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Webster - Tributes



Saturday 24th May 2014 Position 37 15'N 36 40'W DTD 395nm at noon



So the bank holiday weekend is upon us but no real change to life onboard, after all we can't go hiking off to the supermarket or plan on going down to the rugby club or go off cycling, or perish the thought, mow the lawn. No - our world continues in a regime of sailing the boat, eating and sleeping, for some the latter seems to be the major part.



We had a clear night last night, hardly a cloud in the sky and it was not too cold, just a bit damp generally. We had a very welcome email from Spiderman announcing that he (actually a she in this particular case) was 'coming to get us'. Spiderman attracted to Webster has a certain symmetry don't you think; who will end up in whose web I wonder. Thanks for that Defyr, very amusing and see you in Horta to continue battle in the dancing competition. Just remember we have our not now so secret weapon, Igor, to unleash again primed and ready to go!



We were contemplating the supply of power to boats this afternoon, as you do sitting in the sunshine going downwind at 8 knots, and consider that a small nuclear reactor would do the trick - the sort of thing that James Bond would have stashed in his watch. I asked Igor, who is Inspector Gadget par excellance and who has just about everything on board you could think of bringing, whether he in fact had one with him per chance. When he said yes we were not in the slightest surprised but then realised that perhaps we had got a bit lost in translation.



We ventured forth at 1645 and put the spinnaker up as the wind had come aft of the beam as forecast at 10 knots and have been going nicely if not sedately since. Certainly the spinnaker spoils the more comfortable existence on the boat as the auto helm likes it possibly less than Neal who positively hates the thing. So more hand steering in store for us tonight should we elect to hold it through the hours of darkness.



At 1930 after dinner (Tuna pasta in tomato pesto if you are interested, just send a SAE for the recipe) we opened our one and only bottle of wine, being a dry boat, in honour of the crew of Cheeki Rafiki who tragically have not been found. We raised a toast to Absent Friends and wished all the very best to their family and friends for whom this is an unspeakably hard time and had the customary minute's silence.



Soon after Igor spotted a 50 gallon drum floating past the boat, just some of the tons of debris floating around out here then, more pleasantly, the blow out from a whale and called us up. This time there was a whale, a hump back we think, black with a very small dorsal fin heading west. He was only 50 metres from us, too close for me I'm afraid, but nice to see.



It looks to be a fairly clear night again so will continue with the kite for now as no squalls on the horizon, yet at least.



Hi Ho!



Charlie

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