1. Just how hard it is to sleep with constant waves. We assumed it would be
so relaxing to be rocked asleep like a baby. Somehow it doesn't always quite
feel like that ...
2. How big the boat feels even though there are 9 of us living in a 12
meter by 4 meter space.
3. Just how much cleaning it takes to keep Hot Stuff clean, balancing on
all fours - or three - or upside down - or in a yoga pose - scrubbing the
floor/heads/deck/galley/bilges.
4. How easy it is to live a 'simple life'. No news, lots of conversation,
no materialism LUSH.
5. How frustrating it is to sit on a sofa with reggae hammocks hitting you
on the head continuously. Take note to avoid cabbages which pose a serious risk
of concussion.
6. Just how precious water is. A very humbling experience for us Western
World folk who now truly understand what a luxury it is to be able to just turn
on a tap.
7. How easy it is to fall off the toilet seat.
8. We haven't turned a light switch on for eight days now. Head torches are
all of our new best friends with red setting, disco flash setting and white
setting if you are really brave at night and want to get moaned at by those on
watch!
9. Sea sickness for some never came, faded for others or for a few of us
has returned. A constant battle at sea for even the best sea farers in the
world.
10. How much fun you can have with a group of girls without alcohol!
11. How good we have become at judging that a squall is on its way - like a
big looming mushroom erupting from the sea.
12. How much we look forward to rain for that sweet sweet nectar of fresh
water - shampoo and conditioner at the ready.
13. How hard it is to pull your knickers up at sea.
14. Our culinary expertise - we are becoming red hot chefs by the day;
chucking a load of just not mouldy ingredients into a pan, lighting the gas, lid
on and wait half an hour has resulted in some pretty delicious meals. Gordon
Ramsey eat your heart out...
15. How amazing solar panels are for charging.
16. Gazing at a night sky in the middle of the Atlantic adorned with
millions of stars is a truly magical experience.
17. We are 100% reliant on the boat and each other for survival. Its just
us and the ocean right now. This was something so hard to imagine on land but so
real now we are here.
18. How little wild life we have seen mid Atlantic - no whale spotting of
yet, or sharks - although Amanda did think she saw an albatross but group
consensus was that it had more resemblance to a seagull.
19. How isolated the seas are since loosing sight of the rest of the
fleet.
20. How clean the air is mid ocean.
21. How hard helming is in giant waves - now it takes three people to helm
a boat - one wave spotter, one squall spotter, one driver.
22. How useful Vaseline is - although she is a lady Hot Stuff likes a
bit of daily lube on her kicker (see NO.24)
23. How frustrating it is chopping veggies on deck in Hot Stuff's downwind
corkscrew roly-poly motion.
24. Boats make weird annoying noises - but NO.22 takes care of that!
25. Just how much we love being at sea and living for the moment.
We hope that has helped you to start understanding our new world.
With love from your nine fair maidens.