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Free Spirit - Log 14: 24 May 2015



Sunday morning. A time for lie-ins, bacon and eggs, coffee and the morning papers. For some, a chance to recover from last night's excesses and for others, the time to get stuck into a long run, or a wholesome walk in the park. Traditionally, the Day of Rest was even observed at sea - the crew were obliged to don their best uniforms and, after a brief Sunday service, were given the rest of the day off...
 
This, however, was not the case on Free Spirit this Sunday morning. Michael and I, having come off watch at 0400, were shaken awake by the Skipper at 0630 and hauled on deck.Overnight, the rod that supports the in-mast furling mainsail had fractured at its base, meaning that the sail could not be reefed or extended without it jamming. With increasing winds and seas, we managed to bring the mainsail down and lash it to the deck. The Skipper and Ian bravely spent the rest of the day picking apart the broken pieces and starting the major job of repairing the system. Its important that this job is done as, without the rod firmly bolted onto the furling mechanism, we'll be unable to use the sail. With 1200 miles to go, we definitely need it!
 
Despite this setback, Free Spirit continues to make progress. We've settled into a comfortable (if, at times, disturbed) routine of watches, meals and sleep, and our decision to head north of the rhumb line appears to have paid off. We've yet to experience light winds for anything more than a couple of hours, and we're making good speed towards the Azores. We're now heading slightly south as winds of up to 26kts have picked up from the northeast, pushing us back towards the rhumb line and, hopefully, some gentler weather. A bit of calm over the next few days will also enable us to repair the furling system properly, as wielding a drill whilst suspended over a rocking boat with waves crashing over the deck isn't exactly ideal.
 
This afternoon a school of around ten dolphins arrived to play off the bows and, later in the day we saw a whale breeching fifty yards off the starboard beam.We've not seen much wildlife since we left Bermuda, and the sight of dolphins ducking underneath the bows and whales slamming into the crests of waves near the boat cheered us all up. It was a welcome respite from what had proved to be a challenging day.
 
One final note. I wanted to say something about the accusations made against me in the previous blog. I've been advised by my lawyer, Mr Michael Fay QC, not to give too much information on this topic as its the subject of an ongoing investigation, but I feel that it's only right to point out that the sign pinned up on the fridge said that Anyone Caught Taking the Captain's Chocolate Will be Keel-Hauled and not Anyone Taking the Captain's Chocolate Will be Keel-Hauled. This is a distinction that, I think, will both demonstrate my innocence and save me from being dragged from bow to stern across Free Spirit's barnacled bottom...
 
Authored by Louis
 



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