reality check!
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Sat 21 Nov 2009 11:05
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Picture the scene. Generator on and making water.
One person (me) showering, the chef (Roddy) has bread in the oven and the smell
is wafting through the saloon. He is lying in the cockpit listening to the ipod
and "singing" . Trish and Angus are fully reclined (but separate) in the saloon
armchairs feet up on the foot stools writing on her lap top and the other
doing a crossword. The on watch team are hovering over their instruments (if you
know what I mean) at both the helms with only shorts on. Wind speed is about 22
knots gusting to 25, sea state moderate becoming rough.
Boat speed - average 9.5 knots top speed 11.9
knots. Problem? This is not fast enough - I'm sure we should be faster - but we
couldnt be more comfortable.
As in life however when everything is going well,
not because I am a fatalist or pessimist but because I am a realist, it is time
to stop and think and review the whole set up - scan the horizon as it
were. Safety has to be reviewed and people reminded about complacency setting
in. Deck walks and inspections need to be more vigilant and systems need to be
checked and double checked. Why? because we are long enough in the tooth to know
that if something can go wrong it will go wrong! I hope I dont have to tell you
I told you so.
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