Definitely a shorts day
Jim takes us on a poetic tour of the stars overnight, as the crew settle into the rhythm of their watches. Dawn breaks and they contemplate when it will be warm enough to change into shorts – a sailor’s life!
A Starry Night
With Papa Watch, Simon and our first mothers getting their heads down, Bravo took the trip’s first night-watch and saw the night sky fully darken and the clouds retreated. Kate pointed the way beyond the elusive Ursa Major for other crowd pleasers, with Cassiopeia and Pleiades before the clearing sky gave up the milky expanse of our way and Geri spotted the largest of several shooting stars, mostly small mots that flicked briefly in the dark sky before the moon rose and drove the milky way back from the night. Only the strongest constellations like Orion remained with us as the moon rose followed by Venus as Ricky talked the crew through polling out and night sailing trimming, ever more speed is needed with the presence of Challenger 3 lurking somewhere beyond the horizon.
Tour of the Milky Way
Some Tough Decisions To Be Made
The sunrise sees the crew shaking out into the shift pattern as the need for sleep drives those coming off watch to bunks and Alan to “start the engine” as the ever perspicacious Mark T noted. Challenger 4 churns the water behind her and above Jim’s first sight of the fathomless blue of the deeps. Mark P was on the helm as 9 knots is seen and we continue south to find stronger winds and more speed. The morning watch is relaxed watch with leisurely time to keep an eye on the sails of Istria, Pure Elegance and Peter von Seestremue keeping us company down around the starboard horizon whilst Jan and a sometimes snoozing John contemplate the greater things in life, like when to change into shorts; with the sun coming up, there’s a warm day ahead.
Jim
Skipper Ricky’s Log
Date : 26 Nov 2018
Time : 12:00 GMT
Position : 25 37.5 N 015 57.2 W
Position : 70Nm West of the coast of Africa
Destination : St Lucia
ETA : Dec 17, 2018 (GPS)
ETA : Dec 14, 2018 (Ricky)
DTF : 2624
24 Hour Run : 161
COG 228, SOG 5.1
Fuel : 3 full, 1 in use
Water : 3 full, 1 in use
Gas : 3 full, 1 in use, 1 Empty
Notes and comments :
Eratic Iridium, Disconnected all cabled from the Comms PC, sprayed with contact cleaner, and reassembled. Seems to work now (maybe).
Great start and much better first days sailing than the GRIBs had predicted. Crew all settling in very well. Compass light not working – missed that on the pre-departure checks. Head torch solution at the moment, will change bulb when possible.
Whale spume spotted yesterday evening. Eggy bread and cereal for breakfast. Lovely sunrise. Tapas for lunch. All happy on board.
Celestial Nav theory lesson and some morning sun sights.
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