So much for sailing home. At this rate we’re going to drive there. The wind left us last night and in it’s place we were left with a sea that we’ve described as “slop”. A frustrating mixture of waves and swell from all directions. Consequently we’ve been doing the best we can with engine on at low revs to continue some forward motion – albeit at 4-5 knots. But one minute we’re picked up from behind by an advancing wave and the next we’re hit from the side by another of equal size. It creates a kind of corkscrew motion which sets you up for the next wave which invariably you hit head on, bringing the boat to a near standstill. So much for the happy northerly I saw on the weather chart.
Lovely sunset though.
And fishing excuse number 27, is that the dolphins we saw yesterday ate them all.
Apart from that, there’s very little else to report.
Water conservation has been big aboard, evidenced by the fact we have only just now switched from tank number 1 to tank number 2 (of 4 tanks). The tangy BO aroma is probably another indication of our water conservation drive, but none of us seem to really notice it. Maybe the first person to have a serious shower might though.
On the food front, our pile of bake beans and spaghetti cans is getting smaller. Thought today I’d mix it up a bit, ‘cos every time I say, “you want beans or spaghetti today?” the answer seems to be the same, “either, doesn’t matter”. So today, I put three cans of one and two cans of the other in the same pot. Quite innovative I thought. And the response from the crew was positive … “wow, look at this, a mixture? What do ya call this darl?” And the standard response, “Oh it’s just beans and spaghetti mixed in the one pot luv” … “Arr, but it’s the way ya do it darl”.
Beans and spag in the one pot saved on washing up too. Although, in this regard I draw the line at one saucepan and 5 spoons – we have our standards you know.
We put the “Australian Coast” disk in the chartplotter machine (aka Ray) yesterday. We’d been using the Pacific Islands disk for the past few months, so now we really feel we are homeward bound.
Smooth sea, fair breeze and “more wind please … but not too much”
Rob
Hi Rob,
Don’t hurry to get to Oz just yet – there’s 120km gales in Vic, and 30+deg in NSW, and bushfires on the Sapphire Coast!
But I could have sworn that the small red marker (on the right-hand side of the website page) is moving closer to the big white blob that is to its left…..there it goes again! I am sure it moved another pixel to the left.
Looks like Matt and James will need to rethink their Father’s Day gift. And we all thought a lifetime supply of tinned spag’ and baked beans would be a winner! Ah well…
Hi Rob,
At last I have had time to sit down and send you an update from this end. Sorry progress is a bit slow for you but that is not the way it has been here. We brought Lerica and Serah back to Victoria expecting them to have to wait a couple of weeks for a hospital bed but things moved very quickly. Lerica had her heart op. yesterday and is up walking about today. Quite amazing.
Hi Graeme, it’s getting close now. Can’t see a red marker out here but I’ll take your word for it. There’s a funny reflection on the water every 50 miles or so though. I think is says Google or something.
cheers
Rob
Always happy to share my beans and spag with you Graeme. Funny, we didn’t get into the stock of tins so much when you were aboard – Hard to replace Jo in the galley!. I haven’t been game to admit that we haven’t tried making bread. I bought enough sliced stuff in Vila and put it in the freezer.
Rob
That’s wonderful news Don.
Well done on yours and Meg’s persistence up at the consulate. Lerica’s life will be transformed.
look forward to catching up soon
Rob