27 32N 54 53W
Osprey
John Bowering
Sun 24 May 2009 21:24
There has been an amazing change in Kuki's complexion - she now has an all over tan which is shade somewhere between dark chocolate and liquorice. Our bet is no one at home would recognise her now. Charles went so far as to suggest that if we gave her a hair cut she would pass as an African. There has also been a huge change in her ability to get around the boat. This afternoon she was preparing Chicken Tika in the galley and we suggested she wait until we stood the boat up later this afternoon. She commented that it was fine and got on with it where a week ago she would have considered the boat was standing on its head. Listening to Kuki and Charles on deck mixing dough for today's bread is a laugh a minute - Kuki generally issuing instructions and berating Charles to kneed the dough for a full ten minutes. AQ quick glance through the hatch shows Charles with a mixing bowl between his knees and Kuki feeding in the flour. The bread was excellent and we sat around at lunchtime eating it with copious quantities of Philadelphia cheese.
Its nice to be sailing again and be without the sound of the engine.
"Notes from a Small Boat in a Big Ocean with Wind!" - another beautiful day
has seen Osprey zipping along on a northerly track averaging around 6 knots.
We have been sailing for the past 36 hrs, and going at this pace since dusk
last night.
A monumentous event today - the hunter gatherers (John & Charles) by their
cunning knowledge and skill landed a fish in the cockpit. A very nice 12
lbs Blue Fin Tuna - that was promptly gutted & fileted, prior to being
frozen. Charles spotted the shoal whilst sitting on deck cleaning his
teeth, he promptly grabbed the fishing rod and sent in the lure. At the
same time he woke Mini Budda, who as per usual was meditating (sleeping) in
his cabin. Charles managed to get two bites, but unfortunately they both
got off the hook. John then had begginers luck, landing the fish on his
first attempt. The whole fishing attempt was made more tricky by the fact
that the rod & lures we are carrying are designed for trawling at about 3
knots, not delicately trying to drop into a shoal swimming at 6-8 knots.
Crazy Kuki decided that she doesn't mind eating fish, but as long as it
comes in a packet from a supermarket - at the point when the tuna was bought
inboard she rapidly went below, especially as Charles took the rubber
mallet, usually used for opening the freezer, to give the Coup de Grasse.
She remained below whilst the gutting & fileting was undertaken on the fore
deck.
It is only tonight that I can relate a very serious incident that occurred
two nights ago, and has become known as "Mutiny on the Osprey." The
incident in question developed afer Mini Budda turned the stereo on - not
usually a cause for grumblings amongst the crew, except this time it was
Celine Dion! Quickly Crazy Kuki & Charles, with SC Ted's blessing, swung
into action. Whilst Crazy Kuki distracted Mini Budda, asking him what the
route to Aft Cabin enlightenment is, Charles descended into the Pilothouse,
removed the offensive CD and replaced it with his Ipod playing Simon &
Garfunkel. Karma was thus restored to SY Osprey. In protest at the crews'
behaviour John has taken to playing "Last Night at the Proms" at high
volume, but this has not had the desired effect - in fact it only encourages
Charles to join in the rousing hymns.
So to steal a line from those famous choruses "Land of Hope & Glory..."
should be met sometime in the future.