Its seems surreal to think we’ve
been at sea for 16 days .. the days seem to drift into nights and visa versa
… we haven’t seen another boat for 7 days and even the dolphins
have deserted us but the good news is we are flying along at some pace . we
completed our first 200 NM run in 24 hrs yesterday and from 2am yesterday to
2am last night we hit 221NM for the 24 hrs .. we’re having steady winds
over 22 knots peaking in the 30’s and were currently surfing down 5 metre
waves with the boat accelerating to 13knots the skip even managed a 14.5knot
surge in boat speed albeit he didn’t have a witness !
Its funny how there’s a direct
correlation between boat speed and morale aboard .. There’s been a few
phases to our mood; we have now been through the first phase of the euphoria of
starting our adventure, followed by several days later the low spot of
“what the hell are we doing out here” ( the gifts have kept the
spirits up ) And now we are in the “we are almost done phase” where
conversation has now shifted to fantasizing about all sorts. The top 3 in no
particular order being; favorite meals steak, lobster chips etc etc , then beer
or other alcohol followed by a comfortable bed … there is also a very
strong contender for this list but on an all male boat, best leave that to your
imaginations … incidentally two boobies swooped down and visited us this
morning trying to catch flying fish .
Finally with only 490NM to run and 2490NM
already covered we think at this current pace we might see the landmass of St Lucia on our
bow within 2 / 3 days … yippee ..
Before I sign off lots of love to H and
Mac and happy birthday R for the 12th …
MN-J
Day 17
So it’s now Wednesday morning, 11th
December 2013, we’ve been at sea 2½ weeks, there’s only 325Nm to
run & speculation is rife as to how far out from the island we will spot
landfall.
But there’s a serious problem:
Picking up with Mate Darren’s observations
from Day 15 about the night-time conversation, and Mark’s listing of the
things we’re fantasizing about – mine is to combine 2 – 3 of
those he listed (and I’m not talking about the steak, readers)….
….we’ve realized with horror
that none of us can recall what a Lady actually looks like.
So, with reference to the photo of Girls
for Sale
“Hot Stuff” that was snapped at the race start line, the Skipper
has introduced an intensive series of lectures, mandatory for the entire crew,
to refresh our memories as to what a Lady is, and how one should behave in
their company.
Role-play is a key element in this process
of re-education, and Italian Henry, being possessed of the longest hair and
most youthful complexion, has kindly agreed to act the female lead as the other
crew members take turns to practice the finer arts of conversation and dance.
Gone is the “Oi, any of you ugly
B@$t@?!$ wanna cuppa?”, as we now gently enquire ‘Ahem, I’ve
put a kettle of water on the stove to boil. Would any of you be desirous of a
hot beverage? We have Earl Grey, Peppermint, Strawberry and a Red Berries
infusion to select from’.
Anyone found to have left the Heads seat
‘up’, seen wandering around at breakfast dressed only in
underpants, rubbing their eyes and ‘scratching’, or burping at
table is immediately fined one can of beer from their Finish Party allocation:
Flatulence of any sort is punishable by Heads Cleaning duty for 1 day.
The lecture series is generally having the
required effect, with conversation being now noticeably more genteel.
However, for a couple of nameless crew
members, the resurgent memories of ‘Woman’ were just too much: They
visibly shivered, broke into a cold sweat and mumbled ‘No No No, never
again’, and attempted to jump into the sea with a Life Raft.
They are now recuperating in their bunks
under constant watch and heavy sedation.