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Cleone - CLEONE Leg 22 Day 7 - The Radio Net



It's good to talk.
 
Every day at Noon, Rally time, the Radio Net bursts into life, with the Duty Operator calling for a minutes silence in case anyone has a problem.  This is not really necessary - everyone knows the score, and the net is slient anyway - but it gets the most important part of the day's business up in the frame early.  Thankfully, and touch wood, we have had relatively few problems.  But when you are out here, miles from land, help is a long way away, and your best chance of assistance is likely to be from your fellow rallyists unless a big ship happens to be passing.  Normally we are out of range of Search and Rescue Helicopters and Offshore Life boats, even if the nearest country happens to have them - most of them don't.  So for all of us, this is probably the most important moment of the day, even if it's silent.
 
After the minute, the duty operator comes up again.  He or she calls each yacht in turn, and we all give our positions, the wind strength and direction and any other relevant details, such as ocean currents.  This too is important safety information; if a yacht gets into trouble this may well be her last known position.  And the personal call also gives each yacht a chance to bring up more minor problems, such as e-mail or engine problems.  Help and advice is always forthcoming - if you cant send e-mail, no problem.  Normally the Duty Operator will volunteer, but any of the rest of the fleet will always help.  And there is no such thing as a first time technical problem.  It's amazing that it's taken Gerry from Northern Sky so long to suffer his first blocked heads (loo).  We all had a wonderful time picturing him sorting it out, and the amount of advice he was offered indicated that there's no-one in the fleet that has not had to take an extra shower for similar reasons.  (If anyone does need advice our Skipper has a wealth of experience to call on, including an awful, life-scarring experience (thanks to his 2 elder sons) in Poole Harbour.  It's with him yet, the subject of his worse night-mares).  Or there might be a medical problem.  Dr Ed on Into the Blue is always ready to help with expert advice, or one of our two qualified nurses, Annie from Andante or Julia from Chantelle will give us the low-down on how to treat illness or injury properly.  And we seek and exchange advice on the weather, interpretation of the forecassts and how best to choose our route, and any other matter of general interest such as whether we can get fuel and fresh veg at the next stop-over.
 
And finally the net is given over to chit chat, in English, German, Spanish or French.  Radio conversations are privilged by law, with the threat of losing your operators licence if you swear or blaspheme or pass on others' conversations.  But this is the time when friends can chat; indeed this is the time when friendships are made and sealed.  It's a wonderful daily opportunity to step outside the confines of the company of your immediate crew-mates, and it is dearly valued.
 
In short, the daily Radio Net is one of the most important aspects of Rally life.
 
It's been another wonderful day's sailing.  The Skipper cooked; we survived.  Some said the marinaded Mahi Mahi was delicious.  Others just ate it.  The breeze vanished yesterday afternoon, and we had to resort to the engine for a while.  But then it filled in again, and we carried a fair breeze all night, with all plain sail set.  By this morning, the wind had started to ease, so the Skipper, ever bold, ordered the Spinnaker to be set.  It's been flying since, even though two conflicting swells do not make for easy steering.  We take things as they come, as always.  And there is "only" another 753 miles to go to St Helena.
 
All well on board, and best wishes from
 
James, Graham, Jenni and Shayne
Yacht Cleone
23o35'S 004o55'E
 
PS.   You can follow our progress on the World Cruising Web Site: www.worldcruising.com .  Then navigate to the World ARC page and look for Positions.



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