21 days at sea 13 Dec 2008
The EJ's Voyage
Mike Everton-Jones
Sat 13 Dec 2008 18:51
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Day 21
So this looks like I have the honour of
writing the last of that Atlantic crossing blogs!
We changed course a little during the night to slow
our progress, two reasons for this. Firstly we were hoping to
rendezvous with Gulliver of Southampton, who have had a rather challenge ridden
crossing, with their main steering having given out and been relying on a
sporadically working autopilot and emergency steering which is buried deep in
the aft cabin; this plus watermaker problems forcing them to use salt water for
everything except drinking and several other related hiccups, we were
hoping meet up and give them, if nothing else, moral support for the
last push. However Gulliver has proven elusive so we now expect to
see them next not only as fellow arc rallier but also perhaps if necessary
as tug/pilot boat to help them get into Rodney Bay marina once their over
the finish line. As regular reader may have gathered we have been
recumbent in a wholly successfully and comfortable trip, not once having had to
miss any of the important daily routine such as lunch cocktail hour, afternoon
cocktail hour etc etc!! And this has to put down to in no little part to
the Skippers tireless attention and maintenance of all things
Falbala. The other reason for our slight slowing of place is in order to
arrive at a time of day when we can really appreciate it, so rather than
ploughing on and arriving at the time of night when only the most hardcore and
probably incoherent of revellers would be up, we will be approaching St
Lucia basked in a Sunday morning sunrise! With the whole day for un-flustered
revelling.
The mileage countdown is now at 73nm which is
spot on at our current speed.
I'm pretty confident now that I'll take the price
for longest distance achieved on a watch with a 33nautical miler on
09/12, do I hear the chant of easy! easy! easy!
The mood on board is that of quiet, but simmering
anticipation, first and perhaps before night we'll have a cry go up
of "Land ho!!!", as the highest point of st Lucia is 2955 feet so we should
spot it from some distance, then I think we should be really getting the party
started. I must add at this stage for all of you with an eye for caution
that we are all on stepped up alert now for..... well any thing else in our
vicinity, we have heard enough stories of people getting into collisions at
this point having been lulled into a false sense of security, not having
seen any shipping for days on end. So have no fear we'll not be
falling in such a trap. Whether we'll remember to tie the boat up to the
pontoon b4 jumping ashore for a rum or two is yet to be seen
;)
All of us are going be made up at ticking the box,
but at this moment I think that Ollie is the one member of crew that needs it
most. After his initial success at battleships thing seem to have rapidly
gone down hill for him, and whether it be at the aforementioned or Perudo or
cards he seems unable to grasp any sliver of victory despite his feverish
attempts and changes of tactics, hopefully completing the Atlantic crossing may
lift his spirits some.
Well I'm gonna return to the lookout now, I do not
want to miss the chance to be the first to spot land!
So you should be hearing all our respective
dulcet tone on the blower in the next day, if you're so lucky!!!
Lots of love to all
J
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