Crew Blog

North Pacific water park

10 March 2008

Well we appear to be in the North Pacific water park. We go up and down these water hills, often at breakneck speeds, and just to make it more interesting we also do it in the dark. As in the best parks we also get the not so infrequent surprise of a wave coming over amidships and landing on your head - the surprise is that the water is warm!

The biggest wave that crashed down onto the boat causing a minor flood inside as well as out, was due to a rogue flying fish landing in the cockpit. Keith was seen juggling the fish trying to remove it, thus distracting the helm as we rounded up to wind with water everywhere!!

As we were trolling along this morning we had the unexpected pleasure of seeing two minke whales go by - recognisable by their large fur coats and fake pearl necklaces.

Touch wood we haven’t broken anything serious for a few days, well apart from the fact that all our sails seem to want to make a bid for freedom! The No 2 yankee keeps losing its hanks and so keeps our favourite hank man ‘Jan’ busy. Next the mainsail decided to try and escape at sunset, with all the sliders between reefs 1 and 3 coming away from the mast. Now all repaired and driving us forward as we strive to climb up the leaderboard.

In addition, a few teeth were nearly chipped this morning while trying to bite into Hagen’s bread, baked overnight into a solid brick, the titanium saw was employed to cut it, fortunately the inside was actually very wholesome and devoured by testosterone watch!