Today we've been using the big stick, a.k.a. spinnaker pole. It's
out there now, sticking proudly out to the side holding the foresail
out wide as we roll down the waves with an almost perfect wind
behind us. I say almost, because at the moment we may end up in
Barbados (mind you, that's better than Surinam which is where we
were heading at one point).
And we're now under 1000Nm to go too! In fact, by the time you read
this it'll be closer to 900Nm. [Or closer to 700 by the time I
eventually remembered to post this!]
Ask anyone who sails on long passages, and they'll tell you;
provisioning is a pain. You're paranoid you haven't bought enough,
and at the same time trying to make sure you don't buy stuff that'll
just get tossed over the side, or sit in a cupboard for the next
year and a half. Well, as usual we've had a little that's gone over
the side, and I suspect there's a tin or two that may visit Europe
next year.
But there's another thing about provisioning. I don't think it has a
name, so I'm going to call it "The law of Unintended Dishes". When
you shop, you have a pretty good idea of the meals you're shopping
for (more organised people than me have a VERY precise idea). But
it's a rare passage, where you don't find that someone on board has
concocted a dish that you'd never imagined. And this trip, that
prize goes to Catriona... with a delicious Lemon Meringue Pie
(although there was a point in the process where it might have
become a Lemon Mousse). Somehow we managed to not scoff the lot in
one sitting, so it'll be Lemon Meringue for desert again tonight!
It also seems someone had a secret birthday on board! Well, happy
belated Birthday Dave, I fear there may be a beer fine for keeping
this quiet when we arrive - we'll have to see what we can do about a
cake before we arrive.
Your forgetful Chef du Porridge
Lemon Meringue