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Date: 04 Dec 2007 20:59:01
Title: 04 Dec - Day 18 Position at 16.00 hrs 19:56.7N 050:08.9W
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Day 18 Distance to Antigua  684 nm (nautical miles).

Distance covered since yesterday at 16.00 -  122 nm. Average speed over 24 hrs =  5.08 kts

Hi Folks,

I'm back after yesterday's rest from writing the blog.  Finally got Sam to put finger to keyboard. We used to say pen to paper but that doesn't sound quite right when it comes to electronic emailing via satellite comms.  Funny that, I read somewhere that Russian astronaughts all carried a piece of paper and a stubby pencil. I wonder how that made them feel?  They do say that the computer that sent the Americans to the moon was less powerful than the first Amstrad computer.  Lucky they didn't buy the space rocket from Mr Sugar.  Or maybe they should have.  YOU'RE FIRED!!   How come we've now got Pentium Duo Apple Core go faster computers and they still haven't been back to collect the flag?  Did it happen or was it all acted out in a Nevada tent like something out of a James Bond movie. I've just finished reading Tom Clancy's "Clear and Present Danger". I know it's fiction but the American's always seem to be up to something don't they?  Great planners, lousy implementers I say.  And then they hold their hands up and proclaim "Whattad I do?"   When I was a schoolboy that would have earned me a thwack with a ruler.  Yes, I know, it was a long time ago but it never did me any harm (or maybe I'm pysochologically scarred?)

Anyway, I digress as usual.  I know by now that you have all forgotten about the impending festive tidings and are far more interested in our tropical trials and tribulations.  How's the advertising on TV by the way?  What's this year's new toy for super kids? Last year it was a Wii?  This year it must be a poo.  Marketing departments - who let them get away with that one?

If this wind doesn't sort itself out, I know where we are going to be spending our Christmas. Guess what?  Yup, we are beating to windward, 20 degrees off the course for Antigua.  Hang on I'll just check the chart and draw a straight line - be right back.   Ooooh, I've never been to Cuba!

Weather forecaster assures us that the easterlies will be back tomorrow.  He'd better be right.We are now 36 miles to the right of our course. Which is actually very little - but don't you just hate going in the wrong direction?  And the motion is not too clever either.  Big long rollers about half a mile apart but with a little wrinkly chop on top to make us slam now and again as we plough into one - at 4 knots - not a lot, but enough to make the hull slam down like a fly swat on a blue bottle - and just as messy.

We were creaming along during the night - still in the wrong direction but hey at least we were going fast.  Well, it always sounds faster at night, especially with no moon which now isn't coming up til about 2 am.  It's just a sliver now, but at least it let's us see the horizon which we scan regularly for tropical islands.  No luck so far. A bonus of no moon is the stars though. Amazing to watch them come up behind us and travel across the night sky. Amazing how "proper" sailors navigate by them.  I'm afraid I never learnt astro navigation. I just bought 3 GPS systems instead.  I figure that if the Americans can't get a signal to me from their Amstrad satellite then the world's probably come to an end anyway and there's been another balls up by the CIA.

We have decided to try a different watch system tonight.  We will start the "official" watches at 22.00 and I'll take the first watch til 01.00.  Sam will then do 01.00 to 04.00. I'll then finish off with 04.00 to 07.00.  Not sure if it will work any better than the previous one but a change is as good as a "rest" haha! Will let you know how it goes tomorrow.



Blimey skip, look how far we've still got to go? Are you sure they'll be plenty of 'nanas when we get there? I'm gettin sick of fish. It just ain't natural



(PS Pan Pan medico - Jon has finally gone loco.  He misses one day of blog writing and loses the plot completely!!!! Sam)






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