Well 7 nights and 8 days in...an assessment. It's mostly grey, very windy, and it takes a brave man to look back at waves that build up behind the yacht, lift her up gently 15 feet and surf her down into some pretty steep valleys the other side. El Illustrious sits with his back to the waves so he can't see them whilst singing nursery rhymes and calling for his mother. The more serious effect of the resulting corkscrew motion of the yacht is that
eating becomes a pain. Here we are, foi grassed, hot dogged, joints of every animal under the sun in the freezer, but with the diffiuculty of getting them cooked...and when they get cooked in a lull...the sea usually takes off
again and one has to open one's mouth really wide to allow the fork to find the hole. This is where I have argued with the motleys that hot dogs are one of nature' own blessings. Long, thin, holdable by hand....it is easy to achieve target. On the plus side, with little sun, and little pleasure in eating and drinking...and sleeping impossible ....I've lost lotsa weight ! Nature's own Atlantic Diet Plan.
Amidst all this Animal is like a pig at the trough yihaaing as the breakers break over, and standing at the helm where poor Doris used to be. After another attempt at fishing yesterday, Mr K handed over the rod to Genevieve, C Dundee's Moll, who promptly caught a sizable Dorado. As it was being reeled in I made them an offer they could not refuse. I let them land and murder the beast....they eat it....but in return they cook me hot dogs for dinner. It was a deal. I went downstairs to avoid unsightly sights...and the fish was stowed in the freezer. Today is pizza day. A tribute to Domino's who unfortunately cannot be anywhere near us. Today is also the day I have designated the beginning of Chapter 2 of my world masterpiece on the Earls of Essex. Karen take note. My agent take note. On the plus side, our weather woman, Simone of West End, not Hamble, says that boats ahead are having an easy run, with people jumping over the side and having a swim. Do that here and it would be your first and last. However...we look forward to tomorrow when she has faithfully promised that our fifty shades of grey will get lighter, the sun come out, and the seas become friendly. Meanwhile we were wondering if we accidentally miss St Lucia and arrive say Antigua, does it still count?
El Illustrious Skipper.