Thursday 1 December  2022

14^o 38.8N  41^o 29.8 W

Today's Blog by David  (Time zone: UTC -2)

…….. and time passes.  Today is day 11. 

·        Day 11 has been much like Day 10, except no fishing.

·        Still closer to Brazil  than the Windward Islands

·        Still more than 1,150 miles to go.

The seas have flattened out somewhat; our progress (still circa 170 miles in 24 hours) is more serene and regal than it has been for a few days.  Have neither seen nor spoken to anyone.  

A very pleasant passage it has been, too!

PS Overhauled one further ARC straggler today and there’s another perhaps five miles ahead (both spotted only via AIS).  

Moral Maze:  update

Yesterday, I posed a question to you but without giving you a key bit of information that you need to consider it.  Although we have pretty much a full tank of fuel, our practical motoring range is only perhaps 700 miles.  The Hole I talked about is forecast to manifest overnight on 3/4^th at which point we will likely be more than 700 miles from home.  

Blasting straight through may not, of itself, be a practical answer.  Imagine the morale issues we’d encounter were we to be becalmed – without fuel - with only a couple of hundred miles to go.

The good news is that we are still clocking off 170+ miles per day…..

Inventory management  

Peter was born in Que Que, in what was then Rhodesia. His senior school was a boarding school: St Georges, in Salisbury.  At the beginning of each term he’d set off with everything he needed to last the ten or so weeks until his return:  shirts, socks, pants etc. books,  and what-not but also all the “tuck” he needed to last until his return home.  If he used up his clothes too quickly, he’d have only dirty clothes to wear – although Matron could probably fix that. However, if he ate too many sweets – he’d simply run out – no tuck for the remainder of the term. So Peter quickly learned the principles of inventory management – the hard way.

I mention it because Peter brings along a tuckshop with him on board, generously providing for all of the crew, eking it out, topping up the communal tuck box each day and then assessing the damage caused by the  activities of the ‘chocolate mouse’ during the night.

What I find remarkable is that he held back the best tuck until yesterday, Day 10,  when suddenly a bowl of Liquorice Allsorts appeared on the table – and not just any old Allsorts – Barratts own!!  

How he does it, I don’t know – but his steely resolve ensures there is always a little “something” to be had when one’s resolve weakens.

We are very grateful!