Crew Blog

Back beating to windward

10 April 2008

After our lovely long stopover in Hawaii, it’s been a bit like going back to work after a summer holiday.

We’d all got very used to sunshine and nice hotels with clean linen and showers. We’d feasted on fresh food that required the use of knives and forks, and found McDonalds and Starbucks a welcome change. After so many months at sea you might think that material goods would have lost their attraction as we become one with nature, but you would be wrong. There was a shopping mall right next to the Waikiki Yacht Club that had both male and female crew in raptures. And there was even an Aveda hair salon!

But now we’re back beating to windward. Life is once more on a 300 angle. We’ve just finished dinner of tuna pasta eaten out of blue, plastic bowels and I’m sitting on the floor propped up against the generator writing this blog. The watch on deck are in full oilskins and every so often there is a shout of ‘wave’ as water comes crashing over the deck to soak the unwary.  Mother watch is in the galley dealing with the washing up, and the bilges are being pumped dry of water for the third or fourth time today.

There are people sleeping – or trying to sleep- in their damp, bouncy bunks. No worries about loud music keeping anyone awake at the moment as the stereo got flooded on the last leg and the replacement hasn’t been wired in yet. The volunteer electrician has unfortunately been too busy throwing up over the side to contemplate the job.

But we seem to have almost seen the last of the seasickness for this race. There are a couple of people still a bit queasy below decks, but I don’t think anyone’s been sick for a whole 24 hrs. With the new three watch system we all get much more time off watch, and people are correspondingly more lively and enthusiastic. Sail changes are much less of a chore when you know it’s not taking up precious sleep time. The mood has lifted noticeably now that people are feeling well again.

And we’re not doing too badly race wise. Lets face it, we’re often a lot further behind by this stage in the game.  We’re sailing well and enjoying the sailing. Now lets see if we can start pulling a few miles back from the boats ahead. We’re more than capable of it!!