The Third Man
Christine's Atlantic Circuit
Peter Lansdale
Fri 25 Nov 2016 10:25
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22:17.6N 24:36.6W
Well here I am back by popular demand(thanks Lynn). I've
not read any of the other blogs so I'll start at the very beginning, which
according to Mary Poppins "is a very good place to start"
It all began on the 12th November when I landed at Gran
Canaria airport and Peter L graciously picked me up in a hire car.
When we arrived at the boat it was then that I met the
Lynn and Sandra, Peter's partner and Peter's wife and if you haven't been
keeping up there are two Peters on the boat. We were joined by Ian and Manuela
for (also competing in their yacht Mr X)for a fine meal cooked up by
Lynn.
The morning after Peter L produced a list of jobs to
which every time I opened my mouth another one was added!
Time came for me to attend a series of seminars aimed at
making the passage safer and easier, it was after attending the First aid and
health seminar at which the lecturer prompted us to supply the skipper with any
ailments we may have. Well, after watching what may happen I legged it back to
the boat to inform Peter L that I'd got agrophobia, claustrophobia and
hydrophobia hoping to be left on the pontoon. This list soon got larger
after attending a practice air-sea rescue by helicopter from 200 yds
away, I ran back again claiming heliphobia not sure that's correct but you
can get the gist and also raftophobia {?} after trying to get into an inflated
life raft in a warm swimming pool.
None of this made any impact on Peter L and after the
boat was stocked to over flowing by Peter N and the job list now completed we
left the marina on 20th November on our voyage.
I'm sure the other daily blogs have given you some idea
on what it's like aboard Christine so I'll just bring you up to date on other
things.
We seem to have become weather forecast suppliers
to Diamonds are Forever - 8 girls in a boat - since their satcoms
died.
I'm not sure if it made News at Ten but the yacht
Noah was taking in water and had to be abandoned, the were picked up by a
Royal Navy frigate, good old Navy!
We seem to have acquired a ghost which
mysteriously locked us out of the forward heads, and the skipper was laying 4
plates for dinner.
To celebrate crossing a time zone we opened a bottle of
low alcohol 'champagne' to complement a lovely meal cooked up by Peter N - or so
they keep telling me! (for those of you who don't know Gary can't taste
anything,-Skip)
It was a warm starlit night last night with
light/moderate winds, it's looking light for the next few days and we're waiting
for an opportunity to turn right and head for Saint Lucia.
This morning we found a flying fish had beached
itself on the deck, possible bait for fishing?
Well that's all from me aboard 3 Men in a Boat,
it's nothing like the story by Jerome K Jerome about 3 men rowing sedately down
the Thames pulling over when they wanted a break, not sure which one I'd fancy
the most?
I'll tell you when I get to Saint Lucia!
Gary
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