Scarlet Oyster - Scarlet Oyster Blog Day 12 ARC 2015 ITS A MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR.

We sailed away for 2 weeks on Sunday, to the land where the Bong tree grows,
And there in a wood a piggy wig stood, with a ring in the end of his nose,
His nose, a ring in the end of his nose.

The moon has waned. And has been rising 40 minutes later every day, as we
have sailed west. As a result of only 12 hours daylight we have started to
race in pitch black conditions about 9 hours every night.

So What ?

Everything is 3 times more difficult for an amateur crew at night. Helming
is extra difficult. Imagine balancing blindfold on a super large rolling
ball without a safety net.

Get it wrong and the repercussions can be severe. But we are racing. Helter
Skelter. Full on. Our rival for second place overall, Durlindana 3, has
raced a great race. Pushed really hard. Our challenge is to beat them.

Few of us can helm in the inky black. Because of instrument lag their
figures are only for a reference. Great lumpen waves. Overtake from behind.
Throw us heavily off course. Few can cope on the helm. Swooping down a big
wave the foredeck meets the water. Rushing down a steep hill.

Its a magical mystery tour. How do the helmsmen do it ?

We have 5 senses. Perhaps the ability to helm in the pitch black is a sixth
sense ?

Because of the violent nature of our rock and roll, slide, swerve, pitch and
yaw. And the noise. Water rushing by makes a swishing, rattling, swirling
noise. Blocks rattle, sails flog and bang. The crew in the cockpit laugh and
shout. ' Grind !' The winch makes a loud angry mechanical noise. An ease of
the sheet can sound like a soul in pain. 'Earh, earh, earh !'

Sleeping has been a bit tricky.

Also we must keep a large number of crew up as the wind increases to the
point when we must drop the spinnaker in a hurry.

Currently we are enjoying a bright sun under a blue sky. We are relatively
manageable with a poled out number 3 headsail pointing roughly at St Lucia.
The night time weather has been less benign. Long streams of threatening
clouds play merry havoc with the wind direction which can fluctuate
violently.

Ross asked me to help him finish Scrabble. " Al ? What word can I make with
F C U K ?"

We are pushing hard, hope to be in on Sunday. Al