Hi everyone
From Rob Lott … First Mate of Chimere AKA “Captain Happy Days”
We are now passing the island of Mare in the eastern part of New Caledonia. It was good to see land after passing Lord Howe Island and Elizabeth Reef in the dark. It was also good to get confirmation that the GPS does indeed tell the truth!
The crew wanted to call in for croissants, jam and coffee but the captain has only one eye and that is on the Port of Vila. We are sailing past tall cliffs and hills capped with Norfolk Island Pines and interspersed with white sandy beaches fringed with coconut palms. We have arrived in the tropics. Yeah!
The boat smells like a bakery at the moment with fresh bread in the oven waiting for our jam and and cream. The seas have abated, and we have a gentle breeze from astern pushing us along track to Port Vila. We are not breaking any Chimere speed records but it is comfortable and very pleasant. This mission is really tough today! Certainly making up for the first few days of rough weather.
Only 204 NM to run to Port Vila and if it stays like this we won’t want to stop.
Josh fixed the navigation lights today and is back on his feet. We did not realize he has been suffering a head cold for the last few weeks. When the captain learned this he put him on a diet of cold and flu tablets and a day later Josh’s inner ear started functioning again and he made a good recovery. So herein lies the lesson: Don’t go to sea with a cold or flu!
Until next time.
Cool bananas … and we were so close we could nearly pick the coconuts
Rob Lott