Jasmine - Day 9

Following our swim yesterday afternoon we felt the wind might fill in and help us on our way way but nothing developed and we sat and talked as we helped Bill prepare dinner, roast pork and all the trimmings. The sea grew more still every moment as the smallest puff disappeared and soon we found ourselves sitting on a glass flat sea with a flawless blue sky above and all around. Of course we talked about how lovely it all was but our conversation slowed as darkness fell and the stars filled the blue black dome , we became silent when darkness had fully fallen and the stars that had surrounded us were now reflected in the mirror sea and we seemed to float in a plasma of white bright stars hardly knowing which was sea and which was sky .
Truly nature is wonderful.
We had dinner on deck, not a breath of wind or roll of the boat to disturb us ,the stars and the planets to entertain us,none of us had ever experienced a more glorious surrounding either man made or natural.
When dinner was over we were treated to the final part of the show.
Distant lightening lit the northern sky again and again in a firework display that went on for an age, lighting up the far horizon.
We moved off slowly then and our watch system began. The lightening continued but in the distance , the sea still flat, we made good speed.
In the morning Nick Mike and I on deck recieved a call from a yatch, Henry Calvin on the horizon. They were becalmed but unlike ourselves had no facility to progress under engine, a french yatch. They asked if we had an up to date forecast and mentioned they were low of food and water. We think they had been there 3 or 4 days, they had left Las Palmas 11 days before heading for Guadeloupe. Nick and Mike sprang into action Nick radioed the forecast for the area to them while also altering course in their direction and Mike put together a substantial food package for the four man crew, we also prepared 25 litres of water and transferred the lot to them one hour later . They were grateful and very charming.
As we motorsailed on a flat sea in brillant sunshine towards St Lucia much laundry was done and the lifelines were festooned with colours.
Lunch, more failed fishing ,Mike is losing his patience with us on that one and that says a lot and now dinner preparations underway with a good days run achieved.