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Shine - Day 13: Wind !



To quote A.A Milne in Winny the Pooh and the Blusterous Day, '"@**$ me , it's windy".


Apologies to all our readers for a lack of transmission yesterday, but things got a bit saucy wind wise.The saloon was like a scene from Harry Potter so pinning down the keyboard was not really an option.

You will recall from the last missive that we were hunting  every corner of the boat for another teaspoon of diesel with little or no wind. Within 24 hours, however, our prayers were answered and we got the wind we wanted to take us to St Lucia..........and a bit more.

At one stage we were surfing down a wave at 14 knots, 35 knots of wind across the deck with the helmsman blinded by lashing rain.Fortunately that helmsman was one G.Redpath, and danger was averted-mind you , he got us into this mess, so the least he can do is drive us out of it !!

All is well, however, and with a couple of reefs in the main, the boat is relatively steady. I say relatively, as the wind has now moderated slightly to 25 knots, which if Jezzer is right, could well be us to the finishing line, a mere 400 miles away. Meanwhile, sleeping when not on watch is a challenge, as not only is it still as hot as a wizard's helmet in the cabins, the motion is,shall we say, not what one would choose for a perfect night's sleep.

Lest you think spirits are low, however, fret not. It's 08:00, the sun is up,Michael has run out of dry pants,Tim's on the helm (unfamiliar territory),Andrew's reaching for a beer,Piers is offering reheated curry for breakfast, Steen is spreadeagled on his bunk wrapped(almost) in a sheet, and the rest are asleep.

Please tune in later for the next installment in this gripping tale of middle-aged endeavour .

Sammy P




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