Beez Neez now Chy Whella

Day 8 to Fiji

Big Bear and Pepe Millard

Wed 3 Jun 2015 12:00

Getting Nearer

Our New Zealand flag came in showing life had been hard, two stubby digits clearly visible through half of the stars. The afternoon passed so very quickly, skipper declined stew in favour of two egg and salad sandwiches. He then had the temerity to beat me hollow at backgammon, cross as a wasp – again......... it impressed him the speed knitting needles can fly.

Taking over at two Bear told me he had enjoyed Enemy of the State and the second half of Knocked Up, nil to report, Just us kids. I am whipping up the two front halves of my cardy, pleased to be working on fewer stitches. Left thumb and forefinger going numb at the ends, weird and don’t mention my right forearm, things twang in my elbow and straightening from the crinched position is enough to make me gasp - talk about suffering for my art. I went to bed this morning after having sunrise to myself, grinning from ear to ear having reported at hand over that we had just passed the thousand mile marker.

For many hours the current has been pushing us left and Beez has been shoving to the right, the result is a fairly boisterous time especially when loading into bed, staying wedged in the corner and getting some shut eye. I got up to the challenge of a strip wash. Braced against the bathroom wall the first chore was to get underarm in place, sounds easy until you have to find something higher to hold onto to get rollerball in place, while your world feels like you’re on a ride at the funfair, all the while getting wolf whistles from the captain – gosh, the man needs to get out more. Next, teeth. Similar position to washing except forearms have to rest each side of the sink to facilitate toothpaste standing a chance of meeting the brush, definitely not a one-handed task. It was at this point I got a fit of the giggles, I looked like a praying mantis with a huge rear end......... I best stay exceptionally quite at this point methinks. Pardon. Nothing dear. The few tour books, India, Singapore included and a book of birds, the 1000 Places, an atlas and a couple of others had thrown themselves under the dining room table. Oh, that’ll only take a minute to tidy, I hear you say. Okayyyyy. By the time I had fought under said table, sorted in book size between waves and wedged all in with my diary, I appeared out into the sunshine looking like Medusa herself. Best stay silent here as well. What was that. Oh nothing, dear..........

Bear got himself harnessed up and made his way slowly to retrieve two diesel cans, top-up time. I watched as he inched forward and timed unstrapping between up-and-downs and shuffled, pushed, shuffled his way back. That repeated, I was very pleased when he was safely back in the cockpit. Filtering the fuel slowly into the tank, adding what the injector had squidged out, job done in half an hour. Time for the skipper to rest while I type the blog. Pity we have had to motor-sail for so long but there we are. We are going to time getting in on Friday morning as not to enter somewhere unfamiliar in the dark. Not that we choose to do that sort of thing in the dark anyway. Oo Er Mrs. Skipper, you are really exhibiting signs of being quite a saddo, speak for yourself mon ami.......... Steady.

Have you ever seen a ships captain threatened by a diesel funnel.

Bear has.

Behave Bear, Behave. Certainly best not bend over............

Noon summary: Slowing slightly in headwind but all happy on board.

Noon position: 19:25.23 South and 178:33.03 East

Noon to Noon: 121 nautical miles

Miles Covered: 1023 nautical miles

Miles to Go: 194 nautical miles