Amost exactly two weeks later...
W2N 'Where to Next?'
Rob 'Bee' Clark
Sat 17 Jan 2009 15:50
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7:55.3S 14:24.8W
I've just arrived on an anchorage just off of
Clarance Bay on Ascension Island.
I've already spoken to a couple of locals who came
out on a rib to warn me of 1.5Nm long floating pipeline that blocked my entrance
to the bay. They seemed very friendly though - squaddies I think.
Now, there's good and bad news...
The good news is that I've arrived safely after two
weeks of incredibly challenging and tiring sailing. Canasta has taken a bit of a
battering in the upwind grind but besides a couple of minor things I want to
check before moving on, she's handled it all incredibly well. (Bare with me -
this is still the 'good news!) It's impossible to avoid the slamming as there's
a very fine line between keeping enough speed on to make decent progress and
being over pressed for the steep waves. The result is that very often, she
lurches off of the top of a rogue wave and slams back down with a heartstopping
shudder through the rigging. I hate it and I wish there was a way of avoiding it
but so far, she doesn't seem to have suffered any rig damage. That's the good
news then; Canasta's still in one piece although I will try if I can to check
the zinc anodes on the prop as I've become paranoid about it now that the seed
of doubt has been planted.
The bad news is that the harbour Master has gone
home for the weekend and being a military base, I'm told they're pretty strict
about entry proceedures. As such, it looks like I'm going to have to stay on
board until Monday morning. It's not such a bad thing as there are a few things
I want to sort out on board but after two weeks (and three hours) at sea, I am
longing for some fresh vegetables and some space to stretch my legs! Ah well,
never mind eh!?
So, I'll probably write again tomorrow if I get a
chance to write a report on the last leg (by which I mean 'if I can be
bothered'). Or, I might just sleep... Hmmm. For now though, it's a lumpy
anchorage but I don't care - I can rest, get cleaned up, stick the kettle on and
anticipate a few days here on this tiny corner of the English empire before the
whole nonsense starts again!
Bye for now,
Bee
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