11:05N ; 50:45W battle rattle, anti-clangers and Clint on’s

S/V Blue Argolis
Greg and Sue Hill
Sat 17 Dec 2022 14:43
 Latitude 11 05.709N ; Longitude 50 45.129W Saturday 17 December 2022, day 16 at sea.

We said all along we would not ‘mile watch’ on this passage, just sit back and enjoy the journey….. well, that’s not happening! Like everyone else that does ‘the crossing’, we’re counting the miles, those already sailed and those yet to pass under our keel. Well what else do you do with your time? Our miles through the water again today were 128nm and on GPS 158nm? Wow! We are now concluding our log may be under reading? But, it’s impossible to tell though in these conditions?

We are also thinking more and more about our destination and the bank holidays etc. we will need to make a decision on this in the very near future? …. It’s 521nm to Barbados…. our nearest island….. but 642nm would see us into Grenadines….? Maybe more yacht friendly?

Of course good mileage means good boat speed, and good wind. And it’s fair to say we’re romping along in 18 to 24 knots! 1 reef in main, and 2 in genoa, poled out down windward! Greg is definitely in his element…. He says this is what Blue Argolis was made for! To be fair, the old girl’s bearing up well, all things considered. Me, I’m just ‘clinging on’….. to anything I can find! Handholds, rigging, coachhouse roof, table, floor ;’)…. as we do 7 knots surfing down waves! I like to think that this old girl is also bearing up ok? …. How well, remains to be seen when we get to the other side?

Of course, the boat is bouncing around a bit, and this has its own considerations. As most of you will know we come from a strong army background. Baz, our son is still serving. The boys talk about ‘battle rattle’, or rather having not having any ‘battle rattle’ when out on exercise! This means your burden (rucksack) must be packed so that it doesn’t make a noise. (Apparently this can give you away to the enemy? But it’s also highly annoying for your marching buddies! It means that metal things (deodorant bottles) seem to usually be stuffed in thick socks.. We’ve learnt a lot about Blue Argolis’s ‘battle rattle’ and stowage in the last few months, it’s impossible to sleep with spice jars rattling over your head in the lockers! ….. On the whole, now, after quite a bit of work, she is quite a quiet boat (not that sailing boats are quiet places at all! But, there is noise and noise!) ….. only, as we eat though supplies and empty the lockers of tins and jars, in these conditions the battle rattle has returned! We do have a strategy for management of this condition…. Let me introduce you to ‘anti-clangers’ ….. short bits of foam pipe lagging that can be literally stuffed into holes made by removing a tin from the cupboard ;) in addition to the anti-clangers, of the dozen or so tea towels in the galley, only one is pressed into action by the galley sink at any time …. the others are all pressed into cupboards that have suddenly with change of conditions developed a new battle rattle! Needs must!

So, Alpha Whiskey here, looking forward to land fall now

Yours aye

Greg and Sue xx


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