It's no lark,
Have you ever been to the Phoenix Park?
I like to go there in the dark
To the zoological gardens.
We knew when our father had played a good round of golf because he came home tipsy and singing that song when he had. I never did check were those the right words.....He would then start to tunelessly belt out Lilly the Pink and my mother would send him packing upstairs with his tail between his legs. We won't go into the day he played a sensational round, forgot that we had converted the garage and tried to drive the car into the garage! Back in those days drinking and driving was permitted. A lot has changed since then. My Da now says "Who are you"? when I visit.
It was the lightening on watch last night that brought back those memories. I was treated to hours of spectacular flashes all around the boat. Out with Liam's Granny's biscuit tin ( The Faraday cage 😊), for all the essential electronics and nothing for it but to make myself a huge cheese sambo and mug of builders tea, then sit back relax and enjoy natures wonderful show. I felt a peculiar calmness as the lightening flashed around the boat. You are a tall piece of metal pointing skyward with nothing else around you and there's absolutely nothing you can do. It either strikes or does not. Fate
A sitting duck so to speak.
Which brings me to the feathered fellas on board. Ruth 2 is home to a falcon and a tiny sand marten. The falcon is up on the cross tree's , his feathers a mess and the little sand marten is snuggled in my sock in my shoe in the basket. Neither of these wonderful creatures are going to make it. They've been blown off course into an environment that they can't survive in. You can't but admire them for their stoicism and bravery. Out here all alone struggling to survive against the odds. Fate.
It's been a stressful but fun few days on board. The weather isn't playing ball for our approach to South Africa. The SSB was active for hours yesterday with boats discussing options and sharing advice from a few different weather routers. Andrew has nick named the Agulhas current ""The Goolies current"", his words not mine! Seems you need big ones to sail this patch of water. It's tough on James, ultimately the decision on when and where to cross the current rests with him. Can't be easy.
I Look forward to owning a boat again but being a skipper is no joke. Hats off to all skippers and especially to our amazing one.
Mary
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