Foulies are now consigned to the wet locker and shorts and t-shirts have become the dress code of choice. Beautiful clear skies and calm seas are with us now at the expense of a brisk winds to push us south. Temperatures are steadily rising as we head towards the Canary Islands.I've been wearing my 'Legend of the Week' tie with pride, having jointly been awarded the accolade (with bowman and all round top bloke) Roger, at our crew 'happy hour' the day before for making a drama out of a straight forward sheet change. I think my pure persistence when hanging upside down to tie a bowline, and crew sympathy on losing a Croc in the process, swung votes in my favour. But who cares, I won and I'm well chuffed!
Without the relentless need for sail changes of recent days, the down time is used wisely on general maintenance of both of Missi sails and sheets, and the crew... a bucket of sea water and a sponge down makes all the difference to moral of the team and the aroma on board!
Under these light wind conditions, helming is tricky and I am just beginning to understand how the boat moves against the waves, the spinnaker and changing wind direction. It's an art I hope to develop over the coming weeks with the help of Skip (have I mentioned his dodgy choice of t-shirts?) and the rest of the Warriors team, especially with the challenges of the Southern Ocean leg looming.
There's plenty of time to chat and calmly reflect on these quiet night watches, and I`m continually blown away by the beauty of ocean sailing. The horizons are uninterrupted and when the skies are clear, the stars are mesmerising and so much brighter without a cities glow. As is the phosphorescent 'firework display' from the stern wake as we carve our way through the shimmering sea. It makes me realise how small we are in the context of this beautiful planet and bring thoughts of dear family and friends…
...and how much I love my son. Sweet dreams Joshua. x
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