Fish & Chips
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Mon 26 Oct 2009 17:49
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Now at position 33:15.9N 009:11.5W and ghosting
along the coast of Morocco under asymetric spinaker only. It has been a
beautiful day except - no wind -Urghhh! this would drive me insane - despite
lack of crew enthusiasim I put the spinaker up anyway and dropped 5 knots of
boat speed but picked up a large measure of satisfaction by coaxing 4 knots out
of Rhiann Marie - only one small point 60degrees off course - well Africa was
interesting first time around so lets see where we end up - I've been to the
Canaries before anyway!
Yesterday Trish and I saw the largest SHOAL of
dolphins ever - many, many hundreds - I would say thousands, but I have been
told millions of times that I exagerate. We have had various Sunfish visiting us
several whales though only coming up for one gasp each time - I think its the
smell oozing out of Craigs cabin forcing them somewhere else for fresher air. We
have had very large dolphins and very small ones - I'm not sure of the species
and Trish and I had a very large ray like creature 30 yards off, which looked
like it was mugging something less impressive. We also saw our first flying fish
which we are looking forward to eating for breakfast some day soon. Craig has
also started fishing and the first big strike soon followed - promptly followed
by the first big fankle. Strangely we seem to be short of fish everywhere
and it seems to me there is an abundance of dolphins but we just couldnt harvest
them could we - they are so intelligent and so like us - but we dont mind
killing each other in large numbers around the world - we need to stop and
have a wee think sometimes.
Speaking about Craig our intrepid shore goer
arrived aboard the other morning at 0718 ETD 0830 quite impressive really but
then I heard the stories. Apparently at some charity hop he was serving at a bar
in his boxers and had to buy his clothes back - all for a good cause
apparently.
I also spent a chunk of the day trying to re
program some of my electronic instruments and wrestling with the SSB and its
associated "smart" software, but there is more to do on that tomorrow. Also
several e-mails coming in which is nice but keep them short guys and dont attach
other mails as a reply - start a new one. That is because I pay for the cost of
the file size and I need all my pocket money for my rambling blogs. Dont
worry I am not going nuts just too much time on my hands and I need to fill
my days with something constructive, profitable or challenging so while I
come up with the big idea I will probably blog on at - 4
knots!
Night watches down the coast here are intriguing to
say the least. As soon as the sun goes down it starts Oinks, Meeaw (cats)
monkeys and all kinds of weird heavy breathing and crazy stuff on channel
sixteen - I think they are bored, drunk and or drugged up watch keepers trying
to bait others and boy do some of them take it. Listening to the heated curse
filled exchanges is like a scene from a quintin tarrantino movie crossed with
old macdonalds farm. One guy last night said his canine had had a very intimate
relationship with the other guys mother but he felt sorry for his puch! Now they
dont teach you that on the RYA courses. Anyway the monkeys and pigs have started
again on theVHF so I have to go and catch up on the action - strictly listening
mind you.
Oink!
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