Monday/Tuesday  28 + 29/11/11 – Time and Space! – 19:28.3N 32:17.3W

We are running a day late in updating our log, apologies to all. We have had a few discussions as to where the time goes, without drawing any conclusions that explain the black hole into which it disappears. We can rationalise a bit, but not a lot!

Since everyone does a 3 hour night watch between midnight and 0900, it does mean that “breakfast” can drift a bit late by the time the last riser emerges bleary eyed from his or her bunk, and as it is a good time to consider life and the universe, it can be mid-morning before energy is gathered to do something – like check the rig, change sails, do the recycling or examine the remaining fresh fruit and vegetables.  Then there is lunch, and more chewing of the fat (metaphorically) before finishing off the things that were not done in the morning.

As we have moved south and west, dusk is falling a little later, now about 1900. Before then, we have had to look at the latest forecast, review course and sail plan for the evening, and make the changes. We do not want to be doing this in the dark later! Finding time for communications, though clearly important, can be a bit of a trial.

Weather and Progress

The wind had gone a little light on us for a couple of days, but picked up again. This meant a relatively good run on Monday night, and Tuesday day and we broke through 20 degrees North at about 0430 in the morning. This means not a lot to you, but we have had it as beacon ahead of us since leaving Las Palmas. It is the point at which we are likely to find ourselves more fully into the trade winds with the current weather pattern in the Atlantic, so greatly welcomed by all.

Whilst we were getting the light winds, though, one or two of those we had overtaken in the previous few days took the opportunity to sneak past us, damn their eyes…. but we are not racing, of course, so it does  not matter!

The outlook is for a good spell of wind till the weekend, followed by the trade winds becoming “light” (bad) rather than “moderate” (good). We like “moderate” as it gets our hefty 16 tonnes moving, and momentum is really good in a swell. Our weather advisor, Chris, had told us to bag as many miles south and west as we can to mitigate what might happen later.

Night Activity

We do wish we could say this included sleeping, but we still do not get enough of that since the boat rolls like the proverbial downwind, especially if we are going fast – and we would prefer not to miss the flights home from St Lucia! We work on a 2 pair watch system, with one pair doing the 2100-0000 and 0000-0300 shifts on an alternating basis, and one pair doing the 0300-0600 and 0600-0900 watches similarly. This means that each pair gets a horrible shift (0000-0300 or 0300-0600) every other night and it works quite well. We all employ different techniques to keep occupied, if only to avoid succumbing to the siren calls of Morpheus. We have book readers, music listeners, sometime singers (not popular below!), dwammers (more life and the universe) and worriers.

I fear the skipper is kept awake mostly by the last and when relaxed (not often) the second last. What is that noise? Is there chafe on the sheets that control the foresails? Are the turning blocks still secure? Is our “bodged” spinnaker pole holding up, or is that creak a sign of impending metal fatigue? The big problem is that it is pitch black and you cannot easily answer any of these questions (or the ones about life and the universe). Some of us put on the deck light to have a look aloft. Others switch on the cockpit lights. My own choice is a headlamp, which may have something to do with my dad being a miner for many years before he became a teacher. It gets put on as I go on watch, is always available, and does a really good job. Unfortunately, it also leaves a near-indelible black mark and deep indentation on my forehead, but the rest of the crew have stopped laughing at it. You should see them in the morning, plenty of ammunition for reprisals!

Bean Surprise – Bob

Yesterday was my turn to cook and it has turned out to be a moving experience for all of us. I had already been under training for Bean Surprise as my signatory dish from my wife Christine who is one of the shore crew for the trip. The dish consisted of a recipe for 5 minute Flat Bread from Practical Boat Owner and for the Bean Surprise, 3 tins of mixed and spiced beans, a tin of tomatoes, added chilli and just about anything else you fancy adding and boiled for 30 minutes or so to make a rich and tasty meal.  So it was a big surprise to me that the rest of the team actually said they were quite moved by the experience although it has been noted that the stocks of toilet paper has somewhat been depleted today.

Galley monitor – Ali

Alan and Martin took command of the meals for the past two evenings, and as I said before, went ‘off piste’ – the  good news is that the meals were very satisfying and I didn’t have to do anything.  Today Martin caught a big dorado – 5lbs.  Martin cleaned and filleted it and I suggested one of our tried and trusted Nigel Slater recipes.  Lightly floured fillets fried gently for a few minutes, kept warm whilst reducing a glass of white vermouth, then stir in some butter and voila, a  lovely fish dinner.  It must have been good, Martin and Alan had seconds. 

We have poached the mahi mahi Martin caught yesterday and will be making a fish pate or fish cakes with it. As my other persona is laundry maid I can report a successful washing again today with no loss of lingerie.  It is surprising how the ‘normal’ tasks of everyday life take on a new significance when performed  to the rhythm of the rolling and occasional lurching of the boat… it feels like such an achievement to cook a meal, brush your teeth, hang out a washing.  The added spice to all of this, for me, is, of course, the fact that I can do all these tasks without feeling queasy and without needing my trusty relief band device.  I must also comment on the sterling work in helping me with the stowage list which Christine performed.  I have referred to the list several times now, Christine, when memory has failed and there the items have been – just as we recorded them.

Life is moving along at a rate which seems elastic.  The change of clocks will be interesting – we may or may not be discomfited by it.   We plan to start changing the time this week - we need to adjust by several hours before we reach Saint Lucia.  As a champion sleeper (usually) I wonder how we will feel on our night watches.  Sometimes I feel very tired and at other times just tired!  Anyway it is now time for my watch and Martin is steadily working his way through the chocolate night watch treats, I’d better be quick…

Dorado Man - Martin

Things are definitely looking up on the self-sufficiency front after the Dorado meal expertly cooked by Alison – even Bob “I am on a diet” asked for seconds.  Catching it proved easier than cleaning and filleting it on a heaving deck with instruction book in one hand and a 3 inch knife in the other (the original filleting knife having been thrown over the side by mistake!!)  However after Alan was heard murmuring “I am really more of a meat and 2 veg man”  we have decided we’ll hang up the rod for a couple of days before we all overdose on fish.

Some observations on the skipper’s competitive streak may be in order. Before we started Alan made it clear that it didn’t matter how long it took us to get to St Lucia as we had no interest in racing. Given we started 25 hours after everyone else after we had to return to Las Palmas for repairs this proved to be just as well.

 However once it was observed after a couple of days that we had actually caught up and passed a few boats it was noted by all that the skipper has started to take a keen interest in the daily ARC position reports which is then followed by sail adjustments, discussions of routing tactics and murmurings of perhaps we should consider getting the Parasailor up soon.  Watch this space……… 

…….and signing off

…we promise to try and do a few photos for the log tomorrow:  Hemingway fighting the 50 lb tuna (tuna won), Hemingway succeeding in landing a beautiful dorado,  mast climbing for novices, how to knit your own spinnaker pole, life at sea, cleaning up after life at sea! 

Not done this before, so there may well be complications that can only be resolved by a long trip round the deck, having made the laptop re-boot (again).  We live in fear of it going on strike, even though it is brand new (result of the lightning strike) and we do have a good back-up. What might be an easy switch on dry land, however, is a downhill wacky race when you can’t keep the machine on a flat surface for a moment whilst you wrestle with the cables! The boat rule is “1 hand for yourself and 1 hand for the boat”, but it does not accommodate the need for another hand for the machine, the cup, the plate, blah, blah, blah.

Keep the faith (whatever yours may be)

Watergaw

Tues Position -18:34.8N 34:41.5W