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Lydia - Leg 2 Day 6 - Rinse & Spin



Progress has been good during the last 24 hrs but at some cost; mostly our
sleep. The wind picked up during the night and we enjoyed about 10 hours of
down and slightly across sea surfing (13 kts is the figure to beat)
delivering a horrendous corkscrew motion that meant being below was like
being inside a front loading washing machine during the 'agitate' phase of
the wash. We've been spared the 'spin' element but those on watch have had
the occasional 'rinse' as rain showers have passed through. Thankfully the
wind has now eased a touch and the motion has either improved or we've just
got better at functioning despite it.

The sea around us remains empty of ships or yachts but the blue is now
broken quite frequently by green as we appear to be passing through a belt
of seaweed. None of us are too sure exactly where the Sargasso Sea is but
we've
decided that it's definitely Sargasso weed. A sample was boat-hooked onboard
for closer inspection and with that done and the piece flung back we were
delighted to discover that, for a short while, we were back up to a crew of
five - the fifth being in the form of a very small and rather stunned crab.

The Mate has been collaborating with the doctor and it's apparent that a
regime of pre-treatment with penicillin has been decided upon. We are taking
it in powdery green form, liberally sprinkled on the last of the Mindelo
bread. The enthusiasm for our lunchtime sandwiches was decidedly 'measured'
and toast (or the oggin) is the way ahead before we start on the half-baked
torpedoes and the German shwarz brot.

Another day of bodged boom survival and email reports from shore indicate
surprise that since all problems in life can be cured with both duct tape
and chocolate (or choclit as some refer to it) there does not appear to have
been a role for chocolate in this drama. Never fear! The theory continues to
hold and we can reassure you that chocolate (modest amounts of course)
administered before and after the event was solely responsible for us
keeping calm in a crisis.With hindsight packing the metal rods we put inside
the pole with Lion Bars might have provided an added element of internal
stability to the repair. But that would have reduced the middle watch nutty
stocks to dangerously low levels with disastrous knock-on effects to crew
morale.

The water maker is keeping Lydia's tanks topped up and all of us have had at
least one shower - whether we needed it or not! Our bodies may be cleaner
but our minds may be going downhill. As a form of entertainment during night
watches the doctor triggered the compilation of limericks for the yachts in
the ARC fleet. Starting with Lydia of course we have yet to shake of his
suggestion that Chlamydia is the best boat name rhyme.

The fishermen's excuses are almost believable today - we're going too fast
to put a line out!



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