El Mundo - 1st December 2012

At last - brochure sailing at its best!!! Calmer seas, clear brilliant blue
skies, F5 trade winds from astern, and the boat keeping to the rhumb line
heading straight for St Lucia. Last night was fantastic - a fullish moon
and clear, clear skies - it was almost as bright as daylight. Porridge has
been eaten, Mother is baking bread, the fishing line is out the back, and
the crew are either on watch, asleep, or doing their domestics. Pretty
perfect really. On perhaps we are just all getting used to and establishing
a ship-board routine that works for us. We are now under 2,000 miles to the
waypoint off St Lucia. The boat is holding together well apart from a not
working tricolour and a broken davit line. This morning we have the ocean
to ourselves.

Last night in the middle of my watch I started thinking about the first time
(and only other time) I sailed the ARC (at that time I had an Oyster 47 and
we completed the passage in 20 days elapsed time). I began thinking of the
wonderfull people we met on that trip and I realised that the ARC is not
really about the sailing, it is all about the people who sail the boats.
The last few days have really been pretty rough (the sea that is, not the
mood on board). We are in an Oyster 56 which really takes it all pretty
much without drama - perhaps using the electric showers is a bit more
uncomfortable, but hey, life can be a bitch sometimes. But what about all
the people in the smaller boats where the seas must have been and felt
pretty dramatic? - especially at such an early stage in the voyage with such
a long, long way still to go. And what about the boats with young children
aboard? How difficult and challanging must that be? It's those people who
truly represent the spirit of the ARC. I in my plush Oyster with its
electric showers and heads, freezer, drinks chiller, air con, entertainment
systems, electric cooker, microwave, generator, and interior lights to rival
Blackpool illuminations, etc. etc really have it very easy. I feel a bit of
an interloper but very priviledged to be here among such company. Among the
many great people we met last time were Julian and his crew. Julian was
sailing a Westerley 33 - forgive me Julian if you read this and I have got
that bit wrong - I just remember it was bloody small!) After a very boozy
evening aboard Julian's boat - so boozy I have no recollection at all of the
following day nor how I managed to get back to my boat parked right the
other side of Las Palmas marina)- it ocurred to me Julian and his crew fit
the ARC ideal perfectly - small boat crammed to the gunwhales with stores
and food and sails and everything else that is required for a non-stop 3-4
weeks at sea. Jullian and his like at the true heroes of the ARC. Julian
is not too well at the moment, so if you read this Julian, you (and Geoff
and Jen and Bex) are very much in my thoughts - my trip is the emptier for
your absence - and I hope you are as well as you possibly can be.

By now you will have detected long night watches on one's own give rise for
considerable reflection and circumspection. So enough of me. Dee, Robert
and Nick all seem very well and we are bonding nicely as a team - at least
that is my perspective; the others may have a differing view! Robert is
Mother for the first time and was up early planning his menues - he seems
quietly determined which if you know Robert is a bit of a change - quiet is
not a word I would use to describe him normally. Dee last night completed
two three hour watches entirely on her own - a life time first for her. So
we are all achieving new challenges which is just the way it should be.

Now for today's El Mundo brain-teaser. Conditions of entry and how to
respond remain as stated in our previous blogs.

Question Number 3.

On his way to work one morning, murder detective Harry Shultz caught sight
of excon Frank Delgordo disappearing through the back door of the police
station. Despite knowing full well that Delgordo had entered the station in
the early hours of the morning and had spent at least three hours destroying
finger prints, he made no move to arrest him. Why?

Have fun.

As always love to all the people ashore who matter to Jonathan, Dee, Nick
and Robert - you know who you are.

This is yacht El Mundo - oovvvveeeerrrr aannddd out!