Bernie’s Blog - Day 187 – Tuesday 7th June
2011
We were defeated. Yesterday’s bread mix did not work
either. So, our final attempt is with a recently purchased French Bread – Pain
Bio. The instructions are in French
which P2 has kindly translated. Watch this space.
We are still making excellent progress towards Horta in
rather unpleasant weather – we could be off Cornwall on a summer’s day – it is
damp, dank and loppy. However, with the end in sight we are all in good spirits
and still thoroughly enjoying each other’s company so we have nothing to
complain about. To celebrate our last night at sea this evening Rod is promising
us his ‘famous. North Yorkshire ‘all day breakfast’ or even a Fray
Bentos.
We have had many visits by pods of dolphins and several
seabirds so we remain hopeful that in our last 24 hrs we might catch that
elusive fish. The skipper is in charge of fishing tactics. The deep channel
between Picos and Faial islands is renowned for it’s whales and we would hope
that we see some of those before we enter port at Horta on Wednesday
morning.
The Portuguese phrase book is out and we are practising
all the important phrases eg Onde fica um bar (onde fica – where is?); cinco
cervejas por pavor; um garafa de vinho tinto etc etc … and that phrase that
should be known by every sailor in dozens of languages: o mio amigo vai pagar –
“my friend will pay” !! Which will probably our good crewmate P2 – Peter
Stonestreet – who at time of writing looks fairly certain of winning the arrival
time sweepstake albeit the Skipper, we suspect, is trying hard ‘to fix’ our
arrival in his own favour ie before 0859. Anytime after that it is
P2’s
As were still in ‘roughers’ last evening’s supper was an
excellent tined chilli con carne with rice and tortillas.
The Susan Ayu award winning (Ionian Sea – 1988) arrival
cocktail (Bloody Mary) has been prepared and is ‘melding’ in a large flask. It
takes 24 hours to ‘marry’ the ingredients that go to make the world’s most
complex cocktail.
A final ‘on passage’ blog will be made
tomorrow.
BS
