Race 4 - Day 7
Crew Diary - 80’s Decade Cafe!
23 November
Event: Leg 3, Race 4, Day 7
And...back in the galley! So, that’s one week already on the boat as we have a six day rotation and I was in the galley on the first day leaving Cape Town. Today, we have our 80’s music mix playing so some excellent dad singing went down very well with the clientele (TBH they didn’t have much choice). I share my mother watch with Charles (great name BTW, same as my son). He has been a top galley buddy and helped me get through the first mother watch beating up wind from Cape Town, I have to admit I was more tired at the end of that watch than any of the endurance events I have taken part in.
I’ve now rotated through all the duties on board, getting up close with the bilges and heads, and also on deck with some spicy bow action, hard grinding in the pit and fun but full on helming! The mercury has been dropping over the last day or so as we venture into the 40s, so time to break out the extra layers particularly for the night watches. The time does fly by though, and when not performing evolutions there is always something to admire and wonder at, albatross, dolphins, luminescent algae and I’m pretty sure we saw whale, well at least the water spray from its blowhole.
Back in the cafe, the prep is underway for lunch and dinner, tuna wraps, soup and deconstructed cottage pie for those who don’t like mash :) with fresh bread and cake to prepare, toffee and banana today! With a 6 day rota there is a good variety of menus although I’m a little suspicious that we are having French onion soup and buns rather more frequently with our two French watch buddies :) Still, it gives me a chance to entertain the crew with my great dad jokes, “ah so it’s Oasis Soup today...you get a Roll with It” - I can hear my family groaning from here.
Anyway enough keyboard banter – time to get back to baking the bread and cakes and avoiding soggy bottoms, not to be confused with boaty botty, an unpleasant condition I understand that comes from sitting on wet decks for too long…
Bye for now, perhaps 90’s music next mother watch…I’ll pick out some bangers,
Justin.