WE ARE HALF WAY!!
Mollihawk's Atlantic Circumnavigation
eddie/david nicholson
Thu 4 Dec 2008 11:12
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For all of you who wondered if we are ever coming
home the good news is that at least we have managed to get half way! At one
stage yesterday we were pointing towards Rio as the wind was forcing us down the
South American coast. Now there's a thought, but unfortunately we have no charts
of that area!
Now you are working out on your fingers if it took
them 10 days to get half way how are they ever going to be back for Christmas
when you consider they have the longer half yet to do what with all the
time needed to tie up the boat on arrival, pack our bags and tidy up
after the passage not to mention a few rum sundowners! It could be
tight!
We had to motor through the night last night as
there is a bank of light airs in our path and while we have tried to sail South
of it over the last few days it seems to be following us down so the only
thing was to drive Westwards through it or we might be still indeed be here in
the New Year.
The other big thing that happened yesterday was
that we fired our fishing consultant who we had retained on the pay roll since
his advices during our Moroccan leg. While his success was poor back then his
enthusiasm was commendable and he appeared to know what he was talking
about.
We have taken a different approach which is to
throw any old bait on the rod and launch it out the back.
Well James I have to tell you it works!! We hauled
in a mighty fish yesterday at afternoon kip time. The Skipper was alone on deck
as the crew snoozed and he single handedly fought it out with a
Benito all of about 1.5 kilos. He put up a tremendous struggle but was
eventually defeated and once aboard the customary flushing of his gills with
vodka took please to ensure he was properly deaded!
This practice it common place around here so you
avoid the bludgeoning of the poor fellow with a winch handle and then have to
clean up the decks after you.It might work out a bit expensive on the mackerel
at home though! But taken into account the capital outlay it has cost to and one
week of man hours, the final cost of this fish from sea to plate is estimated to
be in the region of 600 euros a kilo making it more expensive than the much
prized Patagonian Tooth Fish!
But boy did it taste good and broke the cycle of
pork , lamb, or chicken even if there was only enough for a
starter.
We celebrated the half way mark with a bottle of
bubbly.
This leads me to talk about the chef for a moment.
Mikey Boy has produced the most fantastic grub every night with a variety of
dishes whose recipes originate from some of the finest land based chefs
about! ...our wives! But he excelled himself beyond belief last night with the
help of his sushi sous chef Mr.D and we are fishing mad all day today to try to
repeat the experience!
The winds have returned since early morning and we
are heading at speed in the general direction of St. Lucia.once
again.
MHS Blogger OUT.
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