Day 19 - Master and Commander!
Sawsealady
David Moore
Thu 14 Dec 2006 15:53
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"14:47N
8:19W "
Day 19 Master and
Commander!
What has happened to all my fleet? Way back, they
were a well disciplined 230 ships sailing on the course specified by me. As
flagship we were first away and I was well satisfied with my crew and fleet
disposition.
But, since then, things have rather slipped. The
fleet has dispersed - north, south, astern and more distressing
ahead...
Meanwhile, on the flagship the crew have been
behaving of late in a most peculiar manner -
There is Ricardo leaping around the
foredeck in amongst a massive spaghetti of ropes going bananas when
the crew drops the spinnaker boom on his head (what are they up to???).
Then there's our speed queen, Philamena, who after
a rest in her bunk is now helming like a maniac to get as much speed
as possible towards her dream shower, girlie pampering
and apres-yachting. She is still steering the ship in a whizzy manner
through all our gybes avoiding flying fish.
Then there's Oscanaria, the ships chef and
tin opener, fruitmiester, sundowner and fisherman extraordinnaire (but
where are the fish?), who flings his muscles with great gusto in winding the
winches with hails of "Stop now before something
breaks" from the rest of the crew.
Now where is desperate Donald when there
is spinnaker hoisting and gybing? Asleep in
his bunk, of course, dreaming of the Isle ofJura and it's lovely cold, rainy
weather. Not trusting the navigator's ability he uses his own chart and
announces that we could have been in St Lucia yesterday if we had only done
25knots earlier.
Then, Peter (picked a piece of pickled
pepper) making sense of the cacophony of ropes that adorn the cockpit,
has now learnt what each one does - just in time for our arrival -
well done! In turn, we have learnt the mysteries of
the VAT man and all its complex intricacies.
What can I say about the Captain
Haddock, Sailmaker, Navigator, Heads Cleaner, and
Dish Washer - a severe disappointment in every way, allowing the ship to become
detached from the fleet and being unable to control a geriatric
behaving spinnaker.
As for myself, I sit in the cockpit, calm and
contemplative, observing, but not complaining, about my duty as Master and
Commander dreaming of my fleet that will come together once again in St
Lucia.
Yours aye,
Horatio
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