Return Crew Day 10 – 17 February 2020

By Tony

Another day on a small boat in the south Atlantic.
My first watch of the day starts at 0600 so up at about 0530. Stick your head out of the cabin; is it a foulies or shorts and t-shirts type of day? Wake Oli my watch partner and shoot the breeze with the previous watch, Rory and Robin. On watch from 0600 to 0800, in most instances the balance of the crew slumbers so a perfect time to mull life’s wonders. Wake the next watch, Clare and Cam around 0750 and normally the watch crew on breakfast duty begins to stir. After breakfast most of the crew chill, read or chat, crew from the earlier watches may read and take a midmorning nap.

We’re motor sailing today, not a drop of wind out there, we’re right in the middle of a high pressure zone…..but we saw three turtles swim by and a pod of Brydes whales heading wherever they head……seabird sightings are on the increase so looking forward to getting further south where there should be an abundance. With the current no wind situation it’s a perfect time for a swim in the oily deep blue, amazing how clear the water is. It’s a very strange sensation swimming around this little vessel over 1,000 nm from the nearest land, makes you realise just how insignificant and or significant we are in this huge, wild and magnificent world…..we are deep in the wilderness out here.

Midday, the watch on lunch duty begins their shift, todays its Robyn and Rory’s turn….freshly baked bread served with a selection of tuna and mayo, jam or canned sardines….we’ve been eating like kings throughout the trip.

Afternoon is book or nap time for most, Oli and I are back on watch from 1400 to 1600 and most of the crew normally reassembles towards the end of it. We’ve just heard that the yachts “Innovation” are not too far ahead of us and that “Zulu Girl” is not far behind us…..comforting…..seems like our visit to Tristan could be a reunion of the SA Rio crowd.

Dinner this evening is Oli and my turn…..I wonder how boiled rice and canned baked beans will go down?? Dinner is normally a social affair with everyone on deck followed by most retiring early to catch up on some rest before their next watch.

It’s mid-afternoon now and we’ll finish our watch shortly……almost time for my book and a little afternoon nap me thinks……next watch is 2000 to 2400 and then a solid six hours sleep before it starts all over again……
Total: 1105