Crew Blog

The bliss of half a bowl of cold water

02 October 2007

Unlike the last entry, there are no more complaints about the wet. The last couple of days have been warm and sunny, with today being especially hot. The dress code on deck is currently shorts, t-shirt and sun hat. There are even a number of chests being bared at intervals. (Not always a good thing.) There are now four fans installed about the boat, and the calm seas have meant we have been able to open the hatches for some fresh air.

Anything that makes the boat smell better is ok by me. Yesterday the skipper made himself a very popular man and allowed the two of us on mother watch half a bowl of cold, fresh water each to wash in. Oh the luxury. Forget the spa: a day of manicures and massages can’t compete with the absolute bliss of washing your hair after a week at sea.

The fickle weather has brought about some good luck for a change for Jamaica. The excitement of moving into sixth place yesterday was topped only by the fantastic news that we’d hit third place this morning. Although a bit of me can’t help feeling for the boats that have been becalmed for the last 36 hours or so, the relief of moving out of last place and establishing ourselves firmly back in this race is overwhelming. The crew are on a real high, and we have really appreciated the messages of support we’ve had from crew back home and from a couple of the other boats.

But this has been a real taste of ocean racing: of just how quickly boats can move up and down the fleet, and the huge effect on boat morale. The crew of Jamaica are on fighting form and the Rasta Rocket is flying. The pressure’s on!