They're changing the guards at Buckingham palace
Skyclad
The Vinces (and a Spouse)
Thu 2 Sep 2010 09:16
Location: 46:37.24N 06:32.22W
Hey everyone!
Sam here.
Thought I should write a blog, half becuase I want to and half because I've
been told I should. So hopefully you will enjoy this melangerie of writing
styles, this souffle of sophistry, this melee of metaphores. etc...
don't know what anyone else has written so far (anyhting about me was
completely untrue!) but we have been on a quirky shift system for 24hr
sailing. We started @8pm tuesday evening and took x3 4hour shifts. first 3
ppl (Dane Dale and a chap named Dougie) were vigilant until midnight, second
3 ppl (Mike myself and a chap named Ollie) were even more vigilant for the
next 4hrs until 4am and then the first 3ppl (Alpha team) came back on. from
8am the shifts change to x2 6hr. This means that when the x3 nights shifts
come back around the next night, Mike, myself and Ollie take two night
shifts instead of one. Makes it fair and not too monotonous.
well anyway, I'm telling you this because last night was Team 1's (Mike and
Ollie and me) first double night shift and boy what a shift! After a
pleasently calm and all together civilised sunshiny day, it was our turn to
man the tiller (make sure the autopilot was pointing in the right direction
and that we weren't going to crash into anything in the immediate future),
within minutes there was excitement all round!
First of all a bird, which I am reliably informed is called a 'Tern',
decided to bestow good luck on our humble craft. He made a couple of loops,
somersaults and at one point hovered barely 2ft from Mike's head (he was too
busy sipping coffee to notice (Mike not the bird)). normally night shifts
are onerous by the way, so for there to be anything to write about is
impressive, to have 3 things to write about? Damned near impossible. prepare
to be amazed...
The bird was with us for at least 20 minutes which was really nice and when
it did finally leave, in it's place were *drum roll* Dolphins!
I know, I know it's like snow white and the 7 seas! They were swimming
beside the port bow (that's the front left) and when Ollie shone a torch
they happily headed for the light to show off their swimming prowess. Super
awesome.
not much happened for the rest of that shift but when we came back on @4am
*shudder* Ollie (Snow white in all of this btw) discovered we had a stow
away. a little bird (no bigger than a robin) was on board and on deck! it
had either got completely lost and was very happy to find us or got
completely lashed the night before and woke up hungover and 200miles from
home. Either way it's stillo n board now hiding inside the spray hood for
shelter, I tried feeding it bread but he ignored me, I think we'll call him
Edwardo. Eddie looks a bit shaken up (lending to the hangover theory) but
his wings are working fine. I'm sure he will be with us until we get a bit
ckloser to land.
we should be halfway across the bay of biscay by midday today, Speak soon hopefully and love you all!