Mid Atlantic - washing day

Sweet Dreams
Roz Preston /Ed Phillips
Mon 27 Feb 2023 13:26
It’s hard to believe that we are already half way across the Atlantic!

None of us have a clue what time of day it is. The days come in two parts, light and dark. Yesterday we changed the ship clock to mid Atlantic time, ie GMT minus 2 hours, which seems roughly right, but trying to set the alarm to get up for night watch proved a bit challenging, alarms going off at all hours and never at the right time! Somehow everyone managed to get up into the cockpit for their watch. This morning Angus had a lovely view of sailing vessel Adele, a huge ketch, in the dawn light, downwind tacking across our course. There are a couple of other ARC + boats within a few miles of us but no actual sight of them yet. Thanks Ellie for keeping track on YB tracking, it’s great to know how we are faring in comparison to the rest of the fleet and good to know we have nothing to be ashamed of. Even without the pole, the downwind sailing set up is still moving us along nicely although we are having to be super vigilant about the sheets chafing on the rigging. Garden hose has become our new best friend!

The winds have settled into a much gentler pattern, 16 to 22 knots and a calmer sea . It’s very much more comfortable. I managed to have a shower and do a bit of laundry this morning, feels great to wash the salt off and I am really enjoying the sight of my laundry strung athwartships forward of the mast in the middle of the ocean!

The galley competition is hotting up. Ed produced an incredible spread of pork chops, roast spuds, red cabbage and carrots last night, setting the bar even higher for the rest of us. However sitting at the chart table I can see the ingredients Angus is assembling for later and I’m confident there will be no drop in standards today. Sadly fresh fish has not so far featured on the menu, although the tales of the ones that got away grow tastier every day.

There was one that didn’t get away. A couple of nights ago on a nocturnal visit to the loo I found a flying fish head first down the toilet. In fits of the giggles I told Ed who was on watch. Poor thing ended up in the fishing bucket. It was a fair size but not too appetising given the scene of its demise. That must have been the unluckiest flying fish ever. Straight through the portlight, bounced off the bulkhead, straight down the pan. 😳 You couldn’t make it up. Something got the benefit. It soon disappeared off the hook but no tasty tuna came our way.

We are all feeling quite euphoric today, halfway through. Now we’re on the downhill run, we can almost taste the rum and ting waiting in Grenada. There’s a way to go 1000 miles plus, but spirits are high and we are all enjoying this period of calmer, sunny weather.

Could someone tell us what time it is please?

Until next time,

Sweet Dreams, standing by channels 16 and 72.

Sent from my iPad