getting closer..
Yacht Ariel
Henry Adams
Sun 18 May 2008 21:29
|
position:
"Great sailing conditions!" exclaims the skip,
grinning, eyes squinting at the horizon. "Yeah. Right" thinks the crew, as
we career slewingly down the front of a wave, feet gripping the washing up bowl
which is slopping its contents into the cockpit, one hand brandishing washing up
brush, other hand holding on grimly to anything it can find, all muscles
clenched generally (sphincter ones specifically) - a few classes ahead of myself
here in Pilates terms.
Actually, that was a couple of days ago, and here
we are pootling along on a flat sea with large gentle rollers and a sigh of
wind. Very pleasant. And it meant I could indulge in a hairwash
and shower from the solar shower in the cockpit this morning (albeit sitting on
the floor) and I'm now ready to take on the world again. I can't make up
my mind which is preferable, dribbling along comfortably like this hoping to
reach Bermuda in time to collect my pension, or razzing along like a spinning
top, wet and scared and aching all over, counting the hours to our
arrival. A nice midway compromise would be nice ....
All in all though, we,ve been pretty lucky with the
weather so far. Hoping now for the wind to pick up just a bit and to get
us to Bermuda by Wednesday. Can't wait. And it's certainly
comforting to think that all you Bennetts on Aquila are probably having a much
more uncomfortable - if much faster - crossing than us, judging by our
weather reports! Sorry you four!
We had two frustratingly slow first days of
beating up into the wind, having to tack our way out of the outlying Bahamian
islands, but the wind since has been behind us. Neither of us have been
sick - hooray - one of my bggest concerns. I'd like to think that the
wristbands I've got on are doing the trick, but imagine it's far more likely to
be the cocktail of chemicals in my blood - good old Stugeron - keep working
pal.
Another friend is Bucket. Well, bit of a
love/hate relationship - although I don't suppose Bucket cares one way or
another. We've become well acquainted. The skip can't understand why
I need to be in Bucket's company so much - just hope I'm still around to have a
good laugh when he gets old and muscles a little worn.
To give him his due, he's been good in the kitchen
department - rustled up a delicious eggy bread with ham, cheese and tomato
for lunch today - a feast in comparison with our usual lunch as the sea was so
calm. He's a part of his boat now - osmosis I guess from the amount of
time one spends on ones bottom in the cockpit. Like Jack turning into his
bike (in Flann O'Brien style), Henry's now morphing into his boat.
Received my first hit from a flying fish while on
one of my watches last night. Keep scanning the waves in the hope of
seeing dolphins or whales - although I'm not quite so sure about whales as
they'd probably be the same size as us or bigger.
Waffling now. Difficult to find topics to
write about when the view doesn't change. Hope the next blog is to say
we've arrived ....
|