Nyaminyami II Blog Wednesday 04.12.13 - 1200hrs

Nyaminyami 2 Diary
Francis Williams
Wed 4 Dec 2013 13:26

By Chris Haworth.

 

As I commence the Blog today, I am trying to remember what happened/what I reported yesterday!  Post Blog there was lots to do! Further mainsail repairs (we now have it fully hoisted..Yeoooooooooow), Lunch (avocado salad), Boat tidying , Yapping(!), some helming, Shower and shave ..for me, it was then time for bed (1700) as I had been up since 0130hrs!  I had 3hrs Kip whilst Jane prepared dinner and Francis and Graham doused spinnaker for night sailing. Deflating news of yesterday had been  Grib file download (i.e. wind forecast for next 3 days) – after having done long hard miles limping to position ourselves north .....wham out of nowhere came a ridge of high pressure (no wind), now forecast to block our way to St Lucia on Friday/Saturday!- (mental note need to study more meteorology – come back Nige App...all is forgiven!). Only way is to head south!!!! So we decided to head SW and review forecast tomorrow and hope Friday/Saturdays forecast improves. On the plus side it had been a beautiful sunny day and we bowled along dead running in about 15knts avge of breeze, making about 7kts bt speed...Could be worse! So prior to dinner we set up, a poled out, goose wing for the night. Had superb crew dinner – the other fish (I felt obliged to eat it!) which was baked in foil, fresh lemon juice, fresh veg, grown on Jane’s vegetable patch on board (.....oh sorry, I might have exaggerated that bit!), freshly made ratatouille and rice, a glass of cooled Muscadet...and wait for it ...homemade (on board) ice cream!   Let’s face it who gives a s**t about the grib files!!!

 

We changed the watch system as crew thought I needed more sleep. Plan was: me 1000 – 0100hrs, Jane 0100-0330hrs, Fra 0330-0600hrs, Graham 0600 -0830hrs.

It was again a beautiful starry night full on star gazing, no moon yet...Jane joined me as planned and I wasn’t the slightest bit tired so we had a cup of tea and a good old chat about love lost, love found, our families, hopes, aspirations, plans (why stop there?) life the universe and everything! When we stopped talking it was 0330 – I left Jane to the stars and Fra joined her at 0430. I woke with the breaking dawn 0700 and got up to see the sunrise..to find Fra  still on watch with Graham (who had not been woken by Fra (in case he insisted on putting spini up) still enjoying a good night’s sleep!) Now Fra has been impressing us with his knowledge of the stars pointing to all sorts of constellations, individual stars and planets and reeling of their names like a proper Patrick Moore (At one point, I thought he was going to produce a monocle!). Well on my progress to the cockpit I ‘caught’ him with a sort of Kaleidoscope device which you can point at the heavens set the time and it tells you all the answers....Pikey and I now have a cunning plan ...we will all be experts tomorrow night!

 

I can’t remember if I have ever watched a Sunrise with such a defined horizon but the speed of the suns emergence is unbelievably quick – a green flash across the horizon as the tip of the top first shows and within a few seconds she is up – a glowing golden ball, immediate wondrous life giving warmth and light! A flying fish skipped by - Nature and creation close and magnificent!

 

Spinnaker up after sunrise – a little less breeze, 10/12kts NE, 6kts bt speed, fresh fruit breakfast, yogurt, coffee and toast ....Jane forgot the sump pump again....

Life is hard out here ....but somebody has to live it!

 

From an almost unbearable existence mid Atlantic – the crew of Nyaminyami wish you many fine nights and spectacular dawns!