Anyone seen locusts ?
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Fri 23 Jan 2009 15:19
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Anyone seen locusts
???
The second I had pressed send on the
week one blog than things changed - and boy did they
change.
1. DAMAGE
- Last shift of the day for Bear, a massive wave made the DVD player fly, but
land badly on the cockpit floor. DEAD. Only good thing since blog sent is
to reach 40 degrees west.
2. FIRE
RISK - Saturday 07:25. I'm supposed to be in my best sleep - almighty
noise behind my head ( I'm on the floor bed ). Took a couple of seconds to work
out what the noise was. Bow thruster is thrusting its nuts off. I shout through
to skipper "Bow thruster on" he looked at console - No it's not.
3. PUNCH UP
RISK. Now I am up like a Leviathan from the deep. Got to get to cockpit
to steer, so skipper can go find an OFF switch, on route I held the office door
frame and Bear shut three fingers in the door.
I have to shove them under a cold
tap, wrap them in a wet tissue and soldier on to steer. Now looking out from
"stop speeding train eyes", I am dressed in pants and vest and if anyone had
seen me they would have sunk or immediately been turned to stone. Now is the
likely time for a punch up.
Settled feathers, I'm back to
bed.
4. DROWNING
RISK. The loads of suicidal flying fish can be upsetting, one was clearly
alive as it bounced back to within reach Bear got a 'Christian Attitude' come
upon him. As he leant out of the cockpit an almighty wave made him disappear
from sight. 'Christian Attitude' left him in a split second. Sod the fish, I'm soaked from head to toe and could have been
washed overboard.
5. BLINDING
RISK. Sitting minding my own business drinking a cup of tea. An almighty
crack, it was a flying fish come in through the back of the gazebo, smashed into
the pram hood above my head and landed next to me, it could have taken my right
eye out. I picked him up and chucked him back. He was fine I was left
un-nerved.
Miles per 24 hours, per day. 152,
153, 151, 140, 151, 122 and 110. Total 1889 done, 310 to go, should therefore
arrive Monday. After the first four days of this week it is nice to end on a
quiet sea, low winds as it makes a change from living in a washing
machine.
6. FLOOD RISK.
The shower mat that we use sits on the floor
of our bedroom, outside the bathroom door. Bear found it soaked - sea water
????? Investigation led skipper to find bow thruster leak. Everything had to
come out of his potting shed, plus three foul buckets of soup-coloured, smelly
water. Much cleaning to do when we get in. First time at sea I have thought
"Bloody Hell what next". Couldn't face cooking so Bear did us tinned macaroni
cheese, spirits lifting.
7. LOSS.
My best tuna yet. four foot long with a beautiful golden body and an aquamarine
top band. Bringing him in I had to steer him around the Duo-gen, he gave one
look at the awaiting bill-hook and thought "NO" - snapped all his power into a
sharp right and Stage Exeunt.
8. RECOVERY. DVD player has done a
"Lazarus".
Sunday - squalls are always short
lived. NO. I had one for my full four hour watch and got wet to my gusset.
Little blob appeared on AIS and I thought "wow", signs of life form. Disappeared
almost instantly - BALLS to Maria S Merien, I didn't want to see you
anyway.
Monday. Things feel a little better,
DVD player is temperamental to say the least. Moments of hot sun, bring a beauty
to the sea, but then it rains. Took the decision to turn south for a change of
course and to eat some longitude, stunning rainbow, became double then went in
the next downpour.
9. FAMINE RISK.
Not with our supplies, plus the readiness to throw a
"bit of rooty" together.
10. SCHIZOPHRENIA
RISK. Lack of sleep, disturbed sleep and a creaking cupboard has left me
parting the snakes on my head and threatening anything that looks at me.
11. BROKEN LEG
RISK. Bear was thrown off his perch opposite me and landed full weight on
my outstretched shins ( my brace position ), higher and he would have snapped my
knees backward. Instead of leaping off me, he looked me in the eye and asked,
Are you OK. "I would be much better if you
got off".
How many places are there to hide on
a 40 foot yacht.
Not Many.
Pity Bear, Pity.
Now my pen won't retract, salt I
suppose.
Thursday 22nd, actually saw another
vessel, V.K. Eddie. My first sign of human life in two weeks.
You should see my wash pile Mrs. Woo.
Everything that can be sticky is and what isn't tastes of leaked dehumidifier
crystals.
On a positive note, each day the
light shift hours go very quickly. The night hours go past at quite a pace. I
have hair back as the snakes have left. At no point have I thought "this is
grim".
The Duo-gen has
proved to be an incredible bit of kit supplying 90% of the electric power we
need in towed position - depending on boat speed. ( Pepe won't put up with
the fans whistling on wind generation )Unfortunately day three this week, the
pin connecting the propeller to the drive shaft disappeared into the deep blue.
Fortunately repaired with an old-fashioned nut and bolt, was quite a straight
forward operation, with the help of my beautiful assistant ( no hissing hair )
"STEADY".
Bow thruster is
clearly a major hiccough as only the propeller end is supposed
to be in salt water. Whether the electric motor and controls will ever
recover from the immersion in sea water is distinctly dubious. However - as the
leak is quite slow, I do not feel inclined to do much 'fiddling' in case I make
things worse and my slight trickle becomes a torrent. Not now Pepes snakes have
gone and I feel I don't have to keep hiding. I suck out about a litre or less a
day from the sealed well the thruster is situated.
The seas have been
kind as they have been following, the winds perfect and as predicted. However,
the erratic but constant occurrence of big side-swiping waves is very tiring and
produces great bruises. You should see Pepes right lower cheek, worthy of a
photo, ( blog when we get in ) You can leave my arse
out of it !!
Having to brace and
hold on with one hand makes the simplest of chores take so much longer. A pee
ten minutes. A shower half an hour. Making a cup of tea ditto. Which makes me
marvel all the more at the production of full meals from my galley
slave.
This time my all
in all comment reflects what Jump Jet and I always
say. "All things must pass" or in extreme circumstances "All things must surely
come to pass"
Anyone seen any
locusts.
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