21st Feb 2016 From mid afternoon yesterday the sea started to rise, the waves swelled up and toppled over each other and the wind increased and as we approached nightfall it became clear we were in for an unforgiving blast as we passed to the north of the Colombian Low Pressure System. Surprisingly enough we both managed to get some sleep despite the constant and irregular rolling and being splattered on the face occasionally by the odd rogue wave. We have the bottom companionway board in but even so, when a wave smacks Zoonie on her side and spurts spray upwards the wind then connives to blow it down below onto the face of the somnolent and prone crew member. At least it gave us something to laugh about.

 

The night never became dark because a full moon shone over the heavens and sent silver slivers over the restless water. We could see the ominous and numerous squalls approaching in succession and then the Force 6 – 7 would gust up to 8 (34 knots) and shoot Zoonie off course northwards, thankfully away from the worst weather. She is pottering along now in the calmer conditions with 150 miles to go before we turn south for Panama.

 

Rob and I are both reading Boris Johnson’s The Spirit of London and I have just read the chapter telling the story of Florence Nightingale, and the much less well known pioneer of nursing Mary Seacole. Mary was born in the Caribbean of a Scottish father and a female ‘doctress’ or healer mother who taught her the causes and cures for Cholera. She saved many lives in the Crimea when most people including Florence did not understand the link between contaminated water and the disease. Wherever Mary went she set up boarding houses, hostelries where she could offer succour and cure illnesses. She did so in the Crimea and also Panama and I hope we might get the opportunity to research her when we get there. She always called them The British Hotel since she thought highly of our country. That should give us a clue.