13:11.75N 51:21.27W

Gaudeo
John and Prue Quayle / John Quayle
Wed 5 Dec 2007 12:54
Stonking along again to a steady breeze and with 600 miles to go.

The crew have enjoyed receiving many messages of good will. Some light
hearted literary contributions are special and deserve wider exposure so we
felt they should be exhibited on the blog . Apologies to authors for failure
to obtain permission - copyright reserved:

1. Richard Genochio ( alias "Archos"), The Old Post Office, Therfield,
Hertfordshire:
The imperishable valedictory ode
uttered by E.J. Thribb's alter ego ( After arrival at Tenerife from
Portugal - September 2007)

So. Farewell then, Gaudeo.
I did indeed rejoice
To be on board.
But Keith's mum says
That Gaudeo may not have fully
Reciprocated.

2. Richard Genochio - for Transatlantic crew:

Advice to all crew: remember that you are all hitches in the clove of life,
strands in the forestay of destiny, and flukes on the anchor of eternity.
Archos


3. Stewarts, St John`s Hill, Shrewsbury:
Ode to the Mainmast

To Captain Quayle and his crew of three
Have a wonderful journey across the sea.
Fuelled by quaffs of vinal potion
We'll surf your blog as you cross the ocean.

Smith, Burbidge, Quayle and Lane.
What a team to sail from Spain!
Who is the helmsman; who finds the booze?
Who is the cook and who cleans the loos?

Do not dismiss out of hand
Your friends at home who prefer the land
A River House voyage makes some of us frantic
We keep our distance from the Atlantic.

More people travel, so they say,
By Ryanair or B. A.
But Shrewsbury's intrepid sailing team
Upgrades and travels by Gulf Stream

Pat and Caro, Sue and Prue
Would of course be a better crew
But would they be quite as fast
As Captain Quayle up the mast?

So to all the crew and Captain Quayle
We wish you well as you set sail
We await your yarns "A Whale Astern"
To entertain us on your return.

4. Chris Machin, Ryton, Nr Shrewsbury:L

What's all this about 'iron sails' and sartorial elegance ? ! We fans on
dry land tune in to hear about SAILING exploits and also a bit of HARDSHIP
! - as in
'the windy day with the white clouds flying. And the flung spray and the
blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying'.
Details of more pain, please .

5.Felix Leslie, Goldman Sachs, New York:

"The true peace of God begins at any point 1,000 miles from the nearest
land." - Joseph Conrad



5. Neils at Redhouse, Edge, Nr Shrewsbury:

With apologies to Edward Lear.


Quayle and his entourage went to sea in a beautiful Bowman boat
They took four males and plenty of sails
And enough liquor to keep them afloat.
John looked up to the stars above his sextant primed and steady
Oh, Jupiter, Saturn , Oh Venus my love
We're in Milton Keynes already
Oh dear
Oh dear
We're in Milton Keynes already.

The chefs aboard now cooked succulent fowl
And pates and puddings and stews
Providing for pleasure a nautical measure
Of Claret and beer for the crews.
They sailed away for three weeks and a day
To the land where the bomb tree grows (Grenade)
There were troubles we hear with the self-steering gear
Which kept John and Dick on their toes
Their toes
Their toes
Which kept John and Dick on their toes.

The sails were trimmed the waves were skimmed
Grenada became ever nearer
They jibed and tacked and reefed and backed
The crew became even keener.
A cordon bleu dish of flying fish
Kept the hunger pangs at bay
The four buccaneers raised their glasses of beers
Here's to the trip back in May
In May
In May
Here's to the trip back in May