Day 5

Sadie
Sun 10 May 2015 16:45
 

24:32.000n 61:04.816w

 

Distance to home:  3235 miles

 

Distance run today:  127 miles  

 

Course 010

 

At 19.20 hrs last night we crossed the Tropic of Cancer.  This is just a line on the chart at 23 degrees North and Jez has only a woolly recollection from school geography that this represents the furthest north that the sun moves but we celebrated anyway with a can of Fanta.

 

 

Domestic

 

We are getting used to living together in a confined space but there are limits.  Tim was happily using Jez’s toothbrush this morning until he noticed and gave it a good dousing in salt water to clean it (we have plenty of salt water).  Since standards need to be maintained Jez has also shaved this morning and is contemplating a bath in a bucket later.  He needs this because he definitely smells a bit at the moment.

 

Tim and Wills are ploughing on through the Sudoko book bought from Wilkinson’s for the trip but the intelligence level of their average customer must be higher than that of any of the other supermarkets because these are tough and are causing some frustration in the cockpit.

 

It’s getting cold enough at night to need a fleece to hand in case we get a chill in the wind ( does that make some of you feel a bit better ? ).That said we are still 400 miles south of Bermuda so cold is a relative term.

 

And we are now properly into off shore sailing – our first loaf of the trip has just come out of the oven with instructions to Wills and Jez to make bread whilst on morning watches as we go on.  It smells great and breakfast will follow shortly.

 

Last night we enjoyed sausages with savoury rice, it was so filling there was no need for dessert and the evening followed with a crossword another Wilkinson’s special that tested our limits.

 

Wills bought a Go Pro camera with him which first helped us in dry dock when he climbed the mast with it attached to his head. Tim was able to see from the app on his ipad exactly what wills was looking at and give clear instructions as to what to check, secure and tidy up. Today we will have a play with  raising it up the mast on its own on a halyard to have another look around and maybe set up to film dolphins underwater…..if and when they pay us a visit.

 

 

Sailing

 

We haven’t touched a sail or the windvane for over 18 hours.

 

Given that we have a bit of spare time we have dug out the instruction manuals for the electronics and brought ourselves back up to speed on how things work.

 

 

Natural History

 

The good news is that we are clear of the weed and are now trailing a bright yellow squid lure with a huge hook on it in the hope of attracting something worth eating up from the depths.

Update at 10.30 local – First blood !  Are you listening Mr Smart ?  Small Dorado that will feed he 3 of us very well tonight.  Jez hauled it in and it’s his first deep sea catch having let the true fishermen (Tim and Ricky) have the fun on the way out. 

 

Fresh fish now in the fridge and the lure is back out as there is room in the freezer.

 

Shortly later, probably because we had been throwing Dorado head, tail and guts overboard, we were visited by a new bird which helpfully hovered over the cockpit for a while.  It was about 18 inches in wingspan, delicately built with a bright orange beak, dark markings behind its face and a 12 inch streamer tail that was as long again as the body.   Otherwise white overall.  New to us, any ideas ?

 

Todays responses

 

First questions on football – How have Southend got on in the playoff’s.  We know that Col U stayed up !  And what has happened in the NorwichIpswich game ?  Thanks for the updates Alex.

 

Thomas – Thanks for the election results and glad the new car is fun! Good luck with the move sorry not there to help but more than welcome to leave the balloon in the garage if you want to use the trailer on the back of the Skoda. Also has the stuff in the garage been collected?

 

Mum – Glad to hear your attacking the Annex finally, Anthony has offered his assistance if you need anything heavy lifting briefly just give them a call please! Loads of Love xxxx

 

Gran (Mum) – Sounds like you had a lovely time with Richard, glad your home safe and we hope to be eating plenty of fish soon!!

 

Joe – it’s good that you love me but how about detail on what you are doing.  Love you too.

 

Lizzie – we didn’t have curry in the end but what sort of non-spicy one did you choose then ?  I’ve just learned by text that it’s cheesy beans !

 

Harvey – are you going swimming with Joe or on your own ?

 

Cathy – Hope the ride was good

 

Richard – love the Chelsea Liverpool result (Jez’s kids wont though).  Keep them coming.

 

 

 

Sadie