Mischief - Log Day 7: Dave sees the Light and lessons in Devonish for Finns

25 November 2017 0700 Position 22 degs 13.1' N 025 degs 09.2' W

We tacked around 0330 onto port which pointed us in the approximate direction of where we want to go, well only 20 degs off which is something at least. St Lucia is effectively bang up wind of our position and, it seems, most others in the fleet. However, to see the VMG (velocity made good) reading similar to speed over ground was very uplifting given the day we had yesterday. We had two reefs in the mainsail to try to stop the boat slamming so much as each time we went over a big wave and crashed down onto the next it reverberated on Wendy's back which is causing her pain still. Later in the night the wind veered to 350 degs meaning we were pointing almost due North so we tacked onto starboard on 285 degs where boat speed and VMG were equivalent.....we were pointing directly at St Lucia!! But not for long; a number of squalls came through dark and menacing (you can see them once they block out the starlight)at times raising wind speed back up to 27/28 knots with accompanying rain. They also made the wind back so making St Lucia an elusive destination again.

After a night of squalls, which according to my recollection of a standard RYA depression diagram means that we are in the cold front region of the low pressure (it has passed effectively) out into the blue!! The mirage that had been blue sky in the distance has eventually been reached without another squall blocking it out thereby proving it does exist and is real in this era of fake news. The land of milk and honey. We were tracking on 325 degs whilst our destination is on 285 degs from here so still not really going in the right direction. Worryingly, the weather files are showing yet more light airs (still on the nose!)the other side of the patch we are in so lots of thought and discussion is going into which way we should go. Certainly no sign of the trade winds only perhaps in the far south.

Anyway, the sun was out, there is a decent breeze all be it from in front and the discussion on which way to go goes on. The decision changes by the hour based on updates of the weather grib files. The fleet on SSB has been keen to opinionate on the quality of the information we have been given, but the weather is a fickle friend and will do precisely what it wants when it wants and, if it finds out that I am in a boat, will make sure I need to sail upwind wherever I'm going. Presently, there are strong winds to the North but the tack taking us north is the favoured one so we don't particularly want to go too far North leaving us with little choice but starboard tack with a lesser VMG. Very frustrating.

When we emerged from the clouds this morning at 0930 the sun shone into the cockpit where Alf and I were sitting backs to the hatchway bulkhead looking aft whilst Dave sat looking forward under the bimini cover. Dave proclaimed that the "Sun shone on the Righteous" and sure enough it was Alf and I in the sun whilst Dave languished in the shade! It didn't go unnoticed.

Neal continued his indoctrination of Alf into the whys and wherefores of the English language which is a bit ironic as Alf probably speaks better English than Neal, all of us for that matter. Anyway, he is trying to radicalise Alf into a Devonshireish speaking Finn. Today it was, "Alf, are you an underroller or an overroller?" Apparently, it refers to placing a toilet roll in the holder so's that you pull it out from under the roll or over the roll. What relevance may this have you may well ask, but it seems that overrollers are posh, aspirational, go getter types who will go far and underrollers are common, no-hopers that will never succeed in life. Naturally Alf declared himself and 'overroller' as did we all for that matter. Which brings me to the point of this diatribe. Someone has put a toilet roll on such that one needs to pull from under! Therefore, someone on this boat is lying about their status and if they could lie about this it could mean they may lie about other more serious issues or indeed be a mad axe murderer!! No-one will be safe in their beds tonight.....where is Poirrot when you need him??

Meanwhile, after a dinner of Jambayella we sail on not towards St Lucia.

Hi Ho!

Charlie