9th Feb 2012. Past Halfway… Hoo ha!! …. 15:03.0N 49:25.0W

Providence
Matt Stafford and Rohan Buckley
Thu 9 Feb 2012 17:23

 

Still sailing strong heading West to the Caribbean.  The sun is out and there is a steady breeze from the East at 20 knots or more producing a 10 foot plus swell which has been great for surfing and speed, averaging 6 knots…. flying!!!   We recently past half way, with some 800 nm to go and should be in the BVI’s very soon.  Looking forward to the white sand and endless cocktails.. ;)  We had our half-way party the other day and went off with a bang… great fun.  Some interesting costumes to say the least and a few drinks to celebrate (since Ben and Moon don’t drink, Matt and Rohan had theirs )…….. but what still baffles me is why blokes need to dress in drag whenever the opportunity arises…. Or maybe its just us? 

 

Photos to follow………..

 

On other news ….

 

Fishing.  Score is 4-1, to the fish.  We caught a nice one the other day but have lost 4 lures to the deep (bugger), due to a few big hits, maybe a bad knot for at least one, and I know at least one is due to the large clumps of weed we see from time to time.  So no, not too impressive considering but hope to improve this in the second half.  Moon, being the vegetarian of the four, is loving the fact we are losing rig and not catching, a good laugh she thinks…. Will get her, sneak a pork sausage in her lunch or something.. ;)

 

Shaving.  The three lads are giving it a good go for the traditional ‘no shaving’ for the crossing.  Rohan has some good length, but Ben and Matt are trucking ahead with their efforts (though did start months ago).   Ben is looking like a very red Jack Sparrow and Matt has the look of a bushy deranged prawn fisherman… though both have lost their top lips and have a habit of chewing their mo’s in every meal.  To Rohan’s disgust they also tend to discuss the taste of the meals hours later due to the length of their whiskers… ;)  Something else to note, we all have very red beards in one shade or another, though Matt’s tend to be more grey than not… but don’t tell him that.  So much for the regressive ‘red-nut’ gene that was rumored to be thinning out.  We will have to get some hair die or god-forbid shave before we get into to port or no one will want to chat with us, or even worse, serve us a cold beer!!!!! 

 

Wildlife.  Not much to be seen let alone caught.  Dolphins have been rare (though this is expected mid ocean) though we did see some pilot whales yesterday and they were enjoying the swell having a surf, which is something we have not seen before.  Either way, looking forward to seeing more as we approach the islands.

 

 Food.  Well and truly in to the rice and tins now, but could do with some fish.. ;)

 

Cheers…..

 

Matt, Rohan, Ben and Moon.