Hi everyone,
So it's Ruby and Jen's turn to write the log...
We have now left the Cook Island's and are currently on the four day sail to Nuie. We are about 350nm from our destination with two more night watches and 4 yacht meals before we hit land.
With island life on hold for a while we are back to balancing pots and pans, cooking against the odds, and back to the routine of limited sleep at night - but unfortunately not for the right reasons!
On these night watches most are looking out for boats and other potential dangers. For instance Jim on his first night watch, being still in that keen and studious stage, unlike his other half Kate, who by-passed this stage, preferring to fall asleep on her first ever watch, spotted a light in the distance, after waking and confirming with Kate they decided to rouse Steve from his deep slumber. Steve promptly climbed up on deck to face this potential danger - THE MOON!
Others of us on our night watches favor more creative alternatives to actually watching for dangers, and that is to find ways to prevent them even occurring in the first place. We did this with the use of a piece of paper, our origami skills and some jelly sweets. The outcome...a paper boat (that floated) carrying a cargo of jelly hearts for the god of the sea Neptune as an offering to keep us safe at sea! Yes...by this stage we were feeling rather sleep deprived and delirious! Anything to stay awake on a four hour night shift - funny how if there'd been alcohol or a club involved this would not have been a problem.
On night watch again tonight we are now trying to come up with new and more ingenious ways of bribing Neptune to keep us safe, so instead of constantly scanning the horizon, we too can sleep on our watches! But shhh don't tell the skipper! In preparation we proposed that everyone drank a couple of bottles of wine so that we can use them to make a more superior floating vessel for Neptune. Skip not to impressed with that idea!!!
We'll let you know how it turned out - if you even care! Again...this log is passing the time on our night watch tonight....and two bottles of wine later...still sleep deprived and deliriously happy.
Jen, Rube Skip and the crew.
xxxxx