A reply to Karen
X86
Rich Carey
Sat 21 Apr 2018 14:33
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Karen's email, at the bottom.
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Morning Scotty person, is your accent changing yet!
Raftkin:
Yes, it's headed for Pitwater, then stopping. Like us, they're stoping at the major yacht cruising sites, so I'll certainly see them again, but I hope it'll not be to 'run into them again' (who told you that(?), it's simply not true!). I didn't ask if they intend to spend an additional season in French Poly or pass straight through. My guess is that they'll go through - in future years it'll be easy to go east and take their time exploring.
Dogs:
You should get some kind of a wheeled trolley and get the combined 50kg to pull you around the county. Just don't make dilly dodgy Bosun the lead dog! Consider also, rafting the dogs together - that'll slow them right down :-). In fact please send me a photo of Bosun in the middle of the raft, with the two big Labradoodles on the outside. You could experiment - maybe get a couple of small planks and have the doodles as out riggers? 8mm Dynema and bow lines should do it!
Bosun sitting for the summer:
Is there a village shop? With a notice board so that you could advertise for a dog sitter. I don't think that you need to have someone that is licensed - you'd know the right when you talk to them. You'll get takers, when they see you're not trying to do it on the cheap. Did you ever get to the village pub? If I was there, I'd be a fixture on a stool at the end of the bar by now!
Sleeping:
Absolutely fine. In fact I'm more rested than on the ARC as I get to lie down all night. Last night I settled as 20:00, and went into my 1 hour routine, which is working fine. I'd reefed further, before dusk, as it's quite squally this week. I was going ok until 11:00 when the wind died. I then motored till dawn, took the reef out (went back to 1st reef as can't use full sail due to the knackered clew), and was sailing again. If I can mostly sail during the days, then I should have enough fuel to motor part of most nights. I'm only averaging 5 knots due to this squally weather, so this passage looks likely to be going loooong. It's still early yet, but I'm ok with that. I had the hydrovane working perfectly all day yesterday, and that always makes me happy. Sea state is pretty comfortable - for sure by comparison with a poor sea state. A little rock and roll, kicking and a bumping, but less so, so far, than the ARC.
Entertainment:
Today I'll finish 'The Wire' after a five season binge watching marathon! Then I might re watch 'Band of Brothers'.
Love
R
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>From Karen:
Great update, I wonder if you'll ever run into Rafkin again. Guess they are headed for Aus and not going straight past and around again.
All quite here, and I'll be home alone for the weekend. Cheryl and Mark are going to Edinburgh to see Rowan for a few days, so it will just be me and the doggies. I tried walking Isla and Bosun on a twin lead today. With a combined weight of nearly 50kg it was never going to work! So I'll be walking them one by one.
Hope you are getting enough sleep between all your overnight checks. Sail safely. Xk
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