Hello Team

How are we this ‘hit the ground running Monday’, week started as smoothly as wiping WD40 off a glass table top? This end, our Monday hasn’t been quite as smooth as we would have liked, especially as we are mid Dell Latitude Rugged Ocean Sprint. Within a few hours of the start like Imagine your Korea we encountered our first batch of long line netting fishing, with 13 AIS float indicators across our path. Having successfully cleared those we had a good 6 hour run then handed over to Lyndsay - Number1, as the dawn was settling in a glorious day looked on the horizon, in fact the complete horizon all around us.

About 11.15, I was awoken by Number1, which is unusual. The morning watch had switched from white sails to the Kite and there appeared to be a problem with both Spinnaker halyards as both could not be eased or ground on. Also the wind shift that had caused the Kite to go up, had a chuckle and firmly backed again, heading us massively to a course of 255°T over the ground. Well get the Kite down, white sails up and head up, I hear all you arm chair sailors say. I just refer you to the point Number 1 awoke we for both halyards were jammed.

While I was pulling myself together in the Nav station, we formulated a plan. The Sat C distress alarm then went off, I quickly opened up the message, “potential piracy incident near Singapore”, a little beyond my area of current influence. Any case plan formulated, Alec and the deck crew prepared for going aloft. One quick last check of the TIMEZERO, ah we are on a collision course, with the Golden Deb, quite a large tanker. I make a quick VHF call to the Golden Deb.

“Golden Deb, good morning Sir, we are the sailing yacht CV22, bearing 130°T 10 miles from you.”

“CV22, yes Sir, I see you.”

“I am about to put someone aloft so will be further restricted, may I ask we pass green to green?”

“Not a problem, I will keep clear of you. We will watch on with interest, have a good watch.”

And that’s what he did, he passed astern of us, not quite close enough for us to see the make of the Watch Officer’s sunglasses, but almost.

So, with that we hoisted Alec aloft and resolved the issue and watched with much delight that wind veer back to 050°T. So now “SeaHawks” are enjoying flying the kite and heading towards the mark. Oh – wait what is this on the TIMEZERO, another, string of AIS marks across our path, CPA (Closest Point of Approach) 400m. As I bow my head in thanks, for something else to exercise the grey matter, I notice an interesting log entry, “RIP Media Laptop”, that's going to make for an interesting topic within the team meeting. Well as they say “Better a bad day on the water, then a good…..” Really.

I lost my job at the calendar factory. All I did was take a day off.

That's all for now,

Dave & Number 1