Perfect day out here - well except if you want to sail anywhere because there's only a slight SE breeze and that wont get this old girl anywhere. So hold the champagne for Tuesday....But I'm over half way there now : 185 nm to go, Sydney is 235nm behind. Exact position right now is 32degrees 22 minutes South, 155 degrees 36 minutes East.Yesterday was a great day. At sunset I noticed ahead of us huge towering cumulus clouds, grey and black underneath but their summits brilliant orange and creamy yellow as the sun went down. Very picturesque but I had read on my forecast for metarea X SE that severe storms were predicted from a low in the mid south Tasman extending out to about 300 nm - and thats where we were. When I read the forecasts earlier and worked out how far away it was I thought nothing of it but then seeing these clouds, and later on as it got dark noticing lightening illuminating their interiors and striking down at the sea I started to think again. So I went up top and reefed the main again, made everything tidy and waited as the wind picked up again and our speed crept up again despite the reef to 6.3 knots. I waited anxiously but then the wind settled again and the clouds seemed to be moving further away..so I went below - because mostly I sit in various spots in the cockpit - for a little snooze .
When I woke,to my amazement I'd slept for 2 hours but everything was fine and the hydrovane was steering us along the same course but we were slowing down as the wind was dropping. Nothing much to do about that so I scanned the horizon for ships and bad weather - none - and went for another snooze. I had several great sleeps during the night and after the last one, waking at dawn about 5am there was no wind at all and we were just rolling around going nowhere. For anyone concerned about my health, all systems functioning well just a few tender bruises here and there and sore arm muscles from the wrestling matches the other night. The sleeps had done me good so I planned a breakfast of bacon, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns,grilled tomato and sausage with fresh coffee but because I dont have most of those ingredients I had the usual which is muesli with a little pot of SPC Diced Peaches in Juice. But I did make some nice plunger coffee. And had some water and an orange.
After that I turned on the motor and plan to run along till noon charging the batteries and cooling down the icebox. Hopefully by then a breeze will have kicked in.
Meanwhile Ive been amusing myself practicing Nigel Powers ( Austen Powers "farja, farja .. you know his farja his daddy..) line from Goldmember where he says in his great cockney accent " Theres two kindsa people I cant stand : People who're intolerant of other peoples cultures....and the dutch"
Ive also been reading "God is Not Great" by Christopher Hitchens, and its good. He's not at all compromising, and its quite a hilarious read : "In 2004 a soap opera film about the death of Jesus was produced by an Australian Fascist and ham actor named Mel Gibson. Mr Gibson adheres to a crackpot and schismatic Catholic sect consisting mainly of himself and his even more thuggish father, and has stated that it is a pity that his own dear wife is going to hell because she does not accept the correct sacraments." I wonder what Chris will be saying now about Gibsons Catholicism now hes the father of a bastard...what a hypocrite.
Cheese and lettuce sando for lunch today.And I better use the avocado which was greenish before but should be good now.... Thanks for the emails, they really are much anticipated and appreciated.
Sapphire Out
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