Mischief - Log Day 12: Alf has eaten the Moon but won't eat the fish!

30 November 2017 0730 Position 15 degs 34.6'N 033 degs 41.1W

A beautiful moonlit night tonight you can almost read by it and it is no where near a full moon yet, well it was when we left Alf and Neal to do their watch at 0300. When Dave and I came back on deck at 0545 it was pitch black! "Alfred, what have you done with the Moon?" As everyone knows who has made a proper study of the subject the Moon is made of cheese. "Have you eaten it? You have haven't you and you have vacuum packed the remnants and filled up the fridge with it"! That is probably why we carry the European cheese mountain in the fridge - it's the Moon.

At daylight we had an intellectual discussion (er!)about whether to sail to the fluctuating wind or set the course and sail to that and as to whether the chart plotter automatically accounts for magnetic variation or not. Neal is unconvinced and requested the plotter be checked against the chart - good job I am keeping a running paper chart plot going. So I did and it agreed to my course spot on - well done chart plotter. I even have the plot going on a gnomonic chart but don't ask me to take a course off that. Anyway, Alf wants to set the chart plotter to true bearings but Neal and Dave prefer magnetic. As a tie-breaker Dave asked me what I used when I did the 2013 ARC, "Neither,it was Off!" We remain unresolved.

So we had a sausage sandwich for breakfast instead but as Wendy has gone on a diet she politely declined with "Neal, I'm sure your sausage is absolutely lovely, but not for me thanks. Besides, it's more of a chipolatta than a sausage". Poor Neal, but we ate her sausage.

At 1000 we put up the spinnaker. All was going well until it filled and showed us all how to properly tie a granny knot which took an age of hauling and jumping up and down, but when we boldly swore at it, it seemed to take heed and opened up and thereafter was a genuine pleasure to have in our company all day. It added between half and one full knot to boat speed which we need at the moment as the wind is sitting rigidly at around 10 measly knots; it allowed us between 5-6 knots and occasionally 7 and all in the right direction.

As the boat was set up and sailing itself we were looking for things to do so the chess board came out. Now I have seen Dave on numerous occasions on this trip practicing on his iPhone chess game whilst the rest of us haven't seen a chess board for 20 years or so and proceeded to wop us at it. However, whilst playing me the fishing line went off and there on the end was a decent sized Mahi Mahi which Dave reeled in and I gaffed when in reach. It was very lively until we plied it with cheap vodka kept for the purpose and it went quite docile - it has the same effect on me it has to be said. Then Dave settled matters with a club on the head which would also have had the same effect on me, and proceeded to filet the thing, entirely within his element. Meanwhile elsewhere in the cockpit, Wendy was venting her disapproval as was Neal and it was clear that neither was going to have anything to do with the "murder of that poor fish - what had it ever done to you?"; Wendy stuck her head in a book and Neal went below to avoid the carnage. It must have been 6/7 lbs and we had two large filets to have with our tea, but there were only three takers. So I cooked it in butter and garlic with a bit of lime juice in the oven. And the result? Yuk! Over the side it went from whence it came. Wendy and Neal had smug, serves you right looks all evening. So we reeled in the line in case we caught another and called it a day. We can catch the things but can't cook them, well I can't so I made a green chicken curry instead. :-) The thing is, Neal now knows where the vodka is and being on watch with Alf, the vodka swilling Finlander, probably means that both will be speaking Swedish together later on!

We packed away dishes from dinner and the time had come to execute a perfect spinnaker drop and set the rig up for the night which is Code 0 again boomed out to starboard, full main and genoa. The boat is rolling along in 10-13 knots of East to North East wind doing 6-7 knts.

It is however really humid and hot especially below decks where there is little air. I am presently sitting here in budgie smugglers and not a lot else sweating away over a hot keyboard. It hasn't really helped having the watermaker on this evening adding to the ambient temperature in here. Phew!!

Anyway, that's it for now as Day 12 in the Big Brother Boat draws to a close and the night watches begin.

Hi Ho!

Charlie