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Magic - Magic May Dog Bog Monday 7th December



Magic May Dog Bog

  Monday 7th December

 

Weird Adress

 

15.19.08N   55.58.20

 

Now it is 9am and this morning’s issues are

1.     The Lewmar hatch in Tina and Marks Cabin has been pulled off by the sheets and gone over board

2.     The auto pilot has decided to keep cutting out so we can’t rely on it

 

Tina and Mark are now just resigned to the issues and just add things to the now very long list they are keeping.

Good thing we have only 273 miles to go they are saying.

 

Today was a good day for the feeders, they had great fun playing with ideas to make the water maker work and it did work.  They had all manner of tubes and pumps and buckets and tubs on deck.   It looked really funny but the result was that they could  all had showers and that made them very happy. They have been so inventive – Lottie made ice pops by putting fruit juice into ice bags – they made heart shaped ice lollys which the feeders loved.   They had a good day sailing and as the sun was going down they opened a bottle of something fizzy – the brown top wet pop really loud and scared me.  They were celebrating only 300 nm to go to Saint Lucia.  Then they had some pasta and sauce and into the watches for the night – Lottie and Nisse are first with a 4-9 then 9-0 is Simon and John – Tina and Mark are on from 0-3 then Lottie and Nisse again from 3-6 when Simon and John take over 6-11 and it starts again with Tina and Mark from 11-4

 

Everyone says there are good and bad things about their times. Lottie and Nisse have said that they always get rain and squalls and Tina and Mark say they have been lucky and not had rain and high winds.  Until tonight that is! 

 

As Tina, Mark and I got up we could hear the wind picking up.  We took over the watch from Simon and John just as the squall hit us – the rain flooded though an open hatch in a torrent and Tina was soaked as she battled to shut it. The wind was 30knots and there was a very black cloud right above us.  We had to alter course to deal with the strength of the wind. 

 

Good news – we are doing 8-10 kn of speed – bad news, we are heading for Boston!

The leech of the Main sail is trapped and they will have to wait for the wind to ease before letting the preventer loose and playing the mainsheet to release the sail – at least that is what I think I heard them say – I don’t really understand when they talk ‘sailing’

 

We are surrounded by ARC boats, which is great – Hot Stuff – the boat with the girl only crew passed us by – poor Simon was gutted to have Magic passed by so easily!  He is a competitive sailor and Magic should be faster.  Tina and Mark are not bothered and just enjoy sailing safely and having company.  Hot Stuff were on a Port tack and Magic was on a Starboard tack so they should have moved as they were pretty close – half a mile and gaining – Simon spoke to them on the VHF and agreed that Magic would move – what a gent!  We also have with us – Toothless, El Mundo, Tapatl, and Zheliko  - I think we are all going to arrive around the same time…well Magic will be late – It is odd as Magic is a fast boat – the list of reasons is long – the bow thruster that was damaged as we left Las Palmas – is it down and covered in weed?  Is there fouling on the hull?  The fact that we couldn’t pole out the Genoa? The holes in the sails …. The route …the wind …the gods wanting us to stay with us longer???   Tina is still just happy to arrive happy and healthy.  She is a positive thinker and even said that perhaps our role is to make all those who have passed us feel great! (she did think that sort of comment would not please the rest of Team Magic)

 

The welcome party is on the same night as the ARC+ prize giving  - Wednesday 9th and we are hoping we will get in for that.  It will be great to see Liam and Liz from Odyssey and find out how their ARC+ adventure has been.  It will be so strange to be in a Marina again and not rolling about all the time.

 

Tina and Mark had fun writing a letter today and when they read it to the crew everyone laughed a lot – the letter made everyone come together a little and helped everyone understand the issues that Tina and Mark have had to overcome.  I am so glad that I am a dog and all I have to worry about is looking after the feeders so the food comes!  I don’t think I would like having to ‘deal with suppliers’ what ever that is.  It seems a very troublesome pastime.  And I am so happy that I don’t have to adjust the sails and manage squalls –

 

I just snuggle up and stay dry.  I wonder if the vet in Saint Lucia will be as kind as the vet in Las Palmas

 I wonder if Tina and Mark have all the right papers for me…….we will soon see.

I wonder what jerk chicken is like…

I wonder when we will get there

 

 


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