Tues 22/11/11  – Still Going….- 27:24.0N 015:47.5W

Sorry if we have been delinquent for a couple of days, but we failed to translate intention into action, so neglected the electronic log (though not the real one). This is therefore a catch up day and we will try and do better...

It’s always a bit of an uphill struggle becoming used to 24/7 activity, watch systems and getting up in the middle of the night (except for that which afflicts us all as we age!). There was a bit of queasiness for some of us, not much sleep, and accommodation to the perpetual motion. Having done the 5 day trip from Portugal together, there were no surprises but weary acceptance that this is how it going to be for what now looks like far too long.

There are, however, extraordinary highlights. Sadly, we do not have David Attenborough on board (except on video), but we feel he might be able to confirm our thesis about dolphins. Anyone who sails or gone on a boat trip will have seen dolphins, and wonderful they are too (our friends Maggie and Scott always say that “a dolphin day is a happy day” and they are not wrong about this or much else). Usually, a sighting means a small pod who come up to the boat and enjoy themselves for half an hour riding the bow wave, diving under the keel, and laughing at you as they slip under just when you try and take a photo.

Aren’t digital cameras brilliant, since you just delete the hundreds of pictures of water and splashes, feeling that you have been conned again. However, we also think that there are secret places where dolphins meet up for birthdays, anniversaries and weddings since every now and again you stumble across what can only be described as a dolphin party.  Instead of a small group of these enigmatic creatures, you find yourself surrounded by hundreds of them, small pods coming from all angles and greeting one another with high fives (or at least exuberant out-of-the-sea leaps and loud belly flops). This was just such a morning, immediately after dawn when things look bleak out of bleary eyes....  and then the sea erupted in all directions. You cannot help but guffaw at their antics and your spirit lifts..... Obviously it was going to be a happy day indeed!

The winds were pretty good at Force 4 and 5 from the north and east, which let us sail at a decent pace roughly in the right direction. We faced a bit of reefing and letting out, but nothing too hard with the twin foresail configuration..... Really glad we set them up like this since it means that one person on night watch can adjust the sails without getting an unwilling crew mate out of bed just after they have disrobed.

As a description of the process of taking off a lifejacket, crotch straps (don’t ask!), safety line, man overboard kit et al before attacking your personal clothing, “disrobing” does not really do it justice. Then, of course, you are attempting it in the dark to avoid waking others, at the same time as the boat lollops from side to side in a completely asymmetric way (those who have seen Alan H on a very rare occasion taking to the dance floor will be able to picture this), so it would make Buster Keaton look normal. Normal for us??? … Bruises are normal, falling over is normal, tripping up is normal, standing braced against a bulkhead with toes pointing left and right (another black and white film comedian comes to mind) is normal – and that is, of course, just when someone else stands on them.

It has been suggested that the boat will roll at least 1 million times between the Canaries and the Caribbean, and that is not a funny prospect. Even though you are aware of the risk, there are times when the boat seems temporarily stable and it is hard to avoid the temptation to put something down – just for a second – whilst picking something else up. We obviously have to do a lot of sweeping and wiping up. Not sure that the crockery and glasses are going to last 3 weeks.

One of the rules on the boat is that anything that has been on the floor is thrown out (or washed).... not sure if this is going to last the trip either. Martin had a very long and hard look around when he dropped a bit of his pudding on the cockpit seat, but decided he was being watched and sighed as he slung it over the side.

At the same time, it is amazing how human beings adapt to situations, however difficult and uncomfortable. Bob (the artist formerly known as Alan Williams) said that he was already acclimatising to the trials listed above, as are we all. To put it in context, though, we discussed this whilst reminiscing about Brian Keenan’s “An Evil Cradling” about his captivity in Lebanon, one of the most disturbing but uplifting books we have read. Makes our complaints and grumbles about minor, temporary and voluntary discomfort seem quite shameful: a bit self- indulgent, and in need of a good slap.

Having left a day behind the other boats, we are obviously going to be last into St Lucia, but we’re not worried (much)!

Wish you were here ... and sometimes that we were there!

Watergaw