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Firefly - A day in the life of a Pacific crossing



Unlike our passage across the Atlantic we have enjoyed reasonably consistent winds from the start (apart from the first 24 hours). We haven't made any sail changes, and until this morning have stayed on Port tack either broad reaching or running all the time. So we have settled into quite a leisurely and consistent routine. Here is a typical noon to noon day for Peter but could easily be for Paul or David. We do three hour on watch periods during the day (6 off) and two hours at night (4 off). As the total number of periods is uneven the times change each day and repeat every three;

At noon I am off watch and having a snooze, up at 1.00 PM , my turn to make lunch; tortilla wraps with ham, cheese, carrot and cucumber, the fresh bread has now run out so tortillas are the next best thing. Continue my off watch period till 3.00 PM sending an email to Jane and finishing off my book on the ipad 'Capital' by John Lanchester; a bit long but an interesting insight into London life and money. Coincidentally our now favorite cocktail, served during happy hour at Rock Cafe, Santa Cruz, Galapagos - 'Caprinis' are mentioned and apparently popular in London too! On watch from 3.00 till 6.00 PM, rolling along at 7 knots nothing exciting happened and broken by afternoon tea and chat with the boys also a good joke from Barney about mating Gorillas in Barnsley! (cannot be repeated over the internet). Paul is down below writing the log. End of watch corresponds to supper time cooked by Paul; bacon and potato bake and washed down with a 'small' beer - none of us are being very active but all have good appetites. Too much cloud for a good sunset or green flash tonight. At 7.00 PM call into the radio net, run by Tim, the skipper on Ghost, all went well and we relayed information from World Cruising received by email about fellow yacht Adela whose SSB radio has packed up. Apparently we have one of the better SSB's and as a result agreed to step in and run the net the next day. 8.00PM; time for a nap before my next watch (sent to sleep by Joss Stone on my Ipod). Woken up by David at 9.50 PM (10 minutes to get on deck). He kindly puts the kettle on. Its still cloudy, but with a full moon is very light (almost daylight) and good winds. Its no hardship being up on nights like this! 2 hours is just about enough before tiredness takes over and at 10 minutes to midnight give Paul a call for his watch. Depending on his state of sleep this can be a tap on the door, a torch in the face or a leg shake! More sleep till 4.00 AM. I am lucky to be able to usually doze off quite quickly so I often get 3 hours sleep out of a 4 hour off watch period. Others are no so lucky. Woken again by David; he is so cheery at this time in the morning and I am up for another light night watch; the clouds have cleared and near the end of my watch at 6.00 AM I witness a very beautiful setting moon. Another spell of sleep (no need for Joss Stone this time) till 9.30 AM, time for breakfast before the net - granola but sadly no bananas left. David is on watch and getting soaked by a rain squall. The radio net starting at 10.00 AM goes well, we manage to speak to most of the fleet and record their positions and wind conditions and if like us they are damp! The wind shifted during the rain so David and Paul put in a gybe only to find it doesn't help and gybe back 10 minutes later. I record the positions of the yachts in the fleet that are near us on the electronic chart plotter; we update this daily - its like a moving chess board. Time for another snooze till noon and back on watch.

So as you can see its all sleeping and eating!

Peter, Paul and David.

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