Friday 7th December 2007

Hairwashing and Hammocks

Another big night on the big seas. We all went to bed a little nervous last night as one of the ARC boats slightly ahead of us had emailed ARC race control that they were experiencing winds gusting up to 50 knots. Race control forwarded the warning to all participants and we were right on course for it. Yipee! We had a little run through of where all the safety equipment was, the Grab Bags (bags of essentials like water, sea sick tablets, signaling mirror, torch, etc) the girls packed all their esssentials into their pockets, lip balm, comb, Clinique moisturiser, clean knickers, etc. Those of us of a nervous disposition (ie: not James, who couldn't wait to pretend he was on a racing boat and ride the giant waves!) layed out the wet weather gear ready to leap into in the middle of night if the worst happened. It didn't. We're all still here and not even sea sick. How salty the sailor is that then. Then seas are still huge today and the wind gusting but the sun is out. Hurrah!

Just to celebrate still being alive, Becci and I treated ourselves to another hair wash and used, wait for it, FRESH WATER! I feel like I've had a trip to Vidal Sassoon now. I want to strut around tossing my shiny mane and catching glimpses of my lovely new 'do' in shop windows. Though perhaps with two day old trousers on, a tee shirt with toothpaste on it and at last count, 37 bruises, maybe not. A trip to the beautician and laundry when I arrive in St Lucia I think. After the rum punch of course.

George has found a new toy, a hammock I bought on a beach in Thailand about 100 years ago. We thought about stringing it across the boom but the way Emerald is trying so hard to gybe in this wind, we thought he might get dumped in the sea. Instead he strung it accross the saloon and jumped in. We tried it out as a possible alternative to the bunks which, as you already know, you get thrown about in. Stangely, at first, although you appear to be swaying from side to side to observers on the boat, you feel as though you are still. Then the hammock gains momentum and starts to go the opposite way to the boat creating a pretty intense swinging motion which gathers speed frighteningly quickly and you risk hitting the ceiling on both sides. After splitting our sides with laughter, we though it was perhaps a 'health and safety' issue and perhaps should be taken down.

Right I'm off to eat my noodles, instant ones prepared by George.

Til tomorrow.

Justine