Return, 5th report 50:08.49N 11:48.15W

Ellatrout3
Thu 10 Jul 2008 22:59
10th July 22:00
 
Hi all,
 
We're back in the vicinity of British coastal waters so all sillyness and frivolity must cease.  Its just the Skipper and me now!
 
Good news first, the dicky tummy seems to be OK.  My nannying menu choices, along with 'little and often' seem to have worked.  The Skip has been frantically tending sails all afternoon - that is a sign, I can tell you.  Now he's resting, albeit with one ear and one eye open.  We are charging towards Southern Ireland, hard pressed with 3 reefs in the main and a just a bit of a jib in Force 5/6.  We're doing somewhere between 5 and 6 knots though it feels like about 50!  Our world is at a slant of 20-25 degrees, bouncing and occasionally slamming.  The odd wave goes over the roof!  If the wind or the sea gets up any more we'll have to do something (reduce sail or change course slightly are the most obvious choices I guess!).  So the Skip is keeping his 'weather senses' tuned whilst the rest of him is fasto!! 
 
It is very interesting, in these conditions, producing a tuna pasta ....  from basic ingredients please... none of this pasta sauce mix or boil in the bag rubbish for us you know.  Oh yes and add to the weather and motion a few other factors: you only have two cooking rings, every time you open a cupboard something leaps out at you and you can't put anything down because there isn't a flat and stable surface for 257 miles!  Finally, HANG ON ...... It would make a good game show!
 
Momentus point of the day, the Skip's voyage, originating in Pwllheli a few weeks ago, clocked up its 1,000 mile at 13:07 today.  Stirling stuff.
 
As we approach the Continental Shelf, which we expect to cross at about 02:00 tomorrow, the wildlife starts to change.  We've been accompanied by Shearwaters on at least a few occasions every day, though they weren't around in the thick of the stormy weather of a couple of days ago.  However apart from them, the turtle, the whale, the dolphins, the Portugese Men of War and the more ordinary jellyfish, we haven't seen a thing.  Earlier this evening we saw a different sea bird, has the same pattern of activity as the Shearwaters but is smaller, plumper and brown.  Can't think what its called.  The edge of the shelf is where we would be most likely to see whales as well but its unlikely we will see any at 02:00 tomorrow for a variety of obvious reasons!
 
On current progress we think Pwllheli will be reached some time on Sunday - but as we''ve learned from the 9 days so far, a quick change in the weather can make a big difference.  In this case however I don't think any change will get us there any earlier!
 
I'll go now - need to stick my head out and see if there's any shipping about - and typing in all this motion is also pretty tough - though luckily a bit less risky than cooking.  The power supply does get a bit warm but it doesn't compare to a saucepan of water!
 
Regards all and bye for now.
 
 
Dad/Poppa/Roger and Paul.