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Magic - Magic May Dog Blog Sunday 6th December



Hello from the Atlantic Ocean 421 nm to Saint Lucia:

   

Another day of sun and rolling begins!  It is 10am and we are doing 7 knots (but I can’t see any knots – weird people!)

 

Last night the feeders had a delicious meal of sausages with fried potatoes followed by a homemade apple cake.  That made them all very happy.  

 

I had to work hard last night as I had cuddle Tina, she went to bed early and she couldn’t eat supper as she was feeling very low.  That was the first time in 2 weeks.  In my blog it is difficult to write about the emotions on board but they are as complex as the boats systems.  Tina said I shouldn’t write about all of the emotions as they are private but she said I could write about hers. Tina said all the things that have gone wrong on the boat disheartened her. (Did I mention that the VHF radio has now gone on the blink – outside and inside – good thing that Tina and Mark have a spare hand held one)? Mark and Tina have worked so hard to do everything they could during the last 12 months to ensure the Atlantic crossing would be safe and fun and fast and yet so many things have gone wrong or were not up to the standards that the crew would have liked.  Nisse said that doing the ARC is like putting 10 years of wear and tear on your boat so I suppose things may wear and tear on the crossing.

 

Some of the feeders have been very critical of the boat and its preparation and it is hard for Tina and Mark as they did their best. But they know that it can all be fixed or replaced.  And they know that the intensity of the journey and the small space amplifies any issue and that is all that is happening.

 

This morning Simon had an idea.  The water maker has made everyone cross because it was fitted badly and 24 hours ago we ran out of water.  Simon’s idea was born out of need – and Tina says there is a saying that “need is the mother of invention” and the feeders need is for Showers. Simon is a genius when it comes to anything with making or fixing stuff.  His idea was simple but really clever.  The feeders say that the water maker is simple – it sucks in salt water – filters it into fresh water and gets rid of any dirty stuff.  Our problem is that because it was fitted badly the water maker cannot suck up water. Genius idea – use a bucket over the side to fill up a larger trug on the aft deck and put the inlet hose into the trug.  It worked perfectly – they are making water even though the boat is rolling.  

 

The feeders have been talking about managing resources and all of them are used to having plenty – plenty of water and food and energy.  Managing with scarcity is a good experience they are saying.  Tina has a suggestion for anyone reading this blog from the comfort of home.  An experiment.  Do your normal shopping and cooking and for a whole 7 days keep a large black plastic bag tied up somewhere in the kitchen.  Put anything that is plastic in this bag.  If you do this you will notice how much plastic is used in packaging and it is so shocking.

 

Yesterday we saw a beautiful pod of silver grey dolphins – I love to hear the dolphins – they are very eloquent but they are best when they are saying – “come on lets play” I wish I could play with them as their games look so much fun.  They speed forward and then suddenly chase each other around with sharp fast turns.  I could see one of them break away from the pod – it was racing along side us just under the water.  He was so close and the ocean so clear that we could see the bubbles racing down his skin – I bet that feels lovely.  Then, with impeccable judgment, the beautiful dolphin twisted backwards and around the back of a large building blue. blue wave.  I watched the wave build with a bloom of foam on the top and then suddenly I could see the dolphin positioning himself with accuracy right in the middle of the wave, just under the foam.  Then suddenly he pushed himself forward – his speed calculated to be just fast enough to punch his whole body out into the air ahead of the wave – his lean, strong muscles flexed into a perfect aerobatic arc and then – splash!  nose first back into the warm, blue Atlantic Ocean.  For a long time we were all quite staring at the space where he had re-entered the water, mesmorised by the skill and beauty of this wild creature.  Tina says she will never forget that sight for the rest of her life.   I am happy that she has this movie in her mind for the tough days.

 

It takes hundreds of buckets hauled out of the sea at the stern to fill the tanks with filtered water – the boys are enjoying it in a way as it is a form of physical exercise and that is something they have missed on the boat.  It isn’t really possible to do any exercise when you are swinging around – the rolling around is really hard to explain.  Lottie and Tina have been talking about what an amazing experiential gym it would be to have a yacht simulator.  Even though you are not doing ‘exercise’ just staying upright uses all your core strength.  Sailing Pilates.

 

As I am writing this I am watching Mark take bucket after bucket out of the sea – it will take about 180 buckets out of the sea to fill the tank.  Nisse has now had a creative idea – take the emergency bilge pump hose from under the galley floor and use it and its electric pump to pump seawater into the bucket.  Nisse is a plumber – very handy on a yacht.

Bilge pump into the sea from the stern, electric pump up water into the big bucket on the stern deck – pipe from that bucket to the water maker – it is funny to watch my feeders all running about working on solving the problem.  They must really want water a lot!

 

There should be an ARC price for ingenuity at sea – Nisse and Simon would win it!

 

Saint Lucia is going to Love Magic – Tina says we will be good for the local economy!

PS Bilge pump solution didn’t work so the boys are back on lifting bucket loads of ocean into the bucket on deck – something to do they say


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