Yesterday, Michael spotted a very large black
triangular fin slicing through the water in the direction of Free Spirit. This
surprised us because Michael is normally asleep. Anyway, sure enough there was
not one but two very large black triangular fins slicing through the water
towards us. Then, as they got nearer we could see, beneath the surface, two
very large black torpedo shapes with white patches at the front end.
Killer whales!! Having soon decided that there was nothing
sufficiently edible aboard FS to warrant the effort of sinking
her they descended silently back into the deep - and Michael went
back to sleep. That was the most exciting thing that happened all day. Except
that, at 2300hrs last night, a slight breeze arose from the NW. Sails were
hoisted hurriedly and the elusive zephyr moved us gently,
i.e. slowly, through the water for almost an hour. Then, at midnight,
the breeze fled, like Cinderella from the ball, and the party was over. Today
the morning has dawned grey, cool and windless. What's more the GRIB
files tell us there will be not be any more wind between here and Horta,
our next destination on the island of Faial 150 NM away. So, the motor
grinds on. If it doesn't pack up between now then, we should be in
port some time tomorrow afternoon.
Like toads in early spring, with land
beckoning over the horizon, some of the crew are showing signs of stirring
from their torpor. Bits of the boat actually got cleaned yesterday.
As a reward for this commendable effort, the daily ration of ships
biscuits - now getting a bit wormy - was supplemented with a
few chicken bones left over from me dinner. Normally, I feed them to
the fish - the chicken bones that is.
While at sea, as Captain of this vessel, I
am judge, jury and executioner in all matters pertaining to alleged
criminal activity aboard. In port these onerous responsibilities must be
surrendered to some namby-pamby authorities ashore who, if it's left to
them, will let the perpetrator(s) of the most heinous chocolate
embezzlement incident off with no more than a warning. So, this matter
must be settled urgently. As everyone knows I am a fair man and an excellent
judge of character. Therefore, I do not expect my decisions to be
challenged. Here is my verdict: The young whipper-snapper stole the
chocolate. But, he was just the 'runner' - the fall-guy. The truly guilty
party is another who, by distancing himself from the sharp
end, thought he would never be caught and that the young
whipper-snapper would cop the consequences if and when the shit hit the
fan, leaving him in the clear. Not so!! He even framed an innocent man to try to
throw me off his trail - without success. I have seen through
his cunning plan. Accused he came up with the 'defence' that the crime is
not to steal but to be caught stealing, thereby sealing his guilt in my mind.
Michael is the guilty party. As to the punishment: Keel-hauling, 60 lashes o'
the cat-o'-nine tails, clamping irons in the bilges - all too good for him. The
only way to get to lawyers of his ilk is to hit them where it hurts
most. I therefore pronounce the following sentence: Inexhaustible
supplies of chocolate (preferably Cadbury's Fruit and Nut) to be provided
for all crew members for the next stage of the voyage, upon pain of being
chain-ganged into another Atlantic tour aboard Free Spirit. That should keep
everyone sweet on the next leg. This is where the saga of the Captain's
chocolate ends - definitively.
Log authored by
Peter.