Ships ahoy
Ondeck sailing
Ian Jinks
Mon 18 Jun 2007 15:27
1200 UTC 18th June
During the night a ship was spotted which has been our first sighting of another vessel at sea since we saw HMS Edinburgh patrolling the Falklands on our way into Port Stanley. The South Atlantic is a lonely place indeed.
Near disaster in the night after we suffered some form of "rudder failure", which after lengthly investigation was found to be a tea towel that someone had thrown overboard, being stuck in the rudder preventing its movement. If it had happened 12 hours earlier in the gale, and high seas, it could have been a very dangerous situation indeed. I guess mother nature was punishing the boat for a generally poor attitude towards marine pollution.
380 miles now until Cape Town, and i have to say i will be quite pleased to arrive. After the Falklands i have tried hard to get back on my diet, and have stayed off the snacks whenever possible, so all i need to do is stay off the cold lager in the waterfront at Cape Town, and i will be sorted. Lets pray its shut then!
Ian Jinks on Pelagic signing out