Hummingbird Blog Saturday 7th December 2024
Hello readers!
It's the weekend so for us that means the same as any other day. We had a nice
night of sailing last night with a few manageable squalls that pushed us along
quite nicely. This was a welcome treat given the night before that saw 40kt
gusts that caused us to broach and round up, and resulted in the need to repair
two headsails, replace a headsail hank, and clean up all the vegetables that
were launched as the excitement ensued.
Talk of arrival
increases as well as where our friends on BlueJay are in relation to us. We
heard that they gained time on us during our headsail adventures, and this
cannot be allowed to continue. We are of course cruising not racing, but
still.Get thee behind us Bluejay!
With thirteen
days on the ocean behind us, some of you may be wondering about personal hygiene
on board. To understand this fully we must start with the definition of what 'Clean' is. Clean is being in a similar condition to those around you. Alex
informed us that in days of sailing past, washing was considered to be
unhygienic. So, to honour those sailors of old who died before their time due to
causes linked to lack of sanitation, and in true Orwellian style, clean is dirty
and dirty is clean. Any issues with that, take it up with the Ministry of Truth
(AKA Skipper and/or Mate).
Our dearest Jill
broke this pact the other day and emerged on deck smelling almost floral. After
much tut tutting by the on watch and putting her on winch grinding duty for
twenty minutes as we shook out the reefs in this Caribbean heat, we soon got her
back to clean. Well done Jill, you are one of us again!
We can have a
shower of course if we so choose. We have one in the head (boat toilet) where
the sink faucet can extend into a shower spray. The head on our boat is similar
in size and quality to a toilet cubicle that you might find in any respectable
dive bar, and if you do take a shower, you must also clean up the space after
you. To imagine this exercise given that you will also be naked and soapy, you
must picture a seal cleaning a washing machine from the inside while the machine
is still on wash cycle. So, for most of us, its better to just stay 'clean' and
just not wash.
Dental hygiene
on the other hand appears to be important to all, (even the British on board
strangely enough), and everyone attempts to get their twice daily brushing in,
usually around two thirty.
Keep it clean
everyone!
Bill