Barring disasters....
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Thu 29 Sep 2011 16:02
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Thursday 29th September 2011 - 1528 UTC 1628
BST
09:08.225S 014:15.039W
Wind: SE 16 knots, COG 322 Deg True, SOG 6.8
Knots
With all my warbling on yesterday I forgot to
mention something. The 26th of September 2009 was the day we set off
to sail round the world. Today the 29th of September Rhiann Marie is exactly two
years old - officially. That is the date on her boat registration papers. So
either or, we have been two years on this adventure.
It is very hard not to be tempted to think of
things being all but done now, but I am working hard at not doing that and
staying focused. There is still over four thousand miles to go and a lot can and
a lot certainly will happen in that time.
Yesterday we explored through some of the
identifiable big risks. Identifiable. Remember what Dional Rumsfeld said -
"there are known knowns, there are known unknowns but there are also unknown
unknowns" So that about somes it up......
These risks discussed yesterday were the biggies.
There are many more risks. That of autopilot failure being the highest
probability, catastrophic sail damage, failure of both engine and generator
preventing charging of batteries, loss of all electronics, lightning strike
(again!) to name but a few. However what about risks to the skipper? A fall
or a trip during my sleep deprived fatigue? A severe injury or breakage from
that could be terminal to this challenge. An injury to my dodgy back
which has sometimes had me crawling round the boat on my hands and
knees. Food poisoning, Appendicitis (oh no, I got them out), infection etc.
What about if I can't handle it mentally?
What if I am doing a Donald Crowhurst and in fact
have never left the marina, simply posting false logs every day and making all
this up while living a drug filled bohemian life in a squat in Southampton?
Maybe not a bad option you know..... In any event, if I were you, I would just
check the local marina or anchorage just in case I am there battering away on
the keyboard!
Now the incoming e-mails have slowed up a little
bit. Is that just because we are now the widest read blog on the mailasail
server? You know that yesterday I said I could guess which blog has had more
visits than ours over the two years? Well it was not quite the one I
expected but it was for the same reason. The Chandler's who were held hostage in
Somalia have a blog. When they were captured and taken hostage it
was all over the national and international press and TV. Now there are many
things I would do to "beat" the competition but I draw the line at sitting as a
hostage in Somalia for the best part of a year!
That aside I am very chuffed about the readership
and will try, without dramas to keep it interesting.
My sailing tactics at the moment are working out
grand but I am dreading - dreading - the next two days forecast light winds.
There is nothing so depressing in life as not making progress. There are of
course plenty times in life when you are putting in the effort but not making
progress. That's not the time to get down hearted - that's the time to get up
earlier, dig deeper, work harder and with one almighty shove sooner or later
with your shoulder to the millstone that bloody wheel WILL
turn.
I am going to head off down to the pub now as
it's a nice day here in the marina.................. oh no! I meant to say I am
just heading out on deck to start preapring my spinaker for the forecast light
winds.
It is finally starting to warm up a little
bit. The sea temperature is 25C and there appears if I am not going mad, to be a
tiny little fraction of blue visible behind the grey humid cloud. Yesterday
I was forecasting that the weather may getythundery and in fact this
morning I had the first of what I fear will be many squalls. I am nine degrees
south of the equator now. That is 540 miles if I were going directly North. But
I am not. However I could be there barring disasters in four or five days.
Possibly.
Quote of the day: Say what you'll do and do
what you say. Simple. - Me.
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