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Exody - Days 266-268: Halfway- milestones,maths and menus



Exody passed the halfway point of 1170 miles at 08.30 today Monday 5th October just inside one week from Cocos Keeling departure having averaged 7 knots. We are 1400 miles due south of the tip of India and, by definition, as far away from anywhere as we can be! Yesterday the milestone was 1000 miles run and Saturday it was our best day's run ever of 189 miles, taking us just past the one third way mark. All occasions for celebration with a culinary or alcoholic treat!

The focus on milestones and the arithmetic of the passage is addictive, absorbing and perhaps a little obsessive - I have been at it since the start and Marian's interest grows as arrival in Mauritius is now within one week's grasp! Whilst the iPad software forecasts our arrival at anywhere between 5 days and 8 days hence, derived crudely from the speed of the instant, I am forever recalculating our average speed achieved throughout each day and projecting scenarios for arrival time. This is all very well in the delightfully consistent Force 5 wind conditions we have enjoyed to date - but who knows what might happen over the next week and 1100 miles ! Maintaining our average to date of 7 knots will see us in early morning Monday 12th and a pessimistic average of 6 knots Tuesday mid-morning, both ahead of my 'bet' of Tuesday late afternoon per the World ARC question posed to all skippers at the outset of each leg. So not that much in it really to justify all the daily effort and attention! The twice daily speed and position comparisons with the rest of the fleet, along with their tracks that I plot manually are always interesting.

Hugur are still our closest 'buddy' just 18 miles to the south, though their VHF unfortunately does not have the range for us to connect. We have seen no more ships by night or day and it is curious to have the ocean so entirely to ourselves yet to know others are so relatively close by- the usually silent VHF surprised me crackling into life this morning with two non ARC yachts trying to connect.

Exody is sailing well through the big swells and seas (though now reduced) and I have run out of verbs to describe our pleasing progress - bowling, scooting, romping, hurrying, creaming maybe but not charging or careering! As ever, we are rarely tossed about or bounced and thus far neither have we been pooped! Long may it last.

Food becomes the other focus and creative challenge on long passages and Saturday's special weekend menu comprised: smoked salmon scrambled egg with brown toast for breakfast; puy lentil, green bean and feta cheese salad for lunch; beef and bodi (string bean) curry with rice for dinner. It will be opening cans (of which we have a huge selection) or the fishing line for the next main protein!

Peter (Skipper)


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