Friday
19th January 2001, 0930 GMT
Nocturnal life of a baker on a boat
Jane Rickard's diary, live from the Bristol Clipper |
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Surfs
up, we've a good breeze and are now shifting some 13 knots and
surfing up to 17. On deck its a great hoot, sitting astride the
cockpit combing (winch handle at the ready for a trim) bucking
bronco style as the boat takes the ocean's will.
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| As
the boat rounded up into the wind I tried to counter act
it pulling the helm hard over. |
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Rollers coming in on our starboard side pan out in great aqua
coloured swathes to our port while stern hits carry us forward
to a gracious crescendo, pausing briefly before dropping us down
again sometimes gently and others with a great thwack when an
off beat wave or heavy gust catches us unawares.
One of my sessions on the helm two days ago met with a sudden
squall overpowering me with 35 knots of wind up from 20. As the
boat rounded up into the wind I tried to counter act it pulling
the helm hard over, Simon dived
in to assist, the boat is thrown sideways and we're dragging the
boom in the water, by which time I'm on the floor in the cockpit
with my head just inches from the water.
Needless to say we managed to upright the boat and continue the
fun fair ride. Life below deck is a little more
tricky however, or tippy as we call it, a good helmsman is required
for a good nights kip as well as carrying out baking duties, which
is my current task on my night mother watch.
Now I know what a bakers nocturnal life is like, I produce a couple
of loaves a night (with proper kneading and all that) ready for
breakfast plus muffins (cheating packet ones) and and have produced
several real cakes for festive
celebrations.
It was Alan's Birthday yesterday (as I write on 17th), an
IT specialist from London doing legs 1 to 3, he studied Maths
at Bristol University some 20 years ago so is quite familiar with
our city - sounds like a University Challenge intro!
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| Now
I know what a bakers nocturnal life is like |
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James designed a lovely card for him using the photo Harry took
at our Christmas mountain lunch, posing
beautifully in a mini sarong received as a secret Santa gift,
which its purchaser rather hoped might be seen on a female crew
member, but Alan was a great substitute.
Moving around the boat has become particularly hard work, just
getting from your bunk into your clothes (that's if you do get
around to taking them off) to the heads, to the saloon for a spot
of breakfast at 4am local time and to the office (the cockpit)
is exhausting in itself.
These conditions also take their toll on the equipment, so regular
deck and mast inspections are run to keep things in check. We
lost our mast light this last week, so had been operating in true
stealth clipper mode as we speed through the night in complete
darkness.
In the great Blue Peter spirit, using 2 plastic beakers, bulbs,
a few bits of wire, selotape and duck tape, Mark was proud of
his replacement creation and Robin even prouder of its installation.
Wobbling around at the top of
the mast after taking a photo of his head and feet a snap shot
of the light was obtained to send off for a badge a piece.
Liverpool have just had the same problem, so you can imagine their
glee describing their efforts in detail, a little expensive however
to send the picture down the line to copy us.
Things are looking better each day, we've taken London and are
chasing Liverpool, Jersey, and Plymouth - we're hoping for a constant
north easterly to take us straight onto Waiiki Beach!!
Everything still to play for as we always say - Jim has just closed
the books on the $5 stakes for our arrival date and time, so here's
hoping its a good one.. |
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