Hummingbird - Monday - John's Blog

It is now 5 days since we left the exotic islands of Cape Verde and after the drama of 4 spinnaker hoists in 12 hours we have thankfully for all and especially the spinnaker rap crew (rappers Erika John and Chris) had an uneventful and relaxing 24 hours as we approach one third of the way across the ditch pursuing our joint dreams of sailing across. We are a close-knit group of very different people with a passion for sailing and adventure. Fraser and I are the antipodean entertainment on board who relish the dulcet tones of the English who dominate the crew. Our talented skipper produces turns of phrase such as ”I think I am turning a reluctant shade of beige” which to us Aussies means she is getting bloody sunburnt. She is also the enforcer of the one drink rule even though they’re non-alcoholic at 5 pm happy hour during which I have come up with some fine mocktail combinations based around fruit punches made from highly ripened tropical fruit for the foreigners (the Singaporeans and Irish) and the occasional cold believe it or not NON-alcoholic beer for the Aussies and warm equivalents for the pommie blokes on board. The English ladies of course prefer my T’s and a drop of G all accompanied by laughter and a touch of DJ John’s musical collection which sometimes ends in foredeck disco dancing most recently to Mika...whatever happened to him? The celestial navigators led by Captain Merpass Jenny and first mate Chris under the watchful of Nicky are plotting the course GPS free over the next 2 days...hopefully we don’t end up in Senegal… The dinners have been extraordinarily prepared in the steamy galley while the remainder of the troops sleep in the sweaty bunks or preferably on flaked sails on the foredeck under the blessed afternoon shade of the spinnaker. Fraser’s favourite spot being curled up on the pulpit wrapped in the yankee...a high cut foresail for the non-ocean sailors like me. The night sky is amazing at the moment with the predawn cool shift the pick with the sunrise accompanied by Venus and Jupiter and Mars! Today we will celebrate the affable and happy first mate Holly’s 30,000 miles at sea.,,I will do my best as I always do to stretch the one mocktail drink rule although a smart and witty retort in true Cambridge English style is far more likely!!
Here’s signing off from the 40 degree nav table
John
The newby to ocean sailing