Half Way

Blue Sky's Voyage
George & Michael
Tue 5 Dec 2006 16:59
Hello Friends
 
We're about half way there (in miles) at lunchtime today and we hope the second half will be a little faster with the good winds we now have.
 
The white bird with long tail was we think a red billed tropic bird - a couple of them have been circling round this morning but didn't dare land for a rest, though they'd have been very welcome.
 
We caught another fish and we've decided that these are probably not rainbow wrasse but dorado aka. mahi-mahi aka. dolphin fish. Readers will not be surprised to know that we know nothing whatever about fishing! George turned this one into a superb chowder for dinner last night.
 
 
Ben wanted to claim the credit for this one but it was really a team effort and the preferred killing method (cheap alcohol in the gills) proved very effective, and at 3 Euros a litre for spanish vodka, quite economical too.
 
Anyway it's a special day in The Netherlands, so over to Ruud for a profile and blog:
 
He there,
 
I'm Ruud, and today is the day of Santaclous. He s a man with a mitre and a white beard who lives in Spain and comes to Holland once a year on his steamboat with and his 'zwarte pieten' they are there helpers who help him put the presents for the kids in the chimney.
because the British on board are not familiar with Santaclous I have taught them this song
 
sinterklaas kapoentje,
gooi wat in mijn schoentje
gooi wat in mijn laarsje,
dank u sinterklaasje.
 
They already know it rather well, but i'm afraid sante will not come out here to bring them presents!
 
Voor de hollanders
 
De dag begon tegek. Grote dolfijnen voor de boeg. Daarna vliegende vissen en het ontbijt was bacon met eggs en iets rostieachtigs.  
Vandaag hebben we last van wat squals. Snelle korte depressies. Dus veel met de zeilen aan de gang. Er kwam een squal aan , we lieten als een gek de zeilen zakken en toen was er thee.
Dit is overigens geen reden voor ongerustheid. Het gaat goed alleen schieten we vandaag niet echt op.
 
Groet,
 
Ruud
kus voor Inge, Carmen en Thomas
 
 
And we had our first real Atlantic Squall - a free deck wash and 40 knot winds - all under control though. Barnie was on watch so he put his swimmers on and the rest of us retired below for afternoon tea until it had calmed down...
 
Best Wishes
 
George, Michael and the crew