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Date: 19 Oct 2009 10:28:32
Title: Dinner preparation at a 20 degree tilt - New Caledonia to Australia
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24:26.898S  159:43.173E
 
There is a certain methodology that must be followed in order to successfully supply dinner at a 20 degree tilt.  Actually, it's more like a continuous 0 to 30 degree tilt arc - sometimes we're tilted 0 degrees and sometimes 30 degrees, and in between, we are tilted at every degree between 0 and 30.  If we put our minds to it, it's possible that we could determine the time vs. tilt equation such that we could predict the tilt based on the time.  Although this information would be very helpful when preparing dinner, the work to develop the equation would involve too much thinking and a deep knowledge of chaos theory, neither of which we are prepared to deal with.
 
So, on with the 10-step 20 degree tilt dinner preparation methodology:
 
Step 1 - Visualize the dinner.  Example: visualize frozen chicken and rice casserole, frozen bread, tomato and cucumber (or any other vegetable that does not require cooking).
 
Step 2 - Visualize where the dinner components reside.  Example:  visualize frozen chicken and rice casserole hopefully thawed on the top shelf of the fridge in the galley, frozen bread in the big freezer under the settee cushion in the salon, and tomato and cucumber rolling around on the bottom shelf of the galley fridge.
 
Step 3 - Visualize taking out the dinner components and securely placing them on the counter.  Example: visualize moving the free-wheeling gimbaling stove so it is fixed in place and won't bash into the open fridge door when a particularly harsh tilt arc occurs.  Then, visualize kneeling down on the floor to be on the same level as the galley fridge.  Next, visualize opening the galley fridge very slowly and catching anything that falls out.  Find the dinner components and reach up above your head while balancing on your knees to securely place all items on the non-skid mat strategically placed on the counter.  Visualize removing the frozen bread from the big freezer.
 
Step 4 - Visualize sliding the bolt to allow the stove to free-wheel (gimbal).  Visualize doing this while balanced on your knees. Visualize lighting the gas oven burner with the lighter while crouched over the oven door and balancing as boat tilts through the 0-30 degree time-tilt arc.  Visualize placing foil-wrapped frozen bread into lit oven.
 
Step 5 - Visualize using the wide-stance-butt-balancer technique to position yourself for best access to the microwave.  Visualize cautiously opening the microwave door using one hand on the door, and one hand to catch the glass plate as it comes rocketing out at you.  Visualize stuffing the glass plate back in the microwave and putting the plastic container full of thawed chicken and rice casserole on the glass plate.  Visualize using both hands to close microware door while keeping the glass plate and casserole inside.
 
Step 6 - Visualize turning the microwave on.  Again visualize using the wide-stance-butt-balancer technique to position yourself in such way that you can open the toaster locker, reach in and pull out the toaster, set it on the counter and plug it in - all in one swift very coordinated motion.  Visualize pushing the lever on the toaster down.  Imagine hearing the reassuring 'beep' indicating the microwave is on.  Repeat Step 6 in reverse to put the toaster back.  Optional:  visualize a day when you don't have to turn the toaster on in order to get the microwave to come on.
 
Step 7 - Visualize chopping the no-need-to-cook vegetables while employing the wide-stance-butt-balancer technique.
 
Step 8 - Visualize repeating Step 5 in reverse to retrieve the heated casserole without mishap.
 
Step 9 - Visualize gathering all dinner items and timing steps to the companionway stairs with the time-tilt arc so items can be delivered to the hungry captain in the cockpit in a timely fashion.
 
Step 10 - Now that the entire process has been visualized, actually do it.
 
 
I discussed this 10-step visualization methodology with Don and asked him what his breakfast preparation process at a 20 degree tilt was.  Below is his answer:
 
Don's 1-step 20 degree tilt breakfast preparation process:
 
Step 1 - Just do it.
 
Doesn't that sound like Don?  This is why he does everything in one-tenth the time it takes me to do it.
 
In case you were wondering.....we are fine.  The wind is still a brisk 20 knots right on the beam (hence the 0 to 30 degree tilt arc), but by using methodologies like those listed above, we have been able to deal with it.  We are just about half-way there, but are still planning a Thursday at noon arrival (in order to coincide with the tide conditions in Brisbane).  We have scooted along so fast that we envision purposely slowing down for the last 24 hours.  We'll see.
 
Our weather guy says all is well - we are in the middle of a high pressure bubble.  All good.
 
Oh, and there was another flying fish incident last night.  I don't know why this is, but flying sea creatures only seem to fly aboard at night and only on my watch.  A foot long flying fish performed what turned out to be a suicide mission by flinging itself onto our starboard side deck - just outside the cockpit.  It then proceeded to flop around and resist my attempts to tong it back into the water (couldn't bear to touch the thing, so I tried to use the tongs...).  It was throwing off so many fish scales and blood with its mucking about that I gave up with the tongs and allowed it to suffocate on our deck.  Cruel, I know, but would you have touched the wiggling scaly bloody thing while trying to balance in a 0 to 30 degree tilt arc with tongs and flashlight in one hand and hanging on with the other?  I didn't think so.
 
In case you were wondering, Don gave the flying fish a sea burial with high honors this morning.
 
More tomorrow -
Anne
 
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