'Hectic Nights'
It's amazing how much of an impact a slight change in the sea state can
have to life on the boat. We had our second gybe of the trip two nights ago
which was such a huge change of scene after 48 hours on the same angle, that we
got completely disorientated on watch and one gybe ended up in about three 360s!
When the boat then continued on a port tack (wind on the port side) no one slept
all night. Suddenly our smooth harmonious sail felt like living inside a washing
machine.
24 hours later and we are just about getting used to it. Skip will probably
ask us to gybe again tonight knowing our luck! Everyone has finally got some
shut eye. Our daily routine has cemented now. It feels like we work all night -
hard sailing, reefing, gybing- and then the daytime brings relaxed cruising with
music and chores.
Yesterday after our eventful evening we set to a day of 'putting Hotstuff
back together again'. Wardrobe door is back on. Gas hob taken apart, cleaned and
now works again. Jib tack shackle replaced after the ocean claimed the last one.
However, the toilet seat STILL won't stay on - how is it that a bunch of women
can't sort this most crucial piece of equipment?
Our priorities are obviously in other areas.. sailing. Top speeds have been
reached by Ulli and Karen of 12 and 13.4 knots respectively. Their watch, with
Ashley, has requested to be named 'The Speed Queens'. The other watches aren't
so sure the competition is over just yet...
The wildlife must be enjoying our excellent helming skills - with everyone
driving now - as a pod of dolphins visited us for sunset last night. Of course
you can imagine the pitch of squeals that inevitable projected when they arrived
playing in our wake and flipping around.
As if all that excitement wasn't enough we have opened three boat treats;
kinder eggs, scrabble and M&Ms. We have discovered we can polish of
chocolate at sea at a rate we didn't think possible. Especially considering it
was following our daily feast of all the half mouldy vegetables. Such high
culinary aspirations tends to turn out as an unidentifiable strange coloured
(delicious) mush. Veggies, chocolate, fixing and fast sailing - life is
definitely a shadow of what it is like on land that's for
sure!