Cleone - Fw: CLEONE Leg 17 Day 7 - No let-up

Strong winds and big seas continue

 

The Skipper was the one who nearly copped it.  He was in the cockpit, helming over the crests and minding his own business and thinking that the winds might have started to ease when he glanced behind him.  A huge wave was curled above Cleone's stern, in the act of breaking.  He could do nothing but glare at it, mesmerised.  It broke just behind Cleone's stern, depositing a huge dollop of water on the aft cabin roof, and a considerable amount into the cock-pit.  Luckily we already had the Wash-Boards in place, so even if it had been a lot more, we should not have got too much water into the saloon itself.  But it was a salutory reminder of why we are wearing are life-jackets and safety harnesses at the moment, and why we also carry two sets of wash-boards!

 

We've managed to keep up the catering standards, despite the increasingly heavy seas.  But there was a near crisis yesterday afternoon; the fridge drain blocked up and the beer began to get warm whilst Alex and the Skipper sorted it out.  Near panic ensued.  The cause was spilt yeast, which gave a further threat that we might not be able to bake bread - the ersatz shop-bought stuff having run out a couple of days ago.  Luckily, Alex managed to salvage enough yeast for  five loaves or so (he'll have to add the three fishes and the skipper will fix the 5000 people), and by dint of poking the narrow drain pipe with a piece of wire and forcing water down it from the other end, we eventually cleared the drain in time to get the beers back before they'd boiled.  But the skipper noted that the evening can was not quite as cold as it should have been.

 

Apart from that near disaster, all is well, though we do have to face up to the Skipper's cooking again tonight.  And we are out of fresh food.

 

It's been more heavy-weather than classic trade-wind sailing (again), but progress has been good and we are nearly another 170 miles down the track.  Almost half-way, in fact; another milestone to celebrate.