Update
Stromboli comes home
John and Sue Chadwick
Mon 28 May 2007 08:59
This is our 19th day at sea and we've now got into a familiar routine: At 0000 R gives me a shake and we wonder around the dark cabin, bumping into each other whilst I get dressed to go on deck and R get undressed to go to bed. (The nights are chilly now so we're fully togged up for the night watches.) I usually do the midnight log entry and some emails whilst R finishes getting ready for bed. At 0130 I've taken to sneaking down to the goodies locker and taking a chocolate bar (maybe two!) as a mid-watch ration. At 0300 I come down and give C a shake and we change over. Around 0730 R and I will awake and get up whilst C makes tea and breakfast - either baked beans with home made bread or eggs with home made bread or just bread and marmalade. At 0900 we take our morning radio call from Fia Tia and lie to each other about boat speed, culinary prowess, drinks consumed the previous evening etc. We exchange positions and weather updates. Then on Stromboli we do any jobs that need doing and go round the whole boat checking for loose shackles, chafing lines and look over the rigging. C then goes to bed and R and I will talk or read until 1200 when we do the midday plot and put our position on the chart. C will get up for lunch. If its Sunday or a celebration day - 500 miles to go etc - we'll have a beer other wise orange juice, bread, cheese, pate and chutney. We're all up during the afternoon and around 1630 the chef-of-the-day will go and sort through the stock so as to prepare our plat du jour. Last night it was a nifty cottage pie - beef in red wine with peas and sweet corn topped with mash potato and butternut squash. Mmmm. At 1700 we get our evening call from Fia Tia and as the sun goes down we'll have our evening dram together in the cockpit. C goes to bed at about 2000 and at about 2030 I do too.
We're now less than 300 miles from Flores but we have something of a minor quandary. There's a gale expected near Flores on Friday and its is a pretty exposed harbour - just a single breakwater - and it could be that we decide to go on to Horta (on the island of Faial) which has better protection. Its a further 100 miles (and therefore a further night at sea) but given this gale it would be the prudent move. We talk it over with Fia Tira this morning.....
Going to bed now, more soon
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