ARC 2019 – DAY 16 – More stories from the Motherwatch

What a shower!

Avid readers may be interested in the process of showering on the good ship Challenger 2 .  Our water production capacity allows for a shower every other day provided we all use minimum water. As we are very warm below deck and subject to random dowsing with sea water whilst on deck showers are greatly appreciated.

The first thing is to pump out the grey water tank.  This means lifting a floor board to open a 1 ½” ball valve and then getting on your knees to manually operate the pump. In theory the tank should only have the contents of the previous persons’ shower but fellow crew forget to close the valve after pumping and the tank then fills up from the sea – meaning there can be up to half a ton of water to shift.  This process is guaranteed to promote shower pleasure (or relief) and to open the pores.

Having showered and dried it only remains to pump out the sump into the grey water tank.

Love to family and friends

Martin

(p.s. still not losing weight – last night we were on apple crumble ! )

Baz sends his love to Rach, Jess, Beth and Jenny xx

From the mast

More tales from the Motherwatch

Hi again. Why so soon, I hear you ask? We’ve only just digested your last stream of consciousness. Well, the reason for the quick turnaround is something called the Motherwatch, something that every aspiring TransAtlantic yachtsman should be aware of. Motherwatch is essentially a form of indentured slavery, conducted periodically during the watch cycle – I have had three of them in my two weeks at sea. They are essentially 15-18 hours days, cooking, cleaning and otherwise supporting the boat and are now being conducted in hot weather.

Imagine if you would a small kitchen and with limited storage. Now, rock that kitchen randomly from side to side, on occasion quite quickly and add extras, such as packets or utensils shoved randomly behind a cupboard door, poised to launch themselves at the next unwary individual opening it. Some of your ingredients are under the floor in another cabin, which necessitating crawling around cabins with a red light on your head, trying not to wake the inmates.

As alluded to above, Motherwatching is conducted in pairs and I have been fortunate to be paired with Jason He is also the guy in the middle bunk below my top bunk and this pairing is partly to de-conflict our time in the bunks, to limit the occasions I have to molest Jason in some way in order to access my canvas mattress.

Jason and I have been assisted on a number of occasions by crewmate Christine, the lapsed Nun who I believe feels sorry for us and thinks we are somewhat deficient in cookery competence. Her first intervention was when we decided to make a huge cauldron of stew.

Nighty night.

Jim

Day 16 position ARC Rally 2019

Skippers Log

CF540 ARC 2019 CH2 Daily Report 2019-12-09

Date : Monday 9 December 2019
Time : 12:00 GMT (10am Boat Time)
Position : 15.59’N    54.04’ W
Position : Approaching Barracuda Ridge (time to restart fishing ?)
Destination : Rodney Bay, St Lucia
ETA : 2020 Dec 11 (GPS)
ETA Kirstie: 0900 Dec 11 (UT)
DTF : 415 Distance Run 2583
24 Hour Run : 204 DMG in 24 Hours : 191
Required Knots for 15 Dec : 3.1, Arrival at 8 Knots : 11 Dec
Wind : TWD : 065 TWS : 17.5
Gybe Angles (M) 255 275 295
Sailplan : Full Main, Yankee 1, Staysail
POB : 14, all in good health and happy
Today on Challenger 2 :
Breakfast : Scrambled egg, fruit salad, Cereal Lunch : Sandwiches  Dinner : Pasta Pesto with pine nuts
Music : a gently humming generator!
Fishing Score : 27/11 1x Large Dorado – Fishing suspended
Notes and comments:

Slightly lighter winds overnight, with a slightly easier sea state. Speeds still around 7-8 knots which feels very slow after the last couple of days.

Sails and main sliders and luff boxes still all in good condition. One hank off on the Yankee 1, still on the sail, think the pin is bent, will replace/repair in St Lucia.

Ricky, Skipper

A bank of squall clouds to the south threatening all morning and just broke as Ricky came on watch (smug, dry mate).

Kirstie

Posted by: First Class Sailing