21:39.81N 21:47.57W

Gaudeo
John and Prue Quayle / John Quayle
Thu 22 Nov 2007 10:40
This blog is written on night watch to the harmony of gentle snoring from
every quarter of the boat. Its been a warm, moonlit night showing a clear
horizon, and the boat is gliding along at around 5 knots in a light
northerly breeze on a smooth sea. Even with little progress, night watches
have been a delight for everyone though yesterday before the Nly breeze set
in, one log entry at 0130hrs read "tacked to make progress somewhere".

A second astro/nav lesson was given at 2300hrs tonight - incidentally the
tutor is also in charge of time and has changed the clock (back one hour at
1700hrs which is bound to affect the crew`s gastric secretions) - and lasted
5 minutes which is considered to be the attention span of his pupil. Jupiter
and Sirius were definitely identified; remember Venus and/or Saturn last
night - phew, this is progress!

The galley which awaits promotion higher than its Michelin 3 stars, continues to
excite. In the bakery section, JS with barely concealed pride, produced his
first soda bread - perfect with lunch time avocado, smoked salmon mayonnaise
and tomato salad.

Perhaps envious of the understated, culinary competitive edge developing
among their two shipmates, RB and JQ seem to be developing gentle rivalry -
is rivalry ever gentle for RB? - in the IT department where they are known
for formidable and innate skill. Glitches in this area of shipboard
activity are commonplace, especially in their hands, and with the slow
internet transfer via their respective Iridium satellite phones - talk about
toys for boys! Points awarded for bytes, speed, hits or connections sound
like IT jungle warfare. RB has the edge at present.

Incidentally, the cake thief has been identified but another found his way
into the chocolate department during his night watch. Names withheld from
publication pending appeal.

Blog readers may be missing photo images of crew coping with the hardship
and stress of seafaring life, but to send these via the slow Iridium phone
link would take forever and cost a fortune, so must wait until the writer
next finds himself in an internet cafe after arrival in the Caribbean; a new
dimension to cafe culture which he is developing as a retirement hobby -
how sad can one get?

PS. Astro/Nav update. Astonishing news: as he has some catching up to do,
RB went private - typical - and had a secret tutorial at 0500hrs. He`s now
mesmerized by Venus (editor - please delete from Pat`s copy) so still has
some way to go.