Haji - Emails from Haji to Mupi - Too much tape?

Salut Mupi! Ça va?

A moment of panic. The Skipper thought he was running out of tape, but it was ok, there was a secret store in that other essential locker - the glue locker.
The Skipper's Wife is very scathing about the Skipper's bricolage skills. This stems from when on one occassion following a Breton storm, a hole appeared in the house roof. The Skipper remedied this by using glue to fix roof tiles on to the rafters below. This unusual repair however kept the rain out for another 3 or 4 years. The Skipper uses the same random methods for fixing the bits of me that fall off.

Talking of catching birds, Devin, the American fisherman, has a rod sticking out of my bottom (well stern if you like) with 100 metes of 50 kg breaking strain line on it. I, in fitting with my status as an older lady of the seas, am accompanied by an escort - a very elegant bird, with scimitar shaped wings who glides efforlessly amongst the waves, making light of the lack of wind. He soars and skims the surface of the swells in such a superior way. He does look 'très snob' and so very confident in himself. However, perhaps he has the Skipper's problem with eyesight, because he flew straight into Devin's line, turning his smooth elegance into a tumbling mess. It put me in mind of those YouTube videos, the ones where an elegant catwalk model strutting her superior stuff falls straight off the end of the catwalk on to her derrière! He was not hurt - well, only perhaps his pride.

I continue slowly on, Main flapping, Genoa poled out, and staysail opposite like the wings of a butterfly. Not quite enough aparent wind to reliably fly my beautiful Bertha, must have 5 knots apparent all the time or Bertha gets far to friendly with Genevleve the Genoa and they get into a big tangling embrace. They may enjoy it but it is not good for them (or so the Skipper says).
The Skipper swears and curses the ARC forecast. It is not true, it is just what they want you to hear! It is not 10-15 knots, it is more 5-10 if that... no good for a lady of my weight and bearing.

Hopefully the wind will be better for you, being young and lighter, you will move so much more elegantly than I.

Bonne chance,
From Haji and the crew.