More Doldrums

Doldrums Day 3 - Sunday the 18th Feb

Boy did it rain last night, I mean biblical, I changed sail config about 15 times and achieve about 5 miles. Its pretty frustrating out here.

At least we don't have David Beckam's "My life in football" on board, or anything by Geoffrey Archer. We do have plenty of other complete tat to read. I'm reading "SEAWOLF" about an American Sub spying on the Chinese, Its probably important that its in capitals, the cover seem to think so anyway. Its redeeming feature is that it was written by a Brit. So it contains odd references to the quality of UK subs and submariners usually absent from htis sort of book, being usually written by Americans. Tom Clancy's "Red Storm rising", also contains a lot of submarines. All irritating barrelling around the oceans at 20 30 40 knots. Both authors seem enamoured with the British Spear Fish torpedo. Oh dear torpedo envy, what would Sigmund Froid have made of that.

We've plenty of food on board so time isn't bothering us. Fuel is we've got bugger all wind, right on the nose. We've got about 0.7 knots of current. Also right on the nose. We've burnt so much fuel all ready we just had to check the engine oil. We didn't buy any American Heritage brand cheese slices, whose packet contained an oldy worldy picture and the words "American Heritage - Artificial Processed imitation cheese food" . American Heritage, the Americans should sue for slander, if it wasn't unfortunately true. Errm i may have gotten the "Artificial" and the "Imitation" swapped over, but you get the jist.

Wine Dark Sea

Ever heard the phrase "Wine Dark Sea", its also the title of one of the O'brian Master and Commander series. Well this is what it looks like. Photo probably doesn't do it justice, but the colour was exactly like the colour you get in the bottom of a red wine bottle the morning after a party when someone has dropped fag ash in it.

I've got a sore butt. I hate being skinny. All I wanted was to not be fat for the last few years. Now I have lost weight. Bits of me get sore on hard bits of cockpit seat. Not fair. Big thanks to Nick for commenting on how thin I looked. You saying I used to look fat?

Sod it its raining again, you lot get off.... and I was gonna play Simon the Sorcerer on SCUMMvm.

Oh and don't read any criticism of "SEAWOLF" into this post. So far its an excellent book. Even if its been badly marinised. By marinised I mean, its a cheap paper back, from a book exchange. Its probably sailed half way around the world already and is plodding south west now, its almost certainly been read repeatedly, crumpled and transported by dinghy. Its now in 13 odd pieces, one of which got wet again last night.