Day 5 at sea.

Calypso's Web Diary
Joe Drury
Sun 1 May 2011 07:33

Hello Loyal Readers,

49:13.08N 7:23.86W

0800 LMT

As I write, Alex is asleep on the starboard side, our new birdie friend is asleep on the port side, I’m cooking breakfast in the Galley (boiled eggs and soldiers), George is steering the boat and we seem to be in the middle of a Portuguese fishing fleet. I think they are Portuguese because they have European markings on their boats but sound Russian on the VHF. I tried to call them but just get gobbledegook back. Anyway we are keeping clear, they are keeping clear.

An unusual one last night on Alex’s watch, a tanker, the “Rio Grande” quite large - 250m long was on our scope, drifting at 1.5 knots with the wind and tide, she was displaying “not under command”. Alex wanted to radio him to “ask if he was alright” I said no, he won’t answer us anyway, and what are we going to do? Tow him? It’s unusual as I’ve never seen any vessel with NUC before. 1.5 knots, now he knows how we feel!!

I seem to have picked up a cold, I had the sniffles all last night, but after a seriously strong coffee (who forgot the rum???) I feel ok. Alex seems to have had a good night, although I forgot to tell her i was tacking the boat this morning and she nearly fell out of her berth!

Our new arrival has just landed on Alex’s head, he’s ever so sweet, very very small, like a rolled up sock. I hope he doesn’t s**t over my nav station like his predecessor. In Angry Birds, he’d be a blue one, although he’s brown in real life. Luckily we still have plenty of food, otherwise he would be a very small casserole.

We’ve just picked up a burst of wind, and with it some forward progress, Our course ordered is 080, and we are making, alas, 135 degrees at 5.0 Kts. So St Malo in 2 days then! I’m thinking a lot about the big race, I’m sure I can do it alone, and I’m sure we can do it as a team. It’s not going to be easy though... oh no.

We both miss our family and friends.

Love from Skipper, next blog this afternoon, be sure to tune in then!

x

 

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