Day 13

Sunday 9th June 12.00 BST

Position – 45 55 76N 38 46 10W

Log 1,612 miles (122 over last 24 hours)

Sorry I have been AWOL for a couple of days – but a combination of weather, on-going power problems and trying to race Beagle, have meant that I have simply not had any time to write.  I have also had difficulties in connecting to the internet for a day or two.

Anyway, sailing wise I have had a pretty good couple of days – notwithstanding the constant electrical issues.  As at yesterday afternoon I had taken close to 80 miles out of Tamarind and at one stage was only 2 miles behind him – although I have given a bit of that back today – wallowing around in 4-6kn all day and struggling to keep the boat moving at all.  I do not, however seem to be able to make any impression on Jeroboam, out in front who now seems to have an unassailable lead.

The god news is that sometime during the last 24 hours I have passed the half way mark.  As at 0800 this morning my DTF was showing as 1,449 miles and at the same time my log was 1,598.

Yesterday, having got really fed up with my charging issues, which seem to have no rhyme nor reason as to why they work or not – one minute they do – the next they do not – I decided to take the alternator fully off the engine and strip all the connections down and replace them.  Having done that, all seemed to be fixed – until last night when suddenly I was back to the usual and had to hove-to for ½ hour at 0200 to charge what I could to at least get moving again.  At the moment it all seems to be working to a fashion, although I have to charge for 20 minutes every 4 hours, which is not ideal.  If I cannot sort out a better solution, I will almost certainly not have enough diesel to get me to the finish – so that will be race over!

Now – on to more pressing issues – I know that you are all waiting with baited breath as to the outcome of my experiment with Boris in my makeshift Red Room of Pain.  Well I am sure you will be glad to know that Boris is happy and well and unscathed.  I am aware that many of you consider me to be slightly ‘off the rails’, but seriously, did you really believe that I have such severe cabin fever, that I would subject a small fluffy toy to unspeakable sexually deviant acts in the forward cabin of a boat in the middle of the N Atlantic? And even if I had – do you think I would tell you about it?

What I can report is that I have finished the book.  As I do not want to spoil the story for anyone who has not read it and now feels the need to do so, I will not report the ending.  What I will say, which has been identified on many occasions before, is that just because you are stinking rich, outrageously good looking, massively talented and sexually deviant, does not automatically make you happy!  Personally I am unable to comment as I am not rich!

On the whole issue of the Dom/Sub, whilst I do not fathom the requirement for sexual domination requiring the use of pain, I do think that there is a place for a good subservient woman – that Emily Pankhurst chick has a lot to answer for.  In reality though, in my world this has proved an almost impossible task to achieve.  My mother is a headmistress with the sort of air of authority that you just don’t question, my wife has the ability to turn you to stone with a glance if you step out of line (luckily in my case this is a very rare occurrence) and my daughter seems to be able to get anything she wants!  The list of others is endless, but needless to say, most women scare the hell out of me!

Due to my internet connection problems I was unable to get any emails yesterday, but hopefully I will get them this evening with any sent today as well.  The last time I looked, there were three new additions to the list – so welcome aboard to Charlotte ‘smoking’ Louise, who has apparently started a new society for the protection of small furry animals who have been subjected to sexual abuse and a couple of Kings (not real ones) Edward and Toby – Toby, I hate to break this to you, but Boris can’t read!.

Back sometime soon with more pearls of wisdom

C, Boris and Beagle