Day 6
Cara of the South - Westward Ho!
Gary O'Grady
Sat 30 Nov 2024 06:58
Our oven is broken. No surprise there as its a Taylors paraffin stove from
1875 most likely. In Las Palmas it was given a full loving service, all
burners and jets cleared and cleaned, it was tested daily and worked to
perfection but I assure you, you can never ever trust these devices. Just
before David started cooking the probably delicious vacuum packed burgers I
thought I'd test it again and sure enough it burned perfectly. I gave David
the thumbs up and he dutifully chopped the onions and garlic leaving me
salivating on deck looking forward to the best burgers in the east Atlantic.
Once he was ready to start cooking I went down to light the stove again and
sure enough there was absolutely no life in it. I was almost in tears crying
and looking to the heavens as I attempted for the 4th, 5th and even 6th time
to light it but to no avail. Only the meths burned to heat the burners but
no other flame spewed forth. I now know why. These stoves were contrived in
the workshops of Satan himself in order to inflict utter buggerance on any
fool at sea wanting a hot dinner. I'd rip it from the gimbals and throw it
in to the deep if it wasn't worth so much money, another fact beyond me.
This item came with the boat along with a Taylors paraffin heater which also
doesn't work.
That's the big problem with boats, everything is either broken or about to
break for example in the last week we have lost or had to repair the AIS,
auropilot, mainsheet (shackle snapped with sail under load and boom departed
from traveler (ooer - that is another big story), Davids right knee, SSB and
lots of little things like torches and stuff. All you can do is pretend you
never had them and learn how to live without them. I'll gaffer tape David up
later.
The Sleep routine is fully kicked in now. At 2100 I go to bed for 3 hours
and I go to sleep almost immediately and wake up without the alarm at
midnight. We have a 3 on 3 off system from 9 to 9 being just the two of us.
Soon we will head directly for St. Lucia but not til this afternoon, heading
for 20 25 waypoint but will most likely turn sooner.
Now I have to research on whether dolphins like burgers.
Onwards!!!!