Oh, the heat and the flies!
Fleck
Tue 17 Nov 2009 05:20
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Date Tuesday, 17th November
Location: Cabbage Tree Point, 27:43.9S
153:21.7E
Not too much progress today, but time to catch up
on the computer, if nothing else. I set off from Tipplers Passage in good
spirits this morning at 07.00 hours, but the wind quickly got up to more than
20kts making hard work for the poor old engine, and as I have mentioned before
it is not possible to beat up to windward in these narrow channels. Never mind
all that, it was these flies that did for me! Big black jobs attacking my legs,
even getting through the long trousers and socks that I hastily pulled on. No
idea what they are or where they came from, I swatted about five of the things,
but by then they had scored eight or nine goals. They were clever to attack just
as I approached a buoy, an especially shallow bit, or a boat coming in the
opposite direction: The boat veered all over the place, to the consternation of
other skippers, who balefully watched me flailing about in my cockpit with my
hat and an old copy of the Syndey Morning Herald, the steering wheel
abandoned! Didn't they have an invasion too? Apparently not. As soon as we
were past the shallow bits I stopped and dropped the anchor, closed all the
hatches, and brewed a cup of tea. And here we still are, its a rather exposed
place, and we are slapped by small waves. Outside it remains very hot and windy,
inside it is very very hot! I think that we should try and go a bit further this
evening, when the afternoon has worn on a bit more.
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