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Free Spirit - Log 17: 26 May 2015



Having spent the best part of 2 days astride the boom or dangling from the mast drilling out sheared-through bolts and replacing them, very laboriously, I am pleased to report that Mr. Mainsail is back on the job again. He has been spruced up with a couple of new patches stitched onto his leech, which was looking a bit tatty (holey), to say the least, and he now looks almost presentable. Anyway, he is back in harness again and we have 3 fully functioning sails once more. Only trouble is we have no wind!! We have entered the Azores 'High" where, in the summer, the air circulates in a clockwise direction - very slowly. Right now the centre of this system is to the north of the Azores putting us into a head-on airstream hundreds of miles wide. In days gone by the old square-riggers must have just wallowed here for days or weeks on end, which is probably why it took them months to cross the Atlantic Ocean with their cargoes of slaves, tobacco and syphilis. Today we have a motor for which, I suppose, we must be thankful. But I hate the bloody thing. It sits in a hole next to my cabin where it grumbles and growls all night while burning up my hard-earned loot and spewing toxic diesel fumes into the otherwise pristine Atlantic air. Also, Carole complains constantly that it does not go fast enough. Truth is she would be much happier with a gas guzzling gin-palace anyway - especially one well-stocked with gin. Ah well, best settle down on the aft deck with a fishing rod and my own thoughts. One good thing though; the young whipper-snapper does not seem to have found my latest cache of chocolate, yet! 
Log authored by Peter.  


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