Out of the bucket
Fleck
Tue 13 Nov 2012 10:11
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Date: Tuesday, 13th November, 13.00
Position 26:35.4S 49:43.8E
Somehow I have lost a day? Maybe we left on Friday
the 8th November, but thought it the ninth. Anyway we have been at sea for ages,
probably four days! Much calmer these last 36 hours, and Geoff up and about now,
waiting for the next blow! We are making rather sedate progress in about ten kts
of wind, and today it is bright sunshine: good for our electricity generation,
but not for sunburn! Geoff is at last eating again, if only nuts, whereas I have
been eating for two for a couple of days. Seas fairly empty as usual, but our
'Seeme' detector is faithfully picking up big shipping at regular intervals,
sometimes we see this stuff, sometimes it stays below our horizon. Last night
one ship passed very close by: you hear no sound at all, the _expression_ 'ships
that pass in the night' is remarkably apposite. Apart from a little sail
trimming there is little to do, I am reading 'Room' about an incarcerated mother
and son, actually not so bad. Poor Geoff still not able to dip into his New
Scientist yet, and my Economist was hit by the sea water deluge of two days ago:
a real black swan event, obliterating the economy from our little ship for the
next couple of weeks. Our French friends have been to the tip of
Madagascar, and are leaving there just now so we shall be fairly close together
for a few days, until they forge ahead, they intend to go to Richards Bay, we
are headed further south, if the weather is kind.
Message from the crew; birthday greetings to the
senior weather girl and hope Instanbul was up to expectations. Interesting
isogonals down here, the compass points off by over 20 degrees which is quite
noticable since we steer to true north on our chart but the yacht's steering
compass is magnetic.
Message from the captain: goodness, what's an
isogonal?
All the best to all.
R and G
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