills have worked, though sitting down below at the computer is still triggering nausea. Hence this alternative blog written in the cold night air up top.

11.30am
Dry, well wet, land at last!! Ile de Yeu. Cap'n Competant once again negotiated Biscuit Bay successfully. Ile to be explored after much needed proper ablutions and proper bed experience. Can't honestly say that night sailing is my favourite activity.....but it's got us here and I'm now awaiting the warm flood of euphoria which should work its way through my body over the next few hours, accompanied, no doubt, by a cool flood of French wine. Being connected again has re-kindled the utter despair at the chaos back home.