Position: 36:20.9N 003:22.00W
Global Yacht Racing's EH01
Global Yacht Racing - sponsors: Caspian Services
Thu 6 Nov 2008 15:54
We on board EH01 would just like to raise a glass to the boys on board P42
(or P45 as I have been known to refer to it over the radio!). They have
been
absolute gentlemen at every point - turning up at ungodly hours to collect
our lines as we amble into port in the middle of the night, filling our fuel
tanks for us and catching our dinner so we would like to raise a large
steaming
cup of lemon tea and say - to the boys on P42 - thank you!
That said, they are nowhere to be seen this morning! No croissant for
breakfast, no fresh fish delivery - nothing!
Today brings a new challenge - we have a stalker! A large, and I mean very
large, oil rig! He has been following us and we cannot shake him. As
dawn broke mother nature presented us with her most spectacular sky yet -
crystal blue with a delicate circle of lilac around the edges to the horizon
and with the sun rising behind us there was a beautiful orange band that
stretched across
forever. We had the stunning range of snow capped mountains on our
starboard side
framing a collection of fishing boats doing their thing and this oil rig
closing our stern - with the dawn temperature near freezing it it true to
say that we feel
more like we are off the coast of Norway than cruising in the Mediteranean
at this point!
Right - I'm back! I have just been on deck for an hour monitoring our
stalker
and have returned to report a sailing first for me! We have just been
overtaken by our oil rig! Yep embarassing as that sounds as oil rigs are
normally a fixed object,
for most of the time at least, our stalker - a Saipem 7000 to be precise,
registered in Nassau of all places -
has just motored past us 100 meters from our port side!!!! Oh and the crew
were eating eggs and bacon for
breakfast - we were that close!!!
Well as the day rumbles on the ideas just keep on coming. In my absence
from
the deck this afternoon a mutiny occurred and in an executive decision led
by George
it was decided that I should put in an order for a patio heater and gazebo!
The first
to keep the chill off on those nasty night watches that I keep making them
do and the
second to keep from burning in the day light sun! And they would like those
delivered
express post to Gib please for installation before the Las Palmas leg!
Thank you! You see this is what happens when you get two men together
gossiping!
So with madness clearly setting in on EH01 I must leave you to put the
kettle on - you see, ever as skipper I cannot
escape tea making duties!!!
Em Pontin
Skipper - EH01