Wednesday, 16 August 2006
Day 10 - thoughts from Pete Summers, Skipper Jaguar Logic
We have finally got back into the land of the living as far as the computer is concerned. We managed to get all the software up and running a couple of days ago but then had continual problems of not being able to send messages or would lose them after the crew had spent hours typing then out. You would have thought though with a couple of computer wizzes on board it would not have taken quite so long.
All is going well and we are all very relieved to finally be around Muckle Flugga. Tensions had been running high for the last few days as we never seemed to be getting any closer and every time we thought the wind had freed it would either drop or swing back and head us again meaning yet more beating. The actual rounding was a bit of an anti-climax with thick mist obscuring the rock so all you could see was a very eerie loom of the light,
likened to something out of a hammer horror movie. But now we are around
and that is all behind us now, helped a little by a small glass of champagne. We are on the true homeward leg. Spirits are high again and the frantic trimming continues. At the moment we are sat in the middle of a depression centered over the Shetlands so the wind is very light and from every direction. We have taken this rare opportunity with the boat being upright to try and catch up on some of the boat husbandry and cleaning which had been reduced to merely sponging out about 5 gallons of water from the bilges at every watch change while at a 30* heal, and sort out that evenings meal before it got too wet. Jon and I are also going to take this opportunity to make some fresh bread to go with our packet soup for lunch!
The mistake was made of assuming because we had beat to windward all the way up here it would be a bit of a downhill sleigh ride on the way back and we would have the opportunity to dry some of our kit out. But oh no, it is still thick mist outside and everything is even more damp than before including our bunks which just seem to be getting worse. And guess what we are still going to windward. We did get a token bit if spinnaker flying for about 6 hours this morning after rounding in the mist and about 4 knots of wind.
Must dash have meals to cook and bilges to sponge.
Pedro
All is going well and we are all very relieved to finally be around Muckle Flugga. Tensions had been running high for the last few days as we never seemed to be getting any closer and every time we thought the wind had freed it would either drop or swing back and head us again meaning yet more beating. The actual rounding was a bit of an anti-climax with thick mist obscuring the rock so all you could see was a very eerie loom of the light,
likened to something out of a hammer horror movie. But now we are around
and that is all behind us now, helped a little by a small glass of champagne. We are on the true homeward leg. Spirits are high again and the frantic trimming continues. At the moment we are sat in the middle of a depression centered over the Shetlands so the wind is very light and from every direction. We have taken this rare opportunity with the boat being upright to try and catch up on some of the boat husbandry and cleaning which had been reduced to merely sponging out about 5 gallons of water from the bilges at every watch change while at a 30* heal, and sort out that evenings meal before it got too wet. Jon and I are also going to take this opportunity to make some fresh bread to go with our packet soup for lunch!
The mistake was made of assuming because we had beat to windward all the way up here it would be a bit of a downhill sleigh ride on the way back and we would have the opportunity to dry some of our kit out. But oh no, it is still thick mist outside and everything is even more damp than before including our bunks which just seem to be getting worse. And guess what we are still going to windward. We did get a token bit if spinnaker flying for about 6 hours this morning after rounding in the mist and about 4 knots of wind.
Must dash have meals to cook and bilges to sponge.
Pedro
posted by Sailing Logic at 5:54 PM
