Kelpie - Thursday 29 November 2018

> 16:0.2N 35:31.3W
>
> A good day!
>
> Our fourth day saw 151 nautical miles from noon to noon, with a very
> comfortable broad reach northwards of our Great Circle (that the Skipper
> has now explained to me is actually a straight line: hmm) giving way to a
> goose winged, poled out genoa and good downwind speed with more south,
> away from the lighter winds we see in more northerly forecast sectors. The
> price of that master strategy is more rolls than Hovis' lifetime
> production, and living as if trying to stand on a Spacehopper during an
> earthquake whilst Kelpie's elegant teak furniture takes life to swat us
> vigorously, unless lying down and in Chris' case also strapped down.
>
> We seem to be about fifth amongst monohulls, but with a better handicap
> than most: the daily position reports are certainly a spur to our efforts
> with sails and navigation. Our speed and course have both been optimised
> by the more senior sailors overnight with a great deal of trial but barely
> enough error to complete that cliché.
>
> We see flying fish regularly, even great schools of 30 flying at a time:
> puzzling that some fish can fly better than any chicken. They are thus a
> bit hard to catch, but Dorado and today a Trevally have graced our lines.
> I think I just heard a conversation between the Skipper and Ahab in which
> they discussed catching fish with old anodes: puzzling too, but no other
> overt signs of madness yet. A more formidable dining proposition than fish
> is the leg of Serrano ham that Sarah provided, swinging menacingly across
> the cabin with every wave.
>
> More news tomorrow on that and those few fish yet to surrender.
>
> Andrew
> Ship's Boy
>
>