Story - Are we nearly there yet?

Kalandia Web Diary
Bill Peach
Tue 7 Jun 2011 16:23
Day 12, so Dick says.



Yesterday was engine all day and most of the night. Winds were too light and nearly on the nose. The nights have become a bit damp and in the early morning we have fog. Once the fog lifted today (it was my long sleep time so I wasn’t even aware) the wind direction changed and we are now on full sails steaming towards S. Miguel island at over 9 knots.



But let us wind back a bit to two days ago, I think it was, when our skipper took bad. He had a pain in his abdomen, left side so not appendix. It wasn’t constipation Bill assured us, even though he hadn’t been drinking enough fluids, so we upped that. I thought it was man pain (heartless!), Dick thought it was diverticulitis and Bill just looked out of it having postulated that maybe he had sprained a muscle going up the mast the previous day. Anyway, you can’t ignore such things 600 miles from nearest land. So I was genning up on making a Pan Pan Medico call on the Single Side Band Radio when I came across a telephone number for Falmouth coastguard. The wonders of modern day technology! We have a satellite phone (not everyone does as it is very expensive to buy, rent time and make calls from) so Bill rang when he woke and within half a minute of giving those lovely people our details he was talking to the duty doctor. She went through his symptoms and recommended an anti spasmodic drug which we carry in our kit. We were passed back to the coast guard who took more details of our ETA and hung up. A 10 minute call costing about £45, but what reassurance. Robin Knox Johnson never had any of this in the 60s.

So I want to say to all of you who have the opportunity, please support our wonderful institutions like the Coastguard and RNLI. The Coastguard service has been slashed recently and we must protect it. Not only do they carry out and co-ordinate rescue services, they give weather forecasts and deal with routine traffic information and track shipping and give navigational warnings but they also can organise advice on medical emergencies and they do it all so patiently and politely and calmly. We should be very proud of them indeed. Mr Cameron, please note.



Liz has gone on watch now and Bill is asleep so I, Dick, will finish off the blog update. Two days ago I received an email from my daughter Bex. -You know the one that won the turtle prize- Well in her email she said



“so glad the repairs have been completed! The online tracker says you are
652.8nm away and you are going 6.30 knots! You are beating the other english
boat 'elsocare' as they have 708.1nm to go and are going 1.40 knots @
286degrees! Something seems a bit weird there?”



Well something was a bit weired Bex! Bill determined they were the last boat in the Arc Europe group to leave on time so no backup was available from other ARC following boats. Bill made contact with the Arc Europe team received Elsocare’s email details and asked if there was a problem we could help with. The skipper explained they have problems with the back stay, which helps hold the mast up, and not enough Diesel to get them all the way to the Azores on engine alone. They had done some strengthening and were looking forward to the fair winds we are now enjoying, to blow him to the Azores. He confirmed our help wasn’t needed but was extremely grateful for the offer. Just as well really because we were 150m away, in the wrong direction and Bill was not feeling at all well himself and bound for the first port of call to see a doctor. We all wish Elsocare (a Moody 38!!) well on their last leg to the Azores and onwards.



Anyway right now, as Liz says, we are doing 9 plus knots on a direct line to Ponta Delgada, our new Azores island destination to enable a smooth crew change on Saturday. Bill is feeling a lot better, bless his cotton socks and with only 370 miles to go we may be there in time for a beer or 8 on Thursday afternoon. My fingers are crossed. Ta Ta for now, time to enjoy the sail.