CALISO - Wednesday, 12th December

CALISO
Mark
Wed 12 Dec 2007 12:36
yesterday continued to be gorgeous all day - we all mostly wave watched and chilled.  dave cooked us cottage pie which was not at all easy as the oven still is not on gimble so any fluids cooked in an oven tip out!  still, it tasted very good, we even had parmasan grated on top.  and then, we had a puddie - pineapple and WHIPPED cream - god knows how - apparently with a fork.  very nice.  becky amused us with her book of zen quotes and simple little pictures, some were quite wise and some as dave so aptly put it afterwards "bollocks" "loadsa" "but can't think of a picture to go with that at the moment".  well,  that had us all in stitches, including becky. 
 
night shifts were quite uneventful apart from dave and becky getting soaked, then bob and i having two squalls and lisa and mark getting wet too.  they had a shooting star count competition and drew on 6 each.  this morning there is a very big uncomfortable swell which is making it impossible to do almost anything.  i've already ended up feet in the air on the couch.  one load of bread and marmalade ended up in the washing up water, tea all over the place and dave's good idea of boiled eggs for breakie turned into a mammouth task.  still we've all eaten, cleared up and people are gradually braving the forward heads to wash and get ready for the day.  not an easy task when you see how far the bow is going up and down.  still we are not complaining as it is our last full day at sea.  woops, nearly went then.  we have less than 200 miles to go to the top of st. lucia and then 3-4 hours more down to rodney bay.
 
yesterday afternoon we saw a tall ship and overheard their conversation with another nearby arc boat - they had 55 people on board and were 80 metres long.  last night we saw 3 or 4 other boats - we are all converging now.
 
i have given up trying to sleep in forward cabin bed - the heat is so oppressive now at night - so i slept on the floor again - lovely draft from the open door and slept at least 3 whole hours - bit of a record of late.  the last shift - hopefully - for bob and i is the 4-8am tomorrow so one more romantic sunrise.  lisa and mark were in that shift this morning and they said it was spectacular - with all shades of red, orange, pink and a beautiful blue behind it.
 
i've had enough of bracing myself and the computer now so i will send another tomorrow morning - hopefully in sight of land!!!!!  no photo today as too much effort involved.  sorry.  once we arrive i will send one more update telling all about the arrival and then i will sign off.  jan xx