Becalmed all weekend
Snap
Sun 13 Dec 2015 19:31
remind people how I have got plenty more time to practise with the AK47.
Stingo has been in touch and suggests perhaps going North well a bit North
perhaps and there might be some wind there. But Bx suggested south really,
and that does the advantage of being where I wanted to go, a bit, plus being
closer to the fuel at Cape Verde. So, I’m going a bit southish, but not
totally due south so as to keep Stingo onside. I don’t think it makes a lot
of difference, since the wind is supposed to arrive sort-of everywhere by
Tuesday or at least Thursday latest. And as before there’s fuel in the Cape
Verdes. But gawd, it took ages to fill all the plastic jerrycans and lots
won’t let you do it, or at least not at cheap prices. Going to Cape Verdes
means I will use lots of fuel and engine hours… and likely end up with
actually less fuel in total than I have now. I know, it sounds mad but
true - to get the range i will need to use jerrycan fuel and that might be
hard to replace.... I reckon I have perhaps 30 hours motoring in the tank
and 30 hours in cans.
So anyway, to make a bit of a change of scenery, I’ve decided to motor a
little bit. Not much, cos it’s a pleasant enough area and it won’t be much
windier unless I get miles and miles further along.
I experimented with attracting the aquarium thing but no dice - the fish
didn’t much like the old biscuits i threw over the side. Fair enough -
neither did I.
So I am really quite looking forward to the next few days, with a bit of
motoring during the daytime, and then turn things off and have a sleep at
night. I used to laugh at people who suggested that this is what happened
on an Atlantic passage - and now I’m doing exactly that. Anyways, no need
to make too early a start - I plan to enjoy the “becalmed” experience during
the morning, breakfast etc and perhaps lunch as well, but then once
yerknow, I’ve fully taken in the view and perhaps ruined it a bit with
orange peel or floating biscuits like today well, I’ll move on to the next
bit of unspoilt wilderness, and er spoil it. And I’ve still got the
lettuce, so having a go at me still not allowed.
That’s a point actually - I made a salad. Ooh, very big news. No blokes
ever make salads. Well, not just for themselves, not unless they are
getting paid or they’re making it for someone else as well. Ham, lettuce
and cheese. OK, well, it was originally intended as a sandwich but not using
any bread means it’s a salad.
Sarah has taken to the same no-gaps texting as Kate … but the texts are
free so why bother? Oh well. No bread making planned on this trip Sarah,
but I might get round to the saxophone tomorrow. Mandie has texted asking
did I call? Kate says she's forwarded some message to Mandie altho that
might have been Sarah, in the style of Kate....anyways nothing urgent
needed ok? MIndie txt me yr number cos i do have it - on an email somewhere tho...
Today and yesterday I read the Bernard Cornwell “1356” which takes place
obviously in the year 1356. Quite a godawful decade really, hellish war
with France plus the Black Death. I can’t really recommend it especially
not if you’re becalmed in the middle of the Atlantic, or indeed, not
becalmed at all just reading a book. It’s a bit grim! Sheesh. Lots of
tramping around rainy bits of France 600years ago, no nice restaurants then
of course, grim fights, dangerous clergymen with frequent torture and death,
culminating in a gruesome battle at Poitiers that the English won but nobody
remembers, and ultimately France wins overall anyway but not until the
following century with Joan of Arc (but not that ARC) 1430 ish. Quite
awful, really. I mean, it’s well written and everything but since the
subject matter is ghastly and Bernard Cornwell is a good writer, well,
yerknow, the horridness is fully and graphically transmitted to the reader.
I’ll find a John Grisham or something for tomorrow.
Martin has been in touch and says he’s fine about me being becalmed really,
cos he likes the blog. Hum. However, if I really want to summon up the
wind he says I have to slam a knife into the mast (it would have to be very
sharp) and then do some whistling. He’s also using Chaos Theory and
disturbed a moth - couldn’t find any butterflies - so a gale might be along
soon.
Ooh, here’s a nice spot, i will just turn the boat for a sunset view….