The third night from November 21st to 22nd, 2023: A clever snack system for quiet nights
The night was a bit restless, but we were well equipped with fog and mainsail. A fast, large luxury yacht and a tanker sailed past us. But otherwise the night was pretty uneventful.
On such calm nights at sea, the entire crew's appetite is particularly high. The snack bag is a welcome rescue. And thanks to Anna, we have developed a clever system to enjoy these delicacies on board fairly and harmoniously.
At home it can happen that one or the other secretly helps one another's chocolate and a few treats disappear. However, on a boat this would be catastrophic and emotionally unimaginable. After all, there is no store far and wide to get supplies. The peace of the house or boat ultimately depends on it.
Anna's brilliant idea: Each of us receives not just one, but several snack bags - one for each week of our trip. This has several advantages. On the one hand, it prevents someone from snacking on other people's treats. On the other hand, it ensures that we don't eat up our entire supply in the first week. And the best thing about it: everyone gets exactly what they like best.
So Anna prepared a snack bag for each of us each week. I'm sure she packed the right thing for each of us because she knows our preferences.
My snack balance for today: rice cakes with dark chocolate, some After Eights and a delicious nut mix. With snacks like these you can enjoy the night watch on the high seas.
I have to say, Anna has come up with a great system that makes our trip even more pleasant and sweet.
Wind and waves: The day brings challenges and relaxation
After my night watch was over, we unfortunately experienced a break in the wind, so we had to start the engine again. It's always a pretty noisy affair. Sleep was out of the question.
A few hours later we were able to set sail again, this time the Code 0.
Our animal visitor has flown away. I suspect that he no longer needs the protection as the sea has calmed down a bit and the wind has died down. Result: half a banana picked away. We will all miss our little bird. We had just gotten used to our new pet.
Unfortunately, our little feathered visitor who came on board with us yesterday has now flown on. I suspect he no longer needed the shelter as the sea calmed down a bit and the wind died down. We will miss our little bird as we had just gotten used to our new pet. The result: half a banana was picked away.
Unfortunately, Nicolas hurt his back while busy adjusting the fishing equipment. But we are well equipped for such emergencies. Arnica cream, Arnica C 200 globules and a hot water bottle helped him, and by the evening he was feeling much better.
In the afternoon we were finally able to set the wingaker again. Since Nicolas was out, Anna had to step in and quickly learn how to do it. I had no doubt that she could take on this just like her brother.
Our headsets helped everything run smoothly. So everyone was connected to each other via headsets, including Nicolas, who knew what was going on at any time and could intervene verbally. These headsets are called “Mariage Safer,” and for good reason. They have often saved us from family conflicts - for us they are true “family safers”.
In the evening we were rewarded with a wonderful sunset. Our blue Wingaker against a blue sky looked as if God had opened a gate to paradise, as Peter aptly remarked. The sailing was relaxed and the atmosphere was wonderful. These moments are the reward for the tiring night watches and all the other efforts that come with such an adventure. Just fantastic.
In the evening we once again enjoyed the delicious mahi mahi that Nicolas caught for us. It was fried until crispy and didn't taste fishy at all, more like chicken. Even Anna, who doesn't normally like fish, thought it was great.
We ended the evening with a game of Skipo for me and Anna. As is so often the case, Anna won hands down and literally dispatched me in the 5th round. Touche.
With the Wingaker downwind sail we continued into the night.
Culinary day 3:
- Lunch: Bavarian potato salad with crusty toast bread
Dinner: Fried Mahi Mahi with fried potatoes alá Anna