6th November 2019 – Race day 16 – Eggy boot for lunch anyone?..
Another 05:30 – 20:30 Mother shift!
Back with Graham for Mother duty today as the rota has come full circle.
Graham is also my bunk buddy on the opposite watch which means we share a bunk.
When I’m on watch he sleeps and vice versa.
Thankfully we are both clean, tidy and dry.
Some of the other bunks and bunk buddies are not so lucky.
Graham suggested one of his favourites for breakfast…beans on toast lol.
I laugh because our Latino crew members do not understand baked beans and refuse to eat them.
They had cereals and toast instead.
However, Antonio is a convert and he loves Marmite 😊.
The 2 watches are beginning to fall out because of one watch being late, or the other watch not cleaning the toilets properly, or there not being enough room for the off coming watch to eat or get changed because the oncoming watch are in the way and so on.
This culminated in a few choice words being slung around as my watch climbed the ladder to go and get cold and wet for 4 hours.
I attempt to halt the back and forth by saying “you’ve spoken and been heard, now let’s act on the feedback and move on”.
The weather is a little friendlier today, but I am worried that I have ran out of seasickness medication especially now I am stuck below deck all day.
Graham and I counted all the eggs we have left today.
We have nearly 200! And not many days left to eat them, so we decided to make a frittata and used about 30.
Just as we had finished cracking and whisking all 30 eggs the shout came down from the deck that we were about run in a squall and needed to tack.
This meant that everything that was leaning at 30 degrees or more one way was now going to flip and lean 30 degrees lower or higher the other way.
Not good when you have a few pints of liquid egg sloshing around in saucepan!
We did what we could to control the now liquid eggs but could not stop the raw eggy wave cascading over the side of the kitchen counter straight into Graham’s boot! Nightmare!
Sorry Graham but you do have a funny story to tell once you see the funny side of it 😊.
With some help form others we managed to split the egg mixture in to 2 high sided baking trays and get them in the oven for lunch served with a cabbage and veg salad which turned out great and we got loads of good feedback and a nomination for “master chefs” a high honour indeed considering the great cooks we have onboard.
I had to lay down after lunch as I felt dizzy and sick again.
Graham got me some meds (he is one of our on-board medics) that seemed to get me back in the game mentally if not physically.
I have no idea what we are going to have for dinner today as our veg supplies are running low and we are mainly on tinned food.
Graham has a good rummage through the cubby holes where we stash our food and thinks we can make a curry but with risotto rice.
Game on #fusion.
It turned out a bit gloopy and I have now lost interest in cooking but at least its good stodgy calories to keep people going.
We made an earl grey, ginger and dried fruit tea loaf for snacks.
It seems posh / very English especially with a big mug of northern tea to wash it down.
After a big clean up in the galley I’m looking forward to nearly 12 hours off!
I can’t wait to get back in deck in the fresh air.
We may only have a couple of days left.
It’s good timing because I will have some time to start sorting out my kit, packing some of it away and freshen myself up just in time for re-patronisation into civilian life 😊.
Another great note from my Wife today basically ordering me to arrive into Cape Town on the 8th I have shared this information with the Skipper, First Mate and crew and they all agree to do their best.
Sophia is ready to join us on deck tomorrow too which is good news.
Sadie is full of cold but battles on regardless and makes the best ginger and honey tea.
Ale is now seasick but again battles on. I think her main annoyance are her cold wet feet. We are now testing new methods such as plastic bags inside socks to see if we can stay dry!
DW seems to be allot better too so for the first time in nearly 10 days we are all available to help.
The rest of the crew seem OK, but I think now the finish line is approaching most would like it to be over.
I am keeping Graham’s wise words in mind “keep going until the end and then stop”.
This video shows us with a reduced crew on deck due to the conditions.
We have a maximum of 4 to help prevent exposure.
1 on the helm with 1 spotting them incase anything happens to them / we start going off course.
2 in the cockpit ready to adjust any of the sails due to a change in direction or weather.
The remainder wait below fully kitted up ready to replace the crew on deck.
On this day I am in the galley preparing hot food and drinks to keep them all going.
Jim Leafe 