Day 34

Every day at sea is different, no more so than yesterday. Our 8-12pm watch clocked up the distinction of logging just 3 miles run. We were at the centre of an area of high pressure (1027 hPa) and the wind faded to barely a zephyr and turning the sea to glass. Now that is why our ocean is called Pacific! The calm brought a very curious albatross that landed close and paddled to within a few meters to check us out. Its friends soon joined in but weren’t so bold in approaching. By night fall there were five big albatrosses either on the water or coasting around, flapping more and clearly taking advantage of air disturbed by the long rolling swell. We left our reliefs with a huge moon wondering what more surprises lie over the horizon. The captain in his evening broadcast said that the wind was forecast to pick up through the night with lows bringing stronger winds from the north but we should escape the worst as the storm would pass to the south of us.

The crib knockout is going well. Wendy has quickly picked up this very English pub game and can now count ’15-2, 15-4, 2 for a pair and six for runs is 12’ along with the best. (Dx)

Today another birthday – Tamsin, second engineer, reluctantly entering a new decade of her life – so she got a Tamsin friendly 21 again birthday cake!

As days pass we see the fine works of the Bosun’s Mates. Neil who is making fiddles and holders to keep our plates from the deck when Nellie rolls. Stuart testing fire hoses, putting reefs in the fore tops’l and directing the efforts of voyage crew in deck tasks at ‘happy hour’. Kirsten when not aloft is sewing canvas of the spanker – laid out in the bar, a mammoth task on an aged sail. An last but not least Godfrey, every hair a rope yarn and every finger a marlin spike who quietly turns his hand to whatever task needs attention. Thanks Bosun’s Mates for keeping it all ship shape.