Bacon sandwich.... day 18 - 34:59.176N 47:39.360W
Voyage of Wanderingstar
Ben Bonnick
Mon 30 Apr 2018 11:28
Today I woke up early and as I was getting my thoughts together……it's a simple process… where am I, or yes on a boat, what’s the speed, bearing, wind direction, power status, what's that different noise….. and having satisfied myself all in good order, I can then relax and just lie there for a few moments contemplating. This morning I was contemplating a bacon sandwich. I would have loved a bacon sandwich…but made in a precise way. It would need to be white bread, sorry but today its white bread - medium cut, I’m thinking mothers pride. Butter would need to be already soft, not straight out of the fridge because when its hard you can’t spread it evenly. The bacon would be grilled, and left long enough so that the fat around the edge becomes nicely crisp. Before the bacon is placed on the bread, tomato ketchup needs to be applied to each slice so that it is evenly distributed to both the upper and lower slice of bread. The bacon can then be placed onto the lower slice and don’t skimp put that extra slice in, then the top is placed on the bacon. Then it is pushed down so that momentarily your hand print is impressed on the top of the sandwich. It is then picked up as a single item and devoured. Progress today is good. I'm caught between a low to the west and a high to the east. This is a precarious position but the best I could hope for as between the high and the low are winds taking me NE at the moment and hopefully E later on during the week. Its precarious because if I slip out of this little corridor of wind or it shifts (and its not that wide only about 150 miles) I could end up in stormy weather on one side or doldrums on the other. Its all a balance and can change but currently I’m well positioned. There is a likelihood that as I get closer to the Azores I will get caught in the Azores high but I carry a reserve of fuel so I can motor for the last 200 miles or so if necessary. At the Azores (Horta) there is a bar which for over 50 years has been a meeting place for salty sailors who stopped off at the Azores. Its called Pete’s bar and the original owner (can’t think what his name was, oh yes Pete) used to take mail in and supplies for sailors on route to Europe. Its now run by his son but holds the same traditions of yachty friendly. They serve the biggest and best gin and tonic (it's served in a pint glass with plenty of ice). I have set my mind on this gin and tonic in much the same way that John Mills dreams of an ‘ice cold’ glass of beer in Alexandria in the classic 2nd WW film Ice cold in Alex. How far to go, about 800 miles which at my average speed of 4 knots, 100 mies a day I could be there by next Tuesday (but don’t count your chickens and all that!…). I don’t intend to stay long, just enough time to do some washing, R&R for a bit and refill supplies. Then final leg, back to Blighty! Pic if it comes out of sunset last night - it's also a full moon which provides a great night time comfort.  |