Big Spirit - The Big Blog - Day 5

Thanksgiving Day!

Last night saw the first hairy night of the race so far for the crew with
wind speeds topping 23 knots and with a heavy sea state this produced a role
that required an enormous amount of concentration when driving. We did
however, pull out consistent speeds of 10 knots which rapidly reduced our
arrival time in the Caribbean which is helpful - the once suspected prospect
of spending Christmas and New Year on the boat bobbing around this pond has
been shattered - which is quite annoying as a decision had just been made as
to which crew member would become the best Christmas lunch in the absence of
turkey!!!

Today was a very special day for two members of our crew in particular. It
was Thanksgiving Day and the various (and numerous) offerings that appeared
from the galley were american in flavour. Mary and Daryl, our american
contingent, took control of the galley and produced an array of
american-accented meals and treats and at high tea I was presented with a
plate of cheese and salami but sadly had to forego the glass of wine that
everyone
else consumed.

Prior to our Thanksgiving Tea we made the crew work!!! Heaven forbid - and
asked them to put in a gybe which took around 20 minutes but put us on a
direct course for St. Lucia with some terrific winds propelling us towards the rum.

As nighttime drew close the wind built and the decision to put a reef in the
main came
to reduce the role and make driving much easier in the dark. This was the
first in-motion
reef that the crew had undertaken and was executed with precision and
speed. I was very
impressed!

So early to bed for the two other watches - the graveyard shift from 2400 to
0400 and the
dawn chorus from 0400 to 0800 - and the first watch kicked in and kicked was
the word.
The seas built and the produced the most challenging helming to date - with
no horizon and no
moon the night was pitch black. Teamwork took hold and with one driving,
one crew member calling
the apparent wind direction and one calling something else (which I couldn't
hear from my bunk!!!!) they
drove us admirably through a very unpleasant few hours. Thankfully the
winds abated and by dawn
the reef was shaken out and we resumed a very pleasant trade wind course
towards the finish line.

Another day tomorrow and another wind pattern

Em Pontin
Big Spirit