Day 8
We are still keeping up with the speed that we have been doing for the last week. We are only in our 8th day but it actually feels like we left Las Palmas ages ago…or sometimes like it was yesterday…
It`s never a dull moment on board. Yesterday, our routines were spiced up with the “Scottish Poetry Hour” by David and Stephen. Great fun with each and every poem sounding like this:
“Bubbely, bobbelau, bobbelu Sue, I kindai knawinga aty bubbalai stew
Ckalay Alan bubalai bue, and fromathere itmast hav been you!
…the poems ending with “a good one - hahahah”. We obviously didn’t understand a word but what fun it was and each poem “made perfect sense “.
What really keeps us occupied is being on duty 3 to 4 times every 24 hour – day and night. Especially the nights, which are all very different from each other. After the really extreme night of two days ago, we now all know how unpredictable and tough the Atlantic Ocean can be. I was steering the boat for a while that night and I couldn’t actually see the instrument lights which were just a foot away. The gale force winds and torrential rain were bad enough, but together steering the boat made this a “very special” night and something to remember. The night behind us was very very very dark. You are steering the boat, full speed ahead as blind as a bat, the instruments being your only guide to direction. Pretty exciting stuff!
I guess most of us expected some warm, nice and quiet nights on duty – in just a t-shirt and a shorts. It has not happened yet. The nights have been pretty rough and cold with some huge waves and high winds, so it`s on with all the warm clothes and sailing gear. Oh yes, all darlings at home, we are also wearing life jackets, fixed to the boat with security lines.
BUT, these nights has actually been nothing but “spice of life”. If I want to make it even more “different” I just put on my iPod and play my favourite music from my dear Housemama and ride the waves.
The days are totally different - Sunny and nice “as it said in the brochures”. The waves are feeling much bigger during the day, when they rise up behind the boat as a wall. It`s like Graham explained here the other day “ steering the boat during the day is like sitting in the biggest roller coaster you can think of – the only difference being that the roller coaster normally goes on rail tracks but the boat you are actually steering yourself”. I can only agree.
As you understand, it’s still Great at Great Escapes.
Jan