Day 13 A very large hook and a bake off
4Sunday 8 December 2013
The parasailor doing a sterling job
Day 13 dawned with the parasailor having done another night of sterling work. What’s been good about the parasailor is it has allowed us to steer very deep and hence keep to our rhumb line as the winds swing to the east and are right behind us. In light winds it keeps us going whereas with white sails we’d be going nowhere. We had a good day of trade winds and were bombing along quite nicely, thank you. But life is never a bed of roses and the forecasts are showing a big wind hole come Sunday. We’re hanging south in the hope the impact is not too bad but it doesn’t seem worth it to go too far south if it’s due to pass over in 24-36 hours.
On the fun side, the Great Adina Bake Off is threatening to take off (the Adina boat owners admit they have had to be educated about this programme!). Each person is taking their turn to learn to cook bread. Neil started out with a nice fresh loaf that goes a treat with anything. Lindsay decided to up the odds and has added honey and dried apricots. What next?
Action of the day was the fishing rod shooting out. Everyone now knows their positions – Tom sprints for the rod, Lindsay takes the helm, Gareth goes for the towable generator, Susie is cockpit control passing items needed (deathly alcohol, knives, gloves) and Neil dashes for the stern step to catch the bugger armed with a diving knife. This time the line really took off, our biggest lure was on the end of it. The battle was short lived as our 80kg breaking line snapped clean. We all looked at each other and decided that whatever could do that was something we didn’t really fancy taking on, thank you very much.
Life continues onboard, each day we have jobs to do – cleaning the heads, the saloon, the cockpit – hygiene is so important. Engine, generator and rigging checks complete the daily cycle. Plus the galley is an ongoing job we share.
Our eyes are now on the geographical half way which we have decreed will be 40 degrees West. Perhaps a little party onboard Adina. A comment yesterday mentioned the Pogues – I think that calls for a Christmas party too. Any other ideas?
Yesterday’s quiz as to who squeals rather loudly is Lindsay who managed to wake Neil from a deep sleep when she saw a particularly large pod of dolphins. Today’s is an easy one – who said “Bring me a weather forecaster and bring me our largest rubber mallet” or something to that effect.
This is Adina sailing and baking.
Sunday check-in
I hear you have fallen into the predicted ‘wind-hole’. Must have been something like falling into a ‘black hole’ – only difference being that NOTHING gets out of a black hole (not even light!!), so be patient and you will emerge.
The bake-off sounded fun – suggest if there is a next time that you try adding pieces of olives to the bread and then eat it fresh having dunked it in olive oil and balsamic vinegar (assuming of course the quarter-master remembered to pack those essential ingredients.
I have checked with Greenwich and it is OFFICIALLY recognised that you are now half-way. You can therefore have your party with a clear conscience. Suggest you ask Lins for a rendition of ‘You can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd’ by way of adding a bit of culture to the occasion.
Glad the big fish got away – though you could have used it as a tow, so long as it could have been persuaded to head due west ( I doubt if the RYA rules of racing mean that would have incurred a penalty).
Leave those weather forecasters alone – despite what your experience during the last two weeks may lead you to believe, they usually get it as right as the information they have allows.
A bientot.
Wendy ‘n Ces
When I look at the YellowBrick tracker of the whole ARC race, it looks like there are lots of other yachts around the same rough area (although that area is probably very large!!). How involved are you with other boats in the same rough area as you? Are you conscious of other boats or feel like you are sailing completely on your own? Just curious…
The collective noun for flying fish is a “glide” according to Wikipedia – has quite a nice ring to it. The Lucycat sends her best wishes to Neil, but as fun as it sounds out there she still reckons she has the best deal here in front of a roaring fire. 🙂 Maybe you could celebrate progress with a Half Way Hoedown in the style of Whose Line Is It Anyway? Take care and good winds! Rachel.
Maybe you should have borrowed one of Dante’s inflation fans, it would have helped to keep the parasailor full!!!! Keep going!
Ian