Ca Canny
Tue 8 Dec 2009 19:42
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Dear Blogg readers,
I have been chastised for sending a blogg without
position details and nothing reported at all.
So I start again.
I did the position reporting to ARC in Cowes
at 13.00 hours.
Got a rough night, no sleep before my shift, boat
rolling etc.
So position at 13.00 hours :
14.58N 59.06W
We have been changing sail setup from winged
foresails to mainsail with genoa.
The wind direction changed again and we are again
on winged foresails.
We only have 5.2 knots with a course of 269
degrees.
We see one yacht astern, starboard who changes his
sails constantly.
Monohull, so rolling far more. At present he only
has his genoa up. It's a 60 foot ketch.
Mizzen is not up. ( sail on the second mast
).
We have cleaned the fenders. They where very dirty
from hanging out in Las Palmas and especially after the downpoors where all the
sewage came into the harbour. Diesel, oils, and all the rest you can well
imagine.
The bottle for the G & T has given the ghost.
It is time we arrive.
It is very hot and clammy. All the goodies are
finished.
God only knows what we would indulge in if we had a
crossing time of 21 days.
The tins of food are standing on their own in the
cupboard.
There is another full jar of mayonaise that nowbody
wants to touch.
Another spagbog tonight. Hopefully I can refrain
from being sick again.
Have been sick after everyone of them. (spaghetti
bolognese)
We expect to arrive in the morning aroung 8 or 9
am.
The plan all to be up from 4 or 5 am to be
available for any changes in sail configurations.
After arrival, we will most likely crash out for a
few hours.
Than we will go and find a pizza for Jamie and a
rum punch for the rest of the lads.
We will need a few days to clean the boat.
From the initial organised set up is not much left.
We know where everything is but its on individual
need to know basis.
Who has read what and how much on this trip.
Jamie is reading the autobiography of Brian Clough.
Legendary football manager.
Paul is at his 3rd Dick Frances. Retired jockehy
who writes crime novels situated in the jockey world.
Alan has been reading up on different exotic island
destinations where he is going to take his 2 little chiruibs.
Marc has read a book on a poet who went to
polynesia in the beginning of the century, one on a Nigerian illegal immigrant
and her travails to the uk and the 3 first of a series of 4 on which a TV
series is based: Twilight.
We've read the history of the origin of the
geological and social situation of the Caribbean islands. First the peacefull
Kalawaks, than the violent Caribs, Christoph Columbus in 1492 or thereby, the
period of the Conquest and Filibusters. In this period, the Spanish where
sending gold back home. The others, English, French, Dutch etc where just in
waiting to overtake and loot the ships. Called privateers if they had a 'letter
of marque' from their king and flew the national flag. Or pirates if they where
totally lawless and flew the skull and crossbones also called the Jolly Roger.
They could be captured and hanged at any time.
Next period is the colonisation and slavery.
Sugar cane was the 'white gold' of the time.
Slavery was abolised by the different countries one
by one, with the Dutch the last to give it up. The African population that came
this way to the Caribbean makes up most of the inhabitants these days.
After this it has been a to and fro between France
and Britain mostly re the ownership of the different Islands.
A small group has Dutch origins. The US Virgin
Islands have been sold by the Danes to the US.
The French have given some of the Islands a
status of 'departement d'outre mer' which means that they are heavily invested
in and have a higher level of development than others. They have blended
the local recipes with the French and the Indian, which sounds
fine.
Unfortunately, the recipes in the British and
the American influenced Islands have taken over the home country
cooking.
I can't believe he locals would have done that
completely.
Anyway, maybe time for me to stop
waffling on.
I am becoming opinionated.
Next blogg for tomorrow.
Cheeri
Marc
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