ARC DIARY DAY 10 - 7th DECEMBER 2007
Ladyliv
Sun 9 Dec 2007 01:03
LADY LIV ARC DIARY 7th DECEMBER 2007 - DAY 10
This day Lady Liv has reached 19:49N and 40:25W with a daily run of 139nm
over the 24hour period. We are some 1194nm from St Lucia and from a cold
beer and hot fresh water shower. The weather has been exciting to say the
least and about which we will write more later. But we have faced constant
30 to 35kn winds and 6 meter (18ft) swells with occasional recorded gusts
in squalls to 50kts. We are sliding down waves at speeds which have topped
18kts. As you can imagine, daily life aboard is a constant adjustment to
the winds and waves.
Notes from Mid Passage.
The Captain carried out a Yachting World Survey on the most useful
equipment aboard for this crossing. It was unanimous that the Auto Pilot,
our doggy bowls and the pressure cooker were the most indispensable.
Clearly the crew of LL like their daily comforts.
The time has come the Captain said to talk of many things: Of garbage,
plastic bags. rotten cabbage....and.....RATIONING. We have some 8 to ten
days sailing remaining and are running short of such essentials as Mars
Bars, gummy bears and coke. Of course much of the fruit and vegetables
have disappeared into the innards of the ever hungry crew but some has
simply not survived and has been committed to the deep. Rationing will
start forthwith, the Captain said, to ensure a fair division of what
remains. We do have enough "real food" available Marion, so your
provisioning was bang on. You could not help that the LL crew has such
craving for sweetness.
Mid way is usually when the last clean pair of clean underwear and T
shirts are dragged from the depths of our luggage and so.....time for
laundry. Poor Lady Liv is looking like a caravan parking area near
Blackpool on laundry day. We have shorts, and shirts and other things
hanging from the life lines. One item, a pair of pink undies, has been a
mystery.....Either one of our crew has cleverly been hiding a stowaway
or.......
After dozens of night and day watches the pairs on duty are exhausting
their supply of more normal conversation topics and are turning to
discussions on the meaning of life or audio books and iPods.
Michael and Emil, who share a rather small cabin forward, have been
suspiciously eyeing each other over the past several days. A rather
pungent and unpleasent aroma has been present for days in the cabin. Well,
bed coverings were removed and we dug into the forward holds where we
found perhaps a dozen coke tins have gone off mixing together with some of
the veggies. AHA....the simple explanation.
We are all fully adept now at moving about the vessel in heavy seas. The
rule, one hand for the boat and one for yourself, is never more critical
than during heavy weather. Cooking, washing etc become adventures in
themselves requiring total attention and focus. The crew of LL make a
valiant effort but with only two legs and two arms these tasks take on a
monumental challenge.
Captain Heff remains eternally vigilant and keeps his crew focussed. At
mid passage he has not lost his sense of humour in spite of his press
ganged crew who continue to surprise with their interpretation of sail
planning and boat handling.
Our log on Saturday will deal with some advenTUres we experienced in the
very heavy weather the last few days about which we were informed by the
ARC office.
The crew and LL are well and in the thick of things...............and
having the time of their lives.