ARC 2019 – DAY 14 – What winds me up – penguins!

1,602 views | December 7th, 2019

Ode to my Mum from Mothers Watch

It was just past midnight when I glanced at our logbook before tucking into my bunk and noted that we had sailed 2,080 nautical miles with only 892 miles till the finish in St Lucia. I left word with the crew on watch to be woken promptly at 0530 to begin my third and final Mothers Watch of our journey.

By 0430 I was wide awake, tossing and turning, so 15 minutes later I crawled out of the cocoon of a bed I was strapped into, less the pitching boat toss me quite unceremoniously four feet to the hard floor below. I wasn’t concerned about anything I was aware of and my menu for all 3 of today’s meals had already been confirmed, along with the locations of all the necessary ingredients, before hitting the sack. I then glanced at calendar on my iPhone and noticed it was December 7^th.

A rollercoaster of a time

I lost my mother 26 years ago to the day. I was already grown, with a wife, and children of my own, but at age 59 we lost her way too early. My oldest barely remembers my Mum and her younger brother has no recollect of her but my Mum’s eyes bubbled over at the sight of my kids. Especially Max, as she was the first, and only girl in the family. My Mum doted over the kids, she knitted and crocheted clothes for them and showered them with toys, some of which drove me crazy.

In a flap

My most dreaded present became one of my daughter’s favourite toys. Max was probably 4 when she received a windup roller coaster whose cars were filled with penguins. The penguins would go round and round in circles producing a mechanical sound loud enough to wake the dead. Max probably doesn’t remember that toy, but to this day she still adores penguins. The day that those dreaded penguins finally disappeared from our apartment brought much appreciated peace and quiet.

My Mum missed out on watching my children grow up and pass through all their trials and tribulations. She barely finished High School and probably could not add two plus two, I’m sure my dad balanced the check book at home. I’m sure she still would have been a valuable child rearing resource to my wife and I. What my Mum lacked in book knowledge she more than made up for in common sense and social skills. I like to think that she is watching over Max and Simon from above and is quite proud of them, even when the have strayed off the straight and narrow.

Love and best wishes to all the mothers out there, both current and past. I need to sign off and light the stoves, I have a hungry crew of 14 to feed.

Gary

Skippers Log

CF540 ARC 2019 CH2 Daily Report 2019-12-07

Date : Saturday 7 December 2019
Time : 12:00 GMT (10am Boat Time)
Position : 17.38’N 47.47’ W
Position : sandwiched between boats ‘Emily Morgan’ and ‘Fred’ 180Nm North-North-East of ‘Researcher Ridge’
Destination : Rodney Bay, St Lucia
ETA : 2105 Dec 10 (GPS
ETA Kirstie: 0900 Dec 11 (UT)
DTF : 791 Distance Run 2188
24 Hour Run : 209 DMG in 24 Hours : 197
Required Knots for 15 Dec : 4.6, Arrival at 8 Knots : 11 Dec
Wind : TWD : 070 TWS : 16.0
Gybe Angles (M) 232 262 292
Sailplan : Full Main, Yankee 1, Staysail
POB : 14, all in good health and happy
Today on Challenger 2 :
Breakfast : Garys chorizo Spanish omelets Lunch : Chorizo Spanish Omlete, coleslaw and tapas
Dinner : American Pork Surprise
Music : Just the voices going around in my head…
Fishing Score : 27/11 1x Large Dorado – Fishing suspended