2000 Sunday 23rd Day 14

A quite day; catching up on sleep;engine checks; deck checks. Malcolm from Greenham Regis rang – Sunday morning – to talk over a computer problem. What service! Still very little wind. Looks as though the better weather is even further South this year so we have made the strategic decision to head south for up to 200 miles to try to pick up the trade winds. Clearly a world trade wind recession; we didn’t bargain for that!

 

2000 Monday 24th Day 15

And a strategic decision that has paid off. Wind arrived at 0500 and has been with us all day. Noon to Noon 151 – that’s more like it. Preparations for Christmas are in full swing i.e. we are trying to remember what we have done with our one and only table cloth.

Grey forbidding rain squalls this afternoon advancing from the horizon. Very generous local attempt to provide us with a white Christmas hampered only by the 28 degree temperature. Brrrr......

 

1500 Christmas Day 16

What a lazy day – just like taking a holiday! We have had a small sail rig up to ease the motion – basically fit and forget. The clock went back another hour at noon (now three hours behind UK) and by this underhand trick we have a longer Christmas day than you! The Christmas tree is “up” (strapped to the cockpit table) and prezzies opened.  Thank you Santa for increased access to Amazon and itunes. We spent a happy hour debating the list of preferred purchases. As we don’t have ready access to wifi for another few days, “don’t spend it all at once” really works well! A stowaway was also discovered – thank you Jackie – the soft crew (which easily out number the hard crew) is now under the command of Captain Ivy, almost the best looking Airedale ever. Thanks also for all your Christmas messages which are much appreciated. The gastronomic day started with fruit cake and cheese! Pre lunch drinks, one can of lager between us (steady there) was accompanied by fish canapé and mandarin oranges. The main course of Turkey (but not as we know it ,Jim) and most of the trimmings finished us off. The chef is now deep into her post prandial snooze so Christmas puddings followed by cheese and biscuits are now for supper!

We have just passed the less than 500 to go marker and it is seriously hot today - +32 degrees. “Are we nearly there?” No, Saturday, was the stern reply.