Boat time Friday 11th September 11.30AM
Slipstream Web Diary
Bill Cuthbert
Fri 11 Sep 2009 17:30
Another night at sea passed, settling into three man sailing, with one
on watch at night. 420 miles from Madeira, 260 from Baiona. Currently
motor-sailing having put the engine on for battery charging duties, and
deciding to use it because the wind had died to less than 10 knots.
Cloudy but warm (T-shirt & shorts). Coffee & cake on deck, Nick has the
fresh bread rising.
Shore team still providing vital support (including Mike setting watch
over phone so's Bill can have a play with the sextant. Might just check
it against the GPS though).
Some bright flashes through the night which Baines thought were flares
(initially) & then decided he must be hallucinating.not enough red wine
through the day final decision was that it was lightning, which led Bill
to put all the electrical stuff in the oven.to protect against lightning
strikes obviously.fortunately Nick took them out before putting the
bread in.it would have made the bread taste funny.
Still have some bloody flies even after (on several occasions) we've
killed the last one. Options are that they're flying out to join
us.seems unlikely 90 miles off the coast.or that they are hiding in the
boat (or perhaps that they are reproducing in the salami). Still on the
first of three salamis.likely to have bought sufficient salami in the
Tesco in Cowes to make it across the Atlantic (& back).
Breakages: the sat nav (oops) only the little one in the cockpit & we do
have another, but that has the more detailed maps for this part of the
world. Fortunately fixed by wiggling the wires around, the traditional
methods of turning it on & off & whacking it with a deck-shoe having
failed The lazy jack, which ripped, but has been fixed by a natty bit of
stitching with orange twine.
Lunch was Tapas.salami (again) Manchego, Fresh Bread, olives, piuckled
chillies lovely, then an afternoon nap & an attempt at fishing (as yet
unsuccessful)