By special request for more regular updates here we go.
As you will see we are moving steadily up through the field of boats, as I write this at the navigation table I can see seawater SWOOOSHING past the port hole as we exceed 12knts, we are creaming along with our spinnaker and main sail up. Couple of incidents during the night requiring attention but all dealt with effeciently by the crew. We only get one update per day as regards our position so sometimes we are out of date quickly. This morning though we had climbed to 95th overall but more importantly 7th in our class so TEAM ELPHIN are feeling good.
But as always when things are going well things also go wrong so alarm this morning when we tried to start the generator to charge the batteries but it wouldn't start!! so we tried the obvious but still nothing so we downloaded a manual and found we had a broken impellar, the start of 4 hours graft while still doing 10kts. We eventually stripped the offending part out fitted a new one from our stores rebuilt it and low and behold it started first time and has being running smoothly ever since. (WoopWoop)
The team are coming together and sail changes are becoming slicker every-time and with luck and input from Rob we should continue to make good progress.
I suppose the only other item giving us food for thought is the cool box not been able to cope with meat thawing out, so any planned meal schedule is out of the window we cook the most thawed out meat first. I think we might be on pasta and dried rice by the time we arrive. The fruit and vegetables have remained good although down to last carrots so guess it will be cabbage and butternut squash from know on. sheer delight last night when we managed pancakes, they were great. Stores are being replaced by fish the count is now upto two both Darado but we are travelling to fast to fish today ,you need to be down about 4/5 kts.
Not a lot to report on the nature side other than loads of flying fish some which turn up on our deck and a smattering of seabirds which we think are Shearwaters. The evening skies are just magnificent from a point of how many stars you can see as there is no pollution and can see the milkiwayso clearly. This morning we were up early and saw this bright light in the sky at about two mast heights and less than a mile away, travelling fast it was a meteor and it then broke up into three parts. What a sight!!!!!
Got to rush off now and decide which thawed out food were going to prepare for tonights banquet. By the way this e-mail is typed with no glasses so aplogise for any typo mistakes.
Lots of love and best wishes from Team Elphin