The dogwatch again!
Fleck
Fri 1 Aug 2014 12:53
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Friday 1st July 2014
Position 48:35.1N 14:42W
Somewhat mixed fortunes with our sailing overnight.
Slower than anticipated, and a nasty squall at 2am had us carreering along out
of control, as I struggled out of my bunk into lightweight and then heavyweight
foulies, in a vain effort to remain both warm and dry. Just as in my
current novel 'The Luminaries', glimpses of the truth, and from only one
perspective, give only a tantilising view of the whole, so it is with GRIB files
which compute wind speeds from barometric pressure readings from around the
globe. We get an accurate prediction of the amount of wind energy over a fair
area, but how that is actually dissipated seems to depend on local
circumstances. So it is that we have experienced an average of 15knots of wind
these past twelve hours, but as concentrated bursts of up to 25 knots, in
squalls, followed by complete calms, during which we wallow uncomfortably. The
crew of Fleck are somewhat vexed by these events, they dent our sense of well
being, and they are delaying our progress towards the English Channel:
alluringly close now, but contriving to maintain a rather stiff distance away, a
resistance perhaps, are the Gods toying with us? Hannah has just emerged from
her bunk, silently replaced an anti clatter piece of folded tissue in our
cooker, and returned to her place of safety and seclusion. I am the guilty
party: recently discovering the tissue, mystified as to its purpose, and
chucking it away!
After the news and weather forcast it is lunch
time: this should lift our spirits, and the afternoon weather also promises some
sunny spells.
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