Story-day 6 to Azores
Kalandia Web Diary
Bill Peach
Wed 1 Jun 2011 13:09
It took until day 3 for me to feel comfortable and get into a rhythm. We abandoned local time and worked on GMT which was a bit odd at first. We are working a 2 hour watch during hours of 2000 – 0800 and a 4 hour watch during the day. The Field Marshall was quite good even though he was on Stugeron, but he likes his food so he was the main food preparer at the beginning.
We were advised by our weather watcher to go north to avoid an uncomfortable system to the south east. Our French friends on Gala went through it and reported two unpleasant days. However, it now seems we will take longer than my estimated 10 days. 13 or 14 more likely which poses a problem for the crew who are taking over from Dick – he was canny and changed his flight to a week later. Their itinerary is difficult to change. It may mean waiting for us, but at which Azorean island we are not sure.
An accompanying picture will show Bill and Dick repairing a broken genoa furler at sea. I could only standby and watch and pull on a rope when necessary. They had to bring the sail down by hand first, as of course these things break just as they are in use. Over now to Dick for his blag.... sorry I mean blog.
The weather man gives with one forecast and takes with another. (I’m sure I’ve seen a similar quote being used somewhere) The latest weather report shows no strong winds in our path “Hurrah” I hear you shout, but the wind is often against us, this is where you take a sharp intake of breath because........ it means we will probably need to tack into the wind for much of the way. Three problems with this, nobody likes cooking or fishing when the boat is beating to windward and the boats overall speed in the direction we want to go (VMG for the know it all’s amongst us) goes down. Meaning that even if our “VMG” is overall less than 6 knots I will miss my cannily changed flight back to UK. A sobering thought for Bill and Liz who have already had to put up with my controlling ways and humour for 3 weeks. Well Sue and Bex have had to put up with me for many years and I can’t even imagine how my parents cope.
Enough of our trials and tribulations of life on the ocean waves I thought I would pose you cultural philosophical question.
Why has an Elephant got 4 feet?
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Ta ta for now xxxx
