18th Dec 2006 Just another manic Monday
Fleck
Mon 18 Dec 2006 13:50
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Noon position: 15.29N 57.06W
24 hour distance made good: 95 n miles
Distance to go 240 n miles
Morning all,
Many of you will be happy back at work on Monday
morning, how well I remember the wonderful feeling!
Geoff and I stuck here on our little island in the
sun, but I lie, even now the computer is spattered with rain drops coming down
the companionway. Our second showery day in three. Yesterday by contrast the
hottest yet, although we have no air thermometer on board to confirm this. The
water temperature is 31degrees!
Most of the fleet have finished by now, and the
deadline for an Official finish time is 12.00 UT on 21 Dec. We were pleased
for quiet winds yesterday as this has put back our probable arrival time by 8
hours, and this means that we should arrive in daylight on the 20th: the
same daylight that will have greeted Conny and Hannah at Gatwick Airport four
hours earlier. Everything is coming together quite nicely, touch
wood.
The reason that it is raining today is that I
put the finishing touches to my sun awning yesterday: this fits over the top of
the boat to afford some protection from ther sun when it is at anchor. This has
been refolded and put away so perhaps some sunshine this
afternoon!
We have our local Carribean charts on the chart
table now, and are reading the local guide books, and very much looking forward
to slipping into 'Island Time' (the local _expression_/excuse for nothing
ever getting done, or happening on time). On reflection I was born for Island
Time, wasn't I? Don't worry about Geoff, we will whisk him off to the airport
before he has a chance to become contaminated!!
Geoff adds i.e. no time to explore the island or
even walk up the nature trails. Never mind. Incidentally, I won't
therefor find out how deconditioned I have become over these three weeks.
It is difficult to 'keep fit' on board. Most of the excercise is using
postural muscles keeping upright during the infernal rolling, then the
occasional burst of activity when we change sail. There's no room to do
press ups or step exercises up the stairs even. Looking forward to walking
the dog anyway, will no doubt moan about the UK weather though....
Anyway, the navigator is getting something to do as
we approach St Lucia. Trying to funnel us into arriving just after
daybreak - we decided we didn't fancy a night arrival - and we don't trust the
charts particularly since St Lucia appears in two different places depending on
which one is selected! Also thought that a glass of rum punch would be
best enjoyed at around lunchtime, so the plan is to arrive at our last waypoint
about 08:00 local time on Wednesday (1200 GMT) and then, by the time we have
parked, we can celebrate without worrying where the sun and the yard-arm have
got to.
We will now connect the Iridium and download the
weather. Incidentally, did you notice the satellite 'phone in Casino
Royale.. the name's Blunt,
Shaken and Stirred.
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