Chuck sets a new standard

Ninaofsouthampton
Tue 21 May 2019 17:33
Chuck upped the dining standards last night by some margin. Produced, incredibly, almost entirely from tins ( or are they cans?).

A main of asparagus, lightly fried potatoes with onion fracases and sweetly smoked local sausage. Well, he found it in the bottom of the Port locker. Followed by a cheese course so good that the entire pack of Bermudian blue cheese was demolished - by Matt, though he was kind enough to leave the fruit garnish for the rest of us. To complete the evening, French style, a delightful sweet. Apple crumble. Again locally sourced. We have had it most evenings but it was the style of presentation that got top billing.

Fortified we cracked on, putting behind us the best day of sailing so far. A wonderful beam reach in a good breeze and generous helpings of sunshine. Across the Gulf Stream. If you ever wondered how all that warm water got to Britain well I can tell you it flows fast and, for us, in the wrong direction

We knew we were set for an interesting wind shift in the early hours. So it proved. The front brought high wind and a torrent of rain. Matt took one for the team. Just bad luck that it was his watch!! Nina was heavily reefed and didn’t seem to mind. Jonathan joined Chuck in a hastily formed prayer group. I watched Matt getting soaked from the safety of the chart table; it is important to monitor shipping carefully at these times!! Ten minutes passed and so did the squall. Unfortunately the wind shift that followed has left us battling into a head wind ever since. Plus it has gone very chilly. A cold front methinks

That’s life at sea with 130 miles to go to the entrance of Long Island Sound

Skipper GDJF

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