Swimming, baking and modelling
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24:10.7N
61:46.7W 98
nautical miles to noon - all before 4:00am when the wind died. Now drifting in a
flat calm.
Sailing: Our
plan is to sail broadly north for several hundred miles, using the easterly
tradewinds. Then, as these give way to more northerly weather patterns we'll
pick up either the lower edge of one or more low pressure systems
(anti-clockwise rotation) or the upper edge of one or more highs (clockwise
rotation). One of those options will enable us to gradually turn right and
"ride" the systems towards the
Leisure: With
a flat calm from early this morning we've had the opportunity to do several
things not normally possible or easy. The day started well with bacon, eggs and
tomatoes (the latter had ripened very nicely from the hard green ones we bought
in
Yesterday Allan sponsored a plasticine vehicle building contest. His uncannily realistic version of a tractor and plough (and seagulls following) tied for the win with Paddy's two-man submersible with lunging shark and bowl of crisps. Close runners-up were Charlie's
Dali-esque Moon Lander and Richard's impressionistic (four wheels and a hose)
Fire Engine. The Skipper has authorized profligate bandwidth use to bring you
photos of some of these works of art. Food: Neroli's
crew ekes out an austere existence on an innovative cabbage and potato-based
cuisine. These items are the two long-term keepers in our stock of vegetables,
along with garlic, ginger and onions. The heat and humidity have already caused
a few casualties among softer fruit and veg, But we have a fridge and
(importantly) a freezer that is packed with 14 dinners cooked in St. Lucia and
awaiting only heating and the addition of suitable carbs. So far
we've eaten only one of our frozen meals, a beef bourgignon with garlic mashed
spuds. Other dinners have included Caribbean-inspired beef strips with garlic,
ginger and lime; penne with pesto and chicken; and a very fine cabbage bake.
Less successful has been the bread: the result has been edible but uneven. But
today Charlie - truly a hands-on Skipper - stepped in and knocked out a
magnificent granary loaf despite the cook's attempts at
sabotage. |
Today's blog is in three parts. The
first section is about the sailing - or rather, about the route we plan to take
since we aren't doing any sailing at the moment. The second is about the leisure
side of our cruise, which has come somewhat more to the fore in view of the
absence of wind. And the third is about food, which is also becoming much more
important now that we all have our sea legs and appetites have returned to
normal.
The current forecast is for highs,
so we need to get past them to their northern side to pick up a following wind.
The patch we're in now wasn't on the forecast and we're expecting and very much
hoping that the wind will pick up again soon.