Course  290

 

Speed 6 kts

 

 

 

 

We met the tug on his way to tow yesterday's French yacht with no rudder .  We heard him coming from a long way out as he was optimistically calling the yacht on vhf at a range of well over 60 miles.  He popped up about 2 miles from us whilst we were eating lunch and a cheerful Caribbean chap was on his way into wind and weather at 6.8 knots. 

 

We later head his side of the conversation as he finally made contact.  He was going to have to pass and secure a tow in the dark and in a pretty heavy sea - but we think it will be a lucrative job so worth all the agro to him. 

 

We had a fantastic run through the night in about 20 knots wind. Once set up the Monitor wasn't touched and we trundled into the night at 6 knots under reefed main and small jib.  It was probably just as well as we are running out of sail options until we can fix the forestay once alongside (Jez's turn up the mast we think).

 

We clocked up 3000 miles sailed last night and had about 300 still to go at that point - this is a long haul but we are nearly there.

   

Domestic 

 

It's great here.  Everything needs eating before we get in so meal times are getting extensive.  Tonight we will be having our Christmas Dinner, Caribbean sailing style.  We have Tuna (again, but we still love it !) with Christmas Cake and advent calendar choccies for pud.  We will also be having chocolate cake to celebrate "100 miles to go" on top of everything else that is coming out of the fridge and cupboards.

 

Sadie is 34 feet long.  She has a forward cabin that is full of stuff we need regularly but not all the time like sails, 5 litre bottles of water, fishing gear and the like.  The main cabin in which we live is 3.5 metres long and 2.6 metres wide.  We have a foldaway table with bench seats either side that each double up as a bed when you secure a canvas flap called a lee cloth which stops you from being thrown from your bed when the boat rolls as you sleep.  (Believe me when I say "we need these"). There is also a small stern cabin which is full of our personal gear and conveniently leaves just enough room for someone to sleep without being thrown about, wedged between the side of the boat and the pile of gear.

 

We hotbunk between these beds at night taking whichever is the most comfortable at the time and during the day we use the benches to avoid the sun ( and occasionally each other !)

 

Finally, in the cabin we have a chart table on one side from which we navigate and access the laptop and iridium data link for messges and a galley the other.  The galley has storage cupboards, a gas cooker with small oven and 2 rings, sink, work surface etc and the star of our trip - the fridge which has allowed us to eat fresh all the way across.  The cooker is gimballed, so it stays level as the boat moves and we use it not just for cooking but also whenever we need a steady spot such as when making the tea as this is the only place on the boat where things will reliably stay where you left them.

 

The other communal area we have is the cockpit, from where we work the boat. It is 1.5 metres long and 2 metres wide with bench seats running lengthways and the tiller by which we steer blocking access to the final 1/2 metre. 

 

In this space 3 people have lived, slept, eaten and got on with life for 27 days.  And yes (Dave Smart), we are "still mates" ! 

 

 

Natural History.

 

Nothing new and no fishing as we want to push on. 

 

 

 

Gareth - Glad you have enjoyed it.

 

Em - no, not dreaming.  Suspect you were asleep though !

 

Chris - weather forecast good but you failed to mention the rain and squalls that we keep getting !

 

And here are the people who we remember getting texts from over the last month.  Thanks to you all as we have been keen to hear from the world outside.  Sorry to those we have missed, our memories are not perfect and we haven't written everything down:

 

Laura, Phil, Cathy, Emily, Alex, Chris, William, Barry, Richard, Granny Jen, Granny Rowles, Nick, William R, Jason, Ellis, Gareth, Adam, Gav, Emma, Lizzie,Joseph, Harvey, Claire W, Dave S. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sadie