Alex Cockle Diary 3
Thisbe
Wed 13 Dec 2006 21:30
What was an exhilarating ride of our lives has now subsided into a leisurely
wallow, the wind has gradually died away. Replacing the familiar swish,
which has sent me to sleep for days, is a low revving grumble of the diesel
engine, most of the time. Just when you thought the midday sun couldn't do
anymore to make you want to do a running dive straight from the galley, up
the stairs and head first into the clear blue water still with your apron
and your wellies on, IT GOT HOTTER, and hotter and hotter. We are still in
the current and according to my last calculation it is 2.7 miles deep here
so we can't drop the anchor and go swimming. We are also still 500 miles
from land so I know it will get hotter still for the next four days while we
trundle in. Apparently we have arranged for a big canister of wind to be
delivered tomorrow in order for us to continue sailing.
I think I have passed my cooking badge today, they're up deck now
discussing it I believe. Very complicated creatures Cockle's when it comes
to food, they would rather have things they recognise in the pictures on
tins
than an original dish possibly from a foreign country. Admittedly the
foreign dishes my own creation and require a degree of timing and forward
planning, usually the boiling of a pan of water or chopping up of a garlic.
This stage was approved in week two and since then my recipes have soared in
flavour and boatwide recognition. I have achieved acclaim in many other
categories too, these include retrieval of tea bags from the cup prior to
serving and equipping each diner with a piece of kitchen roll and a spoon
before eating their meals. I'd like to thank all those of you who voted for
me but really..It was nothing.
On the fishing front, all quiet nothing to report, a bit worried that the
agricultural and fisheries records in Truro library, regarding ' Manny the
Bass Snatcher' and 'Vic Slick Fish', may have to be amended to avoid total
embarrassment primarily because of the stark difference between their local
and international catch results. In the current forecasted predictions, the
deficit is too wide and we may have to pull the plug on this
whole ..ocean..just to find some fish. ha ha ha ha
Bloke from Radio Cornwall rang, said it was lovely to see people out there
doin' it on the sea and that he went past Bar-bados the other night and
Newquay's a lot better than it used to be. Also passed on best wishes to
Mandy, the Vicar and Alice up the Atlantic with a frisbee.
Approaching dusk now and I must seize another opportunity to take some
photographs of the sun disappearing and the amazing colours, be sure to ask
Manny for a few copies as there are some great shots. I have also taken many
photographs during significant points on the trip which will be up on a
website when we return home.
I'm sure the sun is taking it's toll on me, hope the warmth of my 'jokes'
might raise the cockles of your heart back there at home where I believe
it's freezing,
Best Wishes,
Alex Cockle