Day 17 - The Missing Chapter
Position 13 January 2006 1200 GMT 17 degrees 39 mins North 49 degrees 21 mins West. Only 713 nautical miles to go. On the shelves of ReVision 11 and all cruising boats like her you will find books written by distinguished ocean travelers. Next to Jimmy Cornell you will find a Nigel Calder, a Les Weatherit and a Beth Leonard. Beth is a particular favorite of Carolyn's as she also covers girl issues. We feel however that there is a missing chapter in these books and have started to compile a few ideas which we will be passing on to Beth for her next edition.
Here are a few of the things Beth and Les don't say:
- You CAN sit a night watch in t-shirt and shorts, but only if under full foulies and wooly hat
- The wind DOES blow between 14 and 18 knots - but only when in transition from dead calm to full on gale (an average perhaps?)
- You CAN set your sails and not touch them for 4 days - only if you have 4 sets of replacements or if they are furled away and you running under bare poles
- You CAN sleep on deck at night - only if you don't mind being drowned in the process
- DON'T bother learning sail trim just learn how to reduce sail fast
- DON'T bother passage planning with waypoints just sail downwind in the knowledge that this is anywhere between North and South through West in a 10 min given period
- Clothes, bedding, cushions, walls, etc will all get covered in various beverages at least once a day so don't do laundry before you leave
- Deck inspection is best carried out from the cockpit with binoculars or best still while in Las Palmas
- DO join a radio net and get the most up to date weather forecast from NOAA - then ignore it and just sail West anyway
- All things CAN be repaired by Sikaflex, seizing wire and duct tape
- Ignore traditional navigation methods and adopt 'Blue Sky Navigation' ie head for the sunshine
- Be sure to keep a watch at all times - we saw a ship 6 days ago and a piece of seaweed today
- You CAN wash clothes on passage - but only if you want them rinsed in salt water or to go moldy in the heads
- Clarins hand cream is NOT up to ocean sailing
- Pressure cooking at sea is NOT for the faint hearted
- You DON'T get used to rythemic rolling - whatever they say
posted by revision2 @ 11:39 am
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