Sunday, 12 February 2012

DAY 19

Position: 15:52.39N 47:37.06W

Another day another night, we’re getting closer. 730 miles to go, 2000 sailed from Islas Canarias, and over 4000 from Portland under the keel. The weather is perfect, the wind steady from the East and nothing much to report. Sat on the bow and got my feet wet trying to catch some of this seaweed but failed, but it’s a great place to be when coming down a wave face. Looking at the sea colour I had a flashback to schooldays - it’s the colour of Quink Royal Blue ink exactly, for those of you who also had to use fountain pens. Beautiful. Alfie is looking more and more like Spike Milligan with his beard.

Seen: more flying fish, a very small bird, lots of floating seaweed. The Sunday papers haven’t arrived yet, which is annoying. Wait til I see that boy..

New improved technique for making bread is to do it in the wok - less messy - then let if brew in the oven, warmed but turned off, as its gimballed and the bread mix doesn’t slide off with the leans like it does anywhere else. Trying out some Canaries flour hoping its suitable for bread, but could be interesting.. Looks a bit lightweight. Oh well, we’ll have breadcake then. N

I (Alfie) had the two night watches last night and the sky was out with a vengence. The moon rose on schedule looking more like a sunrise and bathing the clouds adjacent to it on an orange glow, quite remarkable. The canopy of stars was incredible, I imagine you can only see them without the dreaded light pollution from a position in an ocean like us. Worth all the effort just for that.

I have been trying to keep some sort of journal/ record of my visit to Niges mobile pad and it was all going quite well until yesterday. I suddenly realised I had lost a day (at least) and have no idea where it’s gone! One day feeds seamlessly into the next out here, with the watchkeeping at night and trying to catch up on kip at some point in the day, perhaps it is no wonder I’ve finally lost it. But today is Sunday, I’m told, and have been granted a make and mend (without leave).

The navigation stuff is going well and we are now well back on track and the electro stuff matches the paper charts well, although I have never used Oblique Conformal charts before (strictly a Mercators man), a change is as good as a rest. I have been informed today that I have completed 2039 nautical miles of ocean voyage, and I have the bruises to prove it, look away now children.

The beard, as Nige says, is growing nicely (and I always admired Spike) but it has reached the ‘ very itchy’ stage and wonder if I can cope with it. I did mention shaving off to Nige who said I could but only using salt water. Oh well, it’ll be warm at least.

The next batch of bread is in the oven cooking now, it has been a real morale booster and very tasty.

Discussions today include: does time exist, centre of pressure on sails and hydrodynamic forces on a hull. And I was supposed to have a make and mend! Oh well, bye for now.

Cheers from PW!