Ahoy hoy
This mornings mini crisis was caused by the main halliard becoming detached due to a faulty shackle. Mr Big had the cunning plan to send up the topping lift with a fisherman's gaff attached to snag it. The plan worked brilliantly and much slapping of backs ensued until halfway down the halliard twisted and caused an internal jam which bent the gaff straight and destroyed said cunning plan. My understanding of the consequence of this is now that we cant use the big flappy thing until and if we hit a flat calm stretch of water and can send up fearlessly Lucky Lucky Lachie in the bosun's chair to recapture the elusive halliard. Our jib though is doing us proud on its own though, so who needs the big flappy thing.
Saturday morning it seems is clean the boat morning so all hands above and below deck on scrubbing detail. Those below fight for air while gazing through sealed glass skylights in soaring temperatures as their compatriots continued the sun tan regime while casually wafting a duster, The Good Ship Bristolian is now spick and span.
Last nights curry was created and well received without the preceding week's floor based disasters despite having a very unfriendly swell on the beam. Tonights dish de jour is a pasta bake which may have prawns if they are not snaffled by Bianca on lunch duty.
Most of the crew's WAGS and others pals of Mr and Mrs Big are, as I type on their way to St Lucia. Our cunning plan was to be out there a couple of days before them, but sadly the Rum Punch s going to be on the other foot - still all looking forward to meeting up the day after tomorrow (fingers crossed).
Talking of which, the favorites for the passage length sweepstake are Go North Paddy and Bianca, the former saying Monday at 10:30, the latter Monday at 15:30. Most of the rest of us are feigning disinterest as our over optimistic shouts fall by the wayside.
Go North Paddy, hero of the boat maintenance tasks as well as the scurvy controller of the decks is in seventh heaven as his espresso maker has finally started working again. It seems the vital fix, in common wth most things in the boat world as far as I can see, was to drop it on the floor. GN Paddy now rushing around upstairs and down even more frenetically than before.
Ladies - please compose yourself before gazing on the portly helmsman negotiating a particularly tricky shoal of flying fish in today's photo (as provided by Kodachrome Ali). Alas, he is spoken for.
Toodlepip
photo