Beez Neez now Chy Whella - At Sea

At Sea - Week Three

Beez Neez now Chy Whella

Big Bear and Pepe Millard

Sun 9 Jun 2013 12:00

Week Three at Sea en Route to the Gambier Islands

Skipper, nose peeking out at the windex

Day Fifteen. Monday the 3rd of June

Midday Position: 17:34.18 South and 119:44.35 West.

Miles covered: 82

Yesterday at 15:15 we celebrated going from one thousand to nine hundred and ninety nine miles left to do with a Bailey’s, naturally.

Not bothered in the least that we only managed eighty two miles in the last twenty four hours as the sea has been really smooth which after six days of rolling around it has made a really nice change. Games have been seated with no bracing and men have not wandered about the place.

Yet again it was too soon after my Frosties so Bear ate my beef casserole, I fried sausages in the flat calm – looking forward to dipping them in salad cream for my supper. If all is calm on the morrow I may even throw myself at a fry up, but no promises.

Today Happy Hydrovane went back into action after his six day holiday.

At 17:15 we shook hands at the momentous two thousand mile mark.

Day Sixteen.

Midday Position: 18:14.59 South and 121:19.46 West.

Miles covered: 94

05:30 really serious rain. I will call my shift ‘the winds that went from three to thirty three knots and everything in between’. Mmmm

I got up at ten to find Bear motoring in very lively seas, (no wind) and mentioned that the fry up may be limited. We didn’t think backgammon would be a go-er today, but being the stalwarts that we are, we carried on and I managed a five two win. Just after our game the eight knots of wind suddenly decided eighteen to twenty two would be more appropriate, so with that, two reefs in the genoa, main up in full and engine off. Yeeha.

The modified fry up became sliced sausages in egg banjos for the skipper and naked sausages and a fried egg for me.

Played Rummikub all afternoon and the new mantra is “it’s nice ahead”.

22:00. Bear had gusts to thirty eight knots and had to do a bit of hand steering when a really big wave hit.

Day Seventeen.

Midday Position: 19:25.30 South and 123:51.68 West.

Miles covered: 164

Rain, Rain and yet more rain overnight.

I got up and we had showers and I put the washing in to soak.

Wind around twenty eight knots, the rain stopped – marvelous.

Backgammon played on a really big roller coaster, Bear didn’t really complain I beat him five nil as I was just pleased to have survived the experience. The sun is trying hard to peep through but the clouds are just great black-out curtains. Bear had Cajun seafood to perk him up and I had a tin of ravioli to do the same – nothing wrong with a bit of happy food.

For the first time ever Rummikub racks, pegs, and the table cloth (towel) all ended up in Bears lap, much giggling and didn’t put us off. “It’s nice ahead”

Bear in his catchers position, giggling (he has pants on, honest)

Day Eighteen.

Midday Position: 20:54.84 South and 126:15.94 West.

Miles covered: 162

I got up this morning to rinse the washing. Conservatory up so a make shift line constructed for Mrs Woo, very funny when Bear poked through the laundry from behind the wheel.. A brown booby came to say hello and I came from four two down to beat the captain five three, not a happy boy. The wind is holding steady between twenty three and twenty eight knots so we are barreling along at a massive six point eight to seven point two knots. At 12:17 we have 499 nautical miles to go as the crow flies – hopefully in on Monday – famous last words. Played Upword for a change and the skipper dogged me all the way so I was pleased to sneak a win at the end. Very overcast with a few spots of rain. Chicken satay and rice to warm the cockles, not that it is a bit cold but we are missing the sunshine.

“It’s nice ahead”

Day Nineteen.

Midday Position: 22:22.89 South and 128:32.82 West.

Miles covered: 153

Today lashing down but in fairness this had been predicted. Things slowed down enough and smoothed out for a very pleasant lunch. Tuna steak, scalloped potatoes, diced tomatoes and sweet corn. Just after lunch we did a gentle jibe to starboard tack but by three the wind had died altogether – engine on to find some more. A couple of hours of motoring and water making, engine off and a gentle four knot speed. A petrel came to say hello.

Bear settled in his nest as usual but this time with a warning from me. One bout of snoring, he gets told to turn over, the second he is to be thrown out of his nest and go to bed. OK. Rules laid. Nest settled Bear. This all came about as a result of what happened last evening and I sought evidence to show after lunch one day when the time was right and I could do it laughingly rather than in a strop. Obviously in the dark the video on the skippers little camera won’t show anything, but, all can be plainly heard.

The first snippet was recorded (no volume enhancement – the camera is not that sophisticated) was countered with the comment, I wasn’t asleep yet. The second, louder and sounding like a giant clam opening and shutting was once again denied with the repost – I was just mulling things over. Well turn over on your side and mull to your hearts content. The third was in this said position and was louder still. One day I’m going to catch you doing it, see if I don’t. But if you do I will put your three snippets on Facebook for all to hear. Huh.

“It’s nice ahead”

Day Twenty.

Midday Position: 22:09.93 South and 130:08.98 West.

Miles covered: 77 miles but actually 121

Now my 02:00 to 06:00 shift was a bit of an oddity. All well to begin with, I put in a tack as the wind had ‘apparently’ changed direction. Hmmmm. It took me until half five to work out it wasn’t the wind at all but the compass was having a hairy fit. Note to self – explain to skipper that I had actually covered twenty one miles but eight of it was in a neat little zig-zag, not seen on the big scale but when I went down in scale – clear for all to see. When Bear got up, I did indeed explain things and he said funny that happened to me in my last shift, must be the fluxgate compass having a bad hair day. He had a quick play and I went to bed seeing Beez on the screen as ‘going backwards’, but at least in the right direction.

Fantastic to get up this morning to find the sun out, the conservatory down and the skipper happily folding the now dry washing. Such a wonderful change after the wet and gloomy four days. Bear had rejigged the compass, so we are now facing forward on the screen. We put the clocks back an hour at midday. Poled out genoa for a change as the winds are a bit flukey and behind us. Chicken curry and rice.

The other really odd occurrence was the wind indicator is now working. Since we left Isabela the wind direction arrow (little box above the door in the cockpit) was fixed or stuck. We have to look at the top of the mast to see the arrow, bit of a nuisance and trying on the back of the neck. Well all the pelting rain must have freed it up and now it happily swings as it should. Mmmm.

Day Twenty One. Sunday the 9th of June.

Midday Position: 22:27.54 South and 132:08.16 West.

Miles covered: 110

I jumped up this morning to be presented with the captains toe nail. Now to my knowledge there is no tribe on the planet that does this, either as a token of love or war. Perhaps Bear has begun a new ‘thing’. I can’t say I find this too oft look very fetching.............he says its not sore, I can soon fix that...............

OOPS. The main traveller car has moved stage right.

Hefty tools and light fingers proved a job to add to the list called ‘when we get in.’

As tomorrow is our last day at sea, she types optimistically, steady, today was assigned to personal chores. I began by epilating my legs as I don’t want to arrive looking like a Russian shot putter, no the body shape is quite sufficient I think. Even a highly sight impaired person could sense the look that came over Pepe’s face and hear the audible warning.

Have you ever seen a buzzing Remington whizzed through the air like a tomahawk catching a few chest hairs on contact.

Bear has.

Make yourself scarce Bear, very scarce.

Then it was a quick hair trim for me. Bear hair and beard as neither of us wish to wear the badge that says ‘Grotty Yachties’. That done shower time. I know you have all worked out that major wetting happens every third day in synch with water making. If we had forty degree heat we would perform the task daily but at twenty eight degrees neither of us sweat and as backgammon doesn’t make our shins glow we strip wash in the between times. A good teeth, face, feet, pits and bits twice a day keeps all aboard fresh. Yes dear. Be very careful here Bear. Yes dear – silence is indeed golden and often speaks volumes...........

Watch Pepe snarl and growl.

Today, to celebrate three weeks at sea we had steak, fried onions, potatoes in cheese sauce, sweet corn and mushrooms. Now the skipper is snoring gently in his nest as I write this blog. Sun is shining and all is well with the world.

A quick right turn to allow this little lot to pass behind us, successfully.

Comments on the week:

Rain for four days solid with wind all over the place got a little wearing. So lovely to finish the week in glorious sunshine.

A couple of additions to the job list.

We are now nine hours behind UK time.

When you think about it though – we are actually doing about three years worth of weekend, summer holiday and an odd week sailing; in one journey of constant pummeling by waves / weather and as such things take quite a beating. The girl has stood up to “stuff” admirably, with no complaints and lots of Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee as she comes off the surf, still giggling and having fun.

TOTALS FOR THE WEEK:

Backgammon: BB 1 – Me 6 but Bear did hold me to three days on the trot of four all then the last game went with you each time............... I finished the week today with a resounding five nil. No comment.

Rummikub: BB 46 – Me 78. My $678 up from last week was fought hard for – new total for the year so far $6798 Huh.