Day 16 1200 Tuesday 8th December

I can sense a change in the mood on board. I think for a number of reasons.

We’ve passed all the obvious celebratory milestones and only the finish line now stands out. We’ve passed 2,000 miles, passed 2 weeks at sea, and passed the 3/4 distance mark.

Everybody is tired as lack of sleep and the constant rolling of the boat takes its toll. The finish is still too far to start getting excited. Everybody just wants to get there.

Then there’s the squalls during the night following the storm of the 13^th which is un-nerving some of the less experienced crew despite the skippers insistence on getting him out of bed if they are worried. I’m following a route which stays clear of the worst of the weather but that prolongs the time still to go. Between the devil and the deep blue sea? Who wrote that?

So to take our mind of the next few days we tried to list what we would each choose to make the trip more enjoyable if there was a next time.

Barrie voted for long range radio so we could talk to the other boats but when he found out the cost he agreed we could go without and he settled for a longer genoa furling line.

Pat voted for a freezer to put off the tinned food once and for all. She and Tyara had veggie burgers last night while the rest of us had tinned pies.

After that it got silly.

Margery wanted never ending ice cream and Tyara wanted in no particular order a) endless fresh water to wash her hair every day b) a washing machine to avoid washing clothes in a bucket c) a butler.

Clearly Benji doesn’t measure up in that department.

Talk of the devil – he wanted a bed on gimbals so as to get some sleep. This swiftly became a sensory deprivation room – pitch black, silent, motionless and the right temperature. Skipper tried to fob him off with a hammock but he was in fantasy mode by then.

All the skipper wanted was a bigger boat to house all of their wish list.