can we help
+44(0)1983 296060
+1 757-788-8872
tell me moreJoin a rally

Menu

Endeavour of Cork - Day 10 - Oh Happy Day!!!




Two brilliant things just happened on Endeavour.

1. While I was on watch the wind did an abrupt (well, over about 15 mins) 180 degree shift, so from sailing on port tack downwind we were now sailing upwind, close-hauled in about 6kts - meaning with apparent wind we were doing about 6kts ourselves. I cannot describe the thrill, after over a week of rolling around on a downwind course, of sailing close-hauled, meaning we were gently, but firmly tilted over to one side - there was absolutely no pressure on the wheel, and we just gently (but quickly) trucked along in the afternoon sunshine. Peace reigned for about an hour. Bliss.

2. Meanwhile, Conor had been quietly agitating all day for a swim, but the weather just wouldn't play ball. It was either clouded over, or too lumpy, or looked like we were headed for a squall, or something. So despite the gold-plated sailing conditions, we took down the sails, turned the boat's back to the wind (and into the sun), put the back down, and all dived in. In position 14 54.83N, 46 04.63W, for the record. Anais stayed aboard as "lifeguard". Even Laura was persuaded this time, leaping with gusto off the swimming platform clutching her shampoo and conditioner! The boat was still making a bit of way (about 1.5kts), so we tied a fender to the end of the main sheet and flung that out the back to cling onto, and got towed slowly along behind. It was once again like warm bathwater, and the best treat we could have wished for. You could almost see the humour-meter rising among us all!

We did a bit of housekeeping while the platform was down - there are some lockers back there that are completely inaccessible when the boat is all packed up and under way. So we dug out two jerry-cans of diesel that were buried deep, and replaced them with some of the empty ones, and changed the gas bottle so we now have a full one connected, and another full one beside it - that should see us through to the end no bother.

While in the water we spotted a boat on the horizon - from this morning's radio chat we think it may be Pepper, which was closest to us at the 12pm radio net roll call. Far too far away to establish that for sure though. They may get closer to us over the course of the night though - it'd be nice to know who it is!

Conor is back in the kitchen again, about to make yet more brown bread (for which we have next to no butter left, boo hoo) - the banana bread is getting ploughed through, and the Christmas cake he brought along got taken out for elevenses (but my breakfast) this morning. We'll be rolled off the boat in St. Lucia at this rate!

The great freezer pick'n'mix started today - Denise took out what she thought was an alarmingly large bag of packs of rashers (we reckoned we'd be dining on bacon butties for the rest of the week) but the first pack she opened looked very like cooked ham. Laura bravely tried a bit, and declared it delicious! So the next pack got opened, as it looked a bit more rasher-shaped - but that turned out to be a solid lump of something rasher-like, we weren't sure whether cooked or not. So that got chopped up to make lardons for the pasta/pesto lunch. Lord knows what the rest of the packs contain, but I'm willing to bet none of them will be rashers!!

Conor has just declared that the menu for this evening is "Catch Of The Day" - poor Dermot is back on station at the back of the boat feeling the pressure, as it hasn't been caught yet!!!

From a very happy, and much more pleasant-smelling Endeavour - over and out!


contact us at [email protected] (text only)


Previous | Next