Staring at the horizon
Quest
Jack and Hannah Ormerod and Lucia, Delphine & Fin
Fri 29 Jan 2016 10:26
Hi everybody,
Thought I'd forget protocol and start with the juicy bits! Things heard on Quest recently:
Fin: 'Cap's gore tex jacket is cosy for the night squalls!'
Lulu (looking through front cabin hatch at Quest's steaming light): 'There's a beautiful moon out tonight.'
Hannah: 'Where did you learn to sew like that?'
Delphine: 'I've finished lunch. Can I go downstairs and play now?'
John: 'I never realised I was coming on an SAS recruitment holiday.'
Jack: 'I should have bought you a pair of Musto stilettos. You'd look more elegant while you're breaking stuff.'
It's fun to try and convey our little microcosm of life here on Quest! For the last six months we've been living like turtles, carrying this home on our backs. From leaving Milford Marina's harbour wall, sailing down the generous-hearted coasts of Spain and Portugal, stopping at the aloof Madeiran Isles and then almost stopping permanently in the truly Fortunate Isles, where Canarian residents will stop at nothing, principally using their cheap pharmaceuticals and elegant looks to convince you that Madrid is just up the road, life onboard gets a little illusionary at times. No matter where we've been so far, downstairs has the same vinyl tablecloth with red apples we picked up in Gosport, the same overweight books on the shelves and of course, our British-sized collection of baked beans. Out here the ocean moves from almost invisible ink at night to steel at twilight and then clear blue cobalt during the day. I didn't expect our 'home' illusion to be so quickly unstripped by its starkness. There are no other boats on the horizon, no hospitals, no supermarkets (ahhh!), a lot of rocking, no cosy feeling. And now a flying fish has just leapt out of the water and landed on the seat next to me.
'Don't forget about us!' it says.
The captain has thrown it back in. Good thing he didn't start munching on it.
We passed our last squall about midday, Quest motoring through as if she was disdainful about the whole matter. Since then we have entered a whole new 'section' of weather. It's been hot and sunny and the ocean is no longer throwing around such a large swell. According to the forecast, it's set to be like this for most of the way! I'll be able to untie the girls from the saloon table now... From leaving their home, their school and their friends, and putting up with us getting to 'know' Quest, then really becoming as involved as us in preparing her and who am I kidding, although they get to go swimming most afternoons in the sunshine after boat school, our girls have given up a lot to make this adventure work. We are very thankful and proud of them! Today, Lulu sewed, making birds that kiss :) while Delphine played with the conviction of a workaholic and together they have listened to about their 15th audiobook. Thank you, Audible's Xmas sale. Next, 'The Tale of Desperaux.'
With the sea calmer, we tried to do a spot of fishing this afternoon. A fish took the whole lure and broke the line and was off after leaping clear of the water in the distance. The mother of all flying fish? Welcome to the Atlantic. The Captain shook his head. 'Win some, you lose some,' he said, smiling from the cockpit floor.
Love from Quest and her crew xx
P.S. Dear Samson, Daddy sends his love and has lots of pictures to show you when he gets back!!