South to North
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Tue 25 Oct 2016 22:47
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Beez Neez Crosses the Equator
for the Second Time
 Ten and a bit
miles to go we began to hear those ahead begin to cross, time for us to
prepare.
 Beez two Polliwogs – Wayne and Russ settle in the cockpit.
 Joined by Bernie,
Claude, Bobby and Beds – Killick moaning as usual and staring up at the foreboding
sky. We expect Killick to sound anything but joyous but Beds ear went back
too........
   The clouds gathered, thunder rolled and we could just about see
Tereva to our left.
 We could clearly see the line between dry and rain.
Then the squall hit. Visibility very little. Thunder,
lightning and gusts to thirty two knots, we went from a steady five to seven
point three knots, time to wind the genoa in and regain control..........
  Out came the
fizz and the captain donned appropriate
headgear to give Neptune his toast. Rain hammering.
  That special single second takes us
from South to North.
  Cork popping and
glasses charged.
  Tereva
crosses with Beez Neez to cheers and
congratulations on the radio. Bear toasts
Neptune.
   Wayne and Russ
toast becoming shellbacks, joining the rest of the crew who
crossed the equator heading south on the 2nd of April
2013. Killick was heard to
mutter something about “fizz being pansy, need rum” and couldn’t wait to skulk
downstairs where the rest of the crew could be heard partying hard. Quick toast for the rest of the boys
and they went to the party below. We settled
to the fizz and smiled. Beez will need to cross twice more before she
completes her circumnavigation but for now we will celebrate ‘two down’ and
toast Beez herself for bringing us safely through more than thirty thousand
nautical miles.
 We raise our
glasses to Michelle and Philippe (Tereva) and think the sky is trying to
lighten.
  We watch
Philippe lower his main and we too get to action – the rain finally
stops.
 We turn the corner
and there in front of us is the Kentar Island
anchorage.
  We pass a local
and get a lovely ‘welcome’ from Matilda.
 Calm, settled and
dry, we anchor at the back of the
pack.
  That special
single second that took us from South to
North.
ALL IN ALL WELL DONE BEEZ
NEEZ IN A VERY WET CROSSING
WHAT A MEMORABLE SQUALL TO CROSS
IN....... |